Fujifilm X-Pro 2 – 16mm 1.4
Door 22: Aerobatics at the Hilton in Tewkesbury
Yes, you read that title correctly. This picture is from a wedding, and the guests are watching an aerobatic display.
If you’ve followed my website or blog for any great length of time in 2016 you will have most likely seen this photograph. It was taken on a rather wet wedding day back in May and has been a favourite of mine since.
So, a little context first. We’re at the Hilton in Tewkesbury where the ceremony has just recently finished. If memory serves correctly I had just completed the group shots at which point the father of the bride pulled me to one side to show me a big shortwave radio whilst saying ‘I’ve got a little surprise ready for the happy couple’.
‘Oh really?’ – I was a bit puzzled as to what the bride and groom might want to do with a shortwave radio and why this massive walkie-talkie wasn’t wrapped up if it was their wedding present. Silly me.
‘I’ve got a friend who’s waiting on my word to come over and perform a little aerobatic display for us’.
…
Right, there are a few things in life that a photographer fears. 1) Fireworks 2) Bad light 3) Fast moving things very far away
This aerobatic display fitted snugly amongst the latter of the three.
The difficulty here too, is that I quite like things like that – who doesn’t? It’s a plane doing exciting, dangerous tricks. I didn’t really see much of the plane.
I had Mike working with me on this particular wedding who shoots with pretty high-end Canon gear, including a massive lens that lets him see things that are quite far away. He photographed the plane, I photographed the guests. I worked fairly quickly and tried to get all of their reactions fairly close-up. I love their reactions in this picture, and I love the thought of someone who doesn’t know the backstory of what’s going on wondering what on earth (or not as the case may be) they’re looking at.
