The birth of a Blue Angels photographer

“So, why did you start shooting the Blue Angels?”

It’s a question I get asked fairly often. Actually, it’s usually one of the first few questions I’m asked when I meet someone for the first time.

A little history first. I got my first taste of the Blues at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach when I was around 8 years old. My dad walked me around the static displays on base and I was just in awe of how big and awesome these planes were in real life! Seeing them on TV is one thing, when you’re a young kid and stand next to one of these beasts, it makes an impression.

When the jets started flying, and I felt that roar in my ears and chest for the first time…I was instantly hooked. 1000%, no refunds…HOOKED!

Watching the single plane demos was incredible enough, and I’m talking jets like my all-time favorite, the F-14 Tomcat…but when the Blue Angels took to the sky it was game over for this guy. Blues Fanatic Status: UNLOCKED!

The Legacy Flight

I know, I probably have the same story as every other jet nut out there. So let’s fast forward to the present. We moved to Navarre in late 2020. The entire Blue Angels season had been cancelled do to Covid-19 so the thought of photographing them never really crossed my mind.

Then it happened. An announcement was made that the Blue Angels would be doing a final flight in their legacy hornets, a plane that had been used by the team for 34 seasons. And to sweeten the deal, the flight path had them flying over Navarre Beach!

On the afternoon of November 4th 2020, I went out for the first time to photograph the Blues. I set up just east of the pier with my longest lens, which at the time maxed out at 200mm. I wanted to get that epic shot of the team flying just above the pier and right as they passed over it.

After about 20 minutes of waiting, I could see the team coming down the beach between the pier stanchions. I had my camera set up, all of my settings dialed in, and took aim as they headed toward me. I WAS ABOUT TO GET THE SHOT I HAD ENVISIONED!!! But, I didn’t. Not exactly.

As the team approached the pier, they started turning off to the north to make their way back toward Gulf Breeze. At the time, standing there on the beach and swiping through the photos, I was a little disappointed that I didn’t catch what I had set out to catch. Mission: Failed

Now it was time to go home, have a drink, and cry a little while watching the photos upload to my pc. But as it happened, the turn they took made the shot 1000 times cooler than what I had planned to get!

The Blue Angels, the pier, and the people who all came out to bid the old birds farewell made for what is still one of my personal favorite captures of the team. Did it go as planned? No. Did I get lucky? Probably so. Either way, I’m glad I got the shot that I didn’t plan for!

Enter the Super Hornet

The 2021 Blue Angels season for me started in complete failure. I had my shot of the final flight in the old jets, so it only made sense to get a shot of them the first time they bring the new rhinos down Pensacola Beach.

The day the team is set to return home, I make sure to get everything ready.

Battery charged: CHECK
Camera and lenses in the bag: CHECK
Memory card in the camera: CHECK

We drive down to Pensacola Beach and set up chairs in our normal spot with about 45 minutes to spare before the flyover. Camera bag is at my side, ready to unpack and set up a few minutes before they arrive.

The beach, cold beer in hand, Blue Angels headed our way, this is PERFECT! Until…

It was about 5 minutes before the flyover, time to get the camera set up! Get the body out, throw the lens on, check for a memory card, IT’S GO TIME! I flip the power switch to get my camera settings right for the flyby and, that’s odd? The camera isn’t coming on. As I’m flipping the camera over and opening the battery door it starts to sink in…

Battery charged: CHECK
Battery removed from the charger and put back in the camera: Negative, Ghostrider

Chasing The Cone

I had the farewell flight, botched the first super hornet flyover, and now needed something else to aim for. You know what, I’ve seen some really cool photos of these planes making wicked vapor cones when they do the high speed passes, THAT is what I want to catch!

I knew when July got here I’d have 3 chances to get the sneak pass, and hopefully a big ‘ol vapor cone to go along with it. As fate (and a LOT of luck) would have it, Commander Walborn in the #5 jet popped a cone at EXACTLY the right time in EXACTLY the right place! But, did I get the damn thing?

Now I saw the cone through my viewfinder as it happened, but when I started chimping the shots with that tiny screen on the back of the camera it was hard to see and I definitely thought it was a missed opportunity, again.

Needless to say I rushed home to see what I had or had not captured — by rush I mean about 5 hours after the rehearsal was over. This IS Blues week on Pensacola Beach mind you, rushing doesn’t really exist.

After getting home and sifting through about 1000 images, somewhere in there I found the beauty that I was after!

This was it. This was the exact moment that I formed an addiction and a Blue Angels photographer was born!

“Blue Vapor” is still my best selling Blue Angels print!