Photographer Misses Spectacular Shot at Air Show

A photographer is going viral on Reddit after he turned away at the wrong moment and missed an epic shot at an air show.

The Dayton Air Show took place in Ohio this weekend amid soaring temperatures and as part of the festivities, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bomber flew over Dayton Airport as pyrotechnics were set off to simulate carpet bombing.

But in a video shared to the “Watch People Die Inside” community of Reddit, footage shows the B-29 airplane — which is called “Doc” — flying over the runway as a group of assembled photographers stand behind a fence taking photos of the retired American bomber that was used in World War II and the Korean War.

Of the seven photographers that can be seen on the video, one of them holding what appears to be a 400mm lens, turns away just moments before the pyro explodes in spectacular fashion. The photographer had turned away to check the images on the back of his digital camera but heard the explosions as he was facing the wrong way and reacted in dismay as he realized his error.

As he looks around perturbed, an evil laugh can be heard behind the camera as another attendee enjoys a touch of schadenfreude.

“Honestly this is the woe of every photographer. If you ever want a good photo opportunity, just check your photos and something neat will happen, but end just before you can tilt your camera back up,” says one Redditor who sounds like they have experience of this type of misfortune.

The Difficulties of Shooting Air Shows

Over on the Aviation community of Reddit, sympathetic photographers described how when they first started shooting air shows, it was tough to keep up with the hectic schedule.

“My first air show shooting weekend I was way behind the curve, struggling to keep up with the demo, writes one Redditor. “By day three I had damn near the whole thing memorized, and my photos were night and day between weekend start and end. Especially when it came to opposing passes, sneak passes, etc. Even sussing out if we would be getting the high or low show. Definitely didn’t help that I was shooting exclusively with film that weekend. It pays to do your homework!”

And one of the attendees of the Dayton Air Show said that the day before the B-29 had flown the opposite way for the pyrotechnic explosion and that one of the announcers had prematurely broadcast that there was going to be a pyro pass.

Whether the pyro team missed their cue or the photographer was a rookie, capturing an air show comprehensively is a tough job — especially when the temperatures are in the 90s.