The Turkish Stars Air Show Draws Lines Through the Sky
I went to the second Teknofest, of course. I cannot hide how much I enjoy this kind of spectacle. The Turkish Stars air show filled the blue sky with red-and-white aircraft, white smoke and thin red trails that made every turn readable from the ground.
The Sky Was the Whole Stage
The four frames move from a wide formation to closer passes and back into a group shape. The planes are small against the empty sky, but that space is what gives the choreography its scale. Each image leaves enough air around the aircraft for the trails to become part of the composition rather than simple evidence of movement.
Shot with a Nikon D90 and a 105mm lens, the series keeps the excitement of looking up and trying to follow the next pass. The Turkish Stars air show is precise, fast and brief; the photographs slow one sequence down just enough to see how the formation holds together.
When you watch an air show, what stays with you longer: the aircraft themselves, the shape of the formation or the smoke trail after they have gone?
September 21, 2019
BE
