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Author Topic: Taking pictures of a race.  (Read 87056 times)

suzieberg

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Taking pictures of a race.
« on: July 13, 2015, 12:00:49 pm »

Hey, guys. This is Suzie here. I am a student of engineering and also a photographer on a part time basis. These two are my biggest passions, and I couldn't let the latter slip away in view of my studies.

Anyway, I have been given a project by my friend's dad, which is to take photographs of a local folkrace. I am actually excited about this project, since I have always dreamed of taking photos of races with the Formula 1 being my ultimate goal.

However, I am still fairly new to it, in terms of the technical stuff, which is making me a bit nervous since I don't want to let my client down. So, guys, I need your help.

Since this is a folkrace with  a dirt track, it is going to be quite dirty and not to mention, a bit chaotic too.

So, what do you guys recommend? How should I proceed for this?

Thank you for reading and have a good day! :) ~
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2015, 12:03:27 pm »

Hi Suzie and welcome to the forum!

What equipment do you have?

suzieberg

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2015, 12:05:55 pm »

Nothing fancy, mate.

Just a Nikon D3200 SLR. Like I said, I am still in the beginning stages. :)
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2015, 12:18:48 pm »

And what lens?

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #4 on: July 13, 2015, 12:32:43 pm »

Whatever your equipment, I suggest the following:
1.  Shoot hand-held, no tripod, so you can follow the action.
2.  Well before the race, practice panning cars on a highway, using fairly slow shutter speeds. Try 1/30 of a second and a few other speeds abive and below that to get a sense of what shutter speed best gets the sense of movement. Ideally, the car should look fairly sharp, with enough blur in the background to give a sense of speed.
3.  At the race, if possible position yourself at a turn where you can see cars coming straight toward you as well as from the side as they round the curve (but be ready and able to jump fast if one doesn't make the turn!

I haven't done race photography in close to 50 years, but I did shoot for the New England region of the Sports Car Club of America back then, and it was great fun. Back then I was shooting with a 35mm SLR with either a 50mm or 105mm lens, never longer or wider.

Good luck, and do show us some of what you get.
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BobShaw

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2015, 12:20:07 am »

In addition to what Eric said,
1. If possible, get a monopod that brings the viewfinder to eye height. Holding a camera all day is hard work.
2. For cars coming towards you they will almost all be on the same line. Put it on manual focus or back bottom focus and focus on the piece of tar that the car will pass over and wait for it. You can not successfully auto focus on a race car coming towards you with a cheaper camera.
3. If it is really dusty use a rain sleeve or similar and a UV filter (the only time I advocate one).

Good luck.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2015, 01:23:29 pm »

BobShaw's points are good ones.
I certainly remember focusing on the pavement where I expected oncoming cars to be.
I never considered autofocus, mainly because it didn't exist back then.   ;)
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suzieberg

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2015, 11:40:58 am »

Wow, so many brilliant advices!

Thank you so much, guys. I will definitely use them! :)
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DucatiTerminator

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2015, 05:14:03 pm »

Is most of the racing you shoot on dirt of asphalt?
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Ken Bennett

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2015, 08:28:33 am »

Will you have a photo credential that puts you in the pits or in the photo stands down by the track? If so, great -- that's good access, but pay attention and BE CAREFUL. There's a lot going on, very quickly, on all sides, and it's easy to get in someone's way and to get hurt. (Here in the USA race photogs sign a waiver when picking up their credentials, and it's pretty bulletproof-- "blah blah blah imminent death." And it's your fault, not theirs.)

At our local track, they have several races on race night -- starting with lower level cars and shorter races, and working up to the "Modified" class with more laps. If that's the case there, then it gives you an opportunity to shoot in several places and figure out how to tell the story. There are good photos in pit row, in one of the trickier turns (stay on the inside of the turn for safety), and at the finish line for the end of the race. Don't forget to shoot the fans, the pit crews, and the drivers before and after. If you know who is going to win, you may be able to position yourself to shoot the winner crossing the finish line, then turn around and shoot his team celebrating.

You should certainly try for some "panning" shots, where you shoot a slow shutter speed and move the camera with the car, but most of your photos should be at a high enough shutter speed to freeze the action. This is higher than you think with most race cars.

Good luck and report back... :)
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mjcreedon

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2015, 01:29:28 am »

When I was a media photographer during the San Francisco America's Cup in 2012 and 2013 I found it important to cover my camera any way I could.  Initially I used a common plastic freezer bag with a lens cut out that actually worked well for a while.  Most important of all was setting your camera menu to Back Button Focus.  I was using my Canon 5d3's with BBF and it saved the day.  Many of the worldwide media photographers recommended this and they were right.  Use the highest ISO that will generate fine print quality, use prime lenses, optimum f stop, fast shutter speed, and go for it.
You can check out some of the San Francisco America's Cup work I created at my website at mjcreedon.com
I was never a sports photographer.  I simply am a born and raised San Francisco guy, have owned and sailed my boat on the Bay for over 25 years and saw the opportunity to photograph this international event on my home waters.  What else could I do.  I had to find a way to be a part of my San Francisco experience.
Left teaching as a Professor for 11 years at the San Francisco Art Institute for the San Francisco America's Cup so it had to be an important decision.  One I will never forget or regret.  Being on the water next to 72 foot cats flying off the water at 42 knots was over the top.  Never witnessed it before and from what the new America's Cup is signaling they are back to 45 foot hydrofoiling cats that are nothing like the 72 footers on San Francisco Bay.  Check out YouTube for the races.
Talk to other pro photographers around you on the course and only use what works for you.
Best of luck,
Michael
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mjcreedon

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #11 on: July 30, 2015, 01:57:21 am »

Here is one of my images that is a bit more subtle than the rest.  But I like it.
Michael
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mjcreedon

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #12 on: July 30, 2015, 01:34:59 pm »

One last thing.  Set your camera to aperture priority, on the Canon it is AV mode rather than auto or manual.  This way you have set your optimal aperture setting and use a fast enough ISO to bring your shutter speed to at least a 1/2500 of a second or faster.  Do some testing to find the best shutter speed.
With my 400mm f5.6 this lens was optimal at f5.6.  Amazingly sharp wide open.  With my 24-105mm f8 the sharpest aperture.  Things can change depending on need for depth of field so adapt to your needs.  And remember to have some fun.
Michael
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sgwrx

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2015, 08:48:13 pm »

i've recently shot auto racing on a road course. for panning shots, i had to use higher shutter speeds because i'm just not that steady. i was 1/180th or 1/250th with a 200mm lens.  i got some background blur.  part of my problem too was that i was shooting a lot where the car comes towards you and then away as opposed to just going horizontally passed you.

take a lot of photos and that will increase your odds of getting a good one!

also, i found that i focused too much on panning shots during the first race.  the second race, i did some panning and some non-panning and was able to get a piece of a bridge and track signage in the background.  but i needed to zoom in enough to have the car or two fill as much of the frame as possible.  you can always crop too.

i've never heard the advice on focusing on a piece of the track and waiting for the car! that's a good one and i'll try that out soon!

edit: here's one where i wasn't panning. i find it interesting because the cars in the background are blurred due to their movement. i also find it interesting because the inside front wheel is slightly off the ground.  i think in general, besides a good panning shot (which i can't do!) of a car going by at high speed, a car going through a corner is good because the car is "doing something".
« Last Edit: July 30, 2015, 08:56:16 pm by sgwrx »
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D Fuller

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Re: Taking pictures of a race.
« Reply #14 on: August 03, 2015, 12:49:24 am »

A lot of good advice here. I'll add a few tips.

Scout the location early.

Finding places where you can stand with a camera, with no obstructions, that has the right angle on the track can be hard. But it'll be harder if all the spwctators are there first. When you scout, think about how the cars will come through the area.  Except for the slow-shutter panning shots mentioned above, straights are boring. Corners give you all kinds of angle possibilities.

Scout with a lens you think you'll use. The distances can be greater than you think. (Don't hesitate to rent a lens from Lensrentals.com if you don't think you have the right one. But get it a day or two early, so you can test it and get to know it a bit before the race.)


Red Biull Chasing, Montreal GP    Nikon D3s; Nikkor 300mm f2.8 MF


Look at what will be behind the cars. Pit crews and spectators can make a shot a lot more interesting. Pine trees, less so.

Renault Re-enters, Montreal GP    Nikon D3s; Nikkor 300mm f2.8 MF

Practice focussing. Practice with the autofocus modes of the camera with the lens you'll use to see if they are up to the challenge. And practice manual focussing as well. See if it's better.

Shoot high-speed bursts. Cars will pass through focus with varying, but often good results (if you've practiced). Know your camera's buffer so you don't over-shoot it.

Anticipate. There is delay in all camera systems. Get used to it and compensate for it. You have to press the shutter before the moment you want happens. This is more true of racing than most things. It just moves faster. (more reason to shoot short bursts)

Watch your exposure carefully fo the first few passes at any location. Cars are shiny. They often are much brighter than anything about the location has lead you to believe. It's easy to come away with a lot of hard-clipped highlights. But don't under-expose either. Dust can eat up the light sometimes.

And most important... don't forget your earplugs. Racing engines hurt my ears!
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