Advice for shooting auto racing

[truephotoga]

There will be an auto race in north GA this weekend that Im going to. I would like advice on how to get good shots of the cars as they speed down the track and take corners. Is it best to put the camera in shutter priority for this? Thanks

 

[Marc32]

This is a tricky one. I've taken photos in Daytona for the 500, and it becomes a game of shutter speed vs exposure. Too fast a shutter makes a dark picture with no blur in the cars, and too slow makes a brighter picture, but you can't make the car out. Depending on the day and amount of sun, spend a little time adjusting your ISO, shutter speed, and f/stops until you get it right. Second issue is keeping a steady camera if you're looking for little or no blur around the cars. If the cars are moving, you are moving with them, while trying to keep a car in the lens to get the shot. For what it's worth, on a sunny Daytona 500 I use ISO 100, 1/200-250 shutter speed and f/8 as a starting point. I keep a CPL, ND4, and lens hood closeby incase the situation requires it. It would have to be really bright with a slow <1/100 shutter to need the ND or hood. Good luck and have fun!

 

[tirediron]

This is a tricky one.

Not really.

I've taken photos in Daytona for the 500, and it becomes a game of shutter speed vs exposure

Ummm... shutter-speed is part of exposure. Were you referring to aperture?

Too fast a shutter makes a dark picture with no blur in the cars, and too slow makes a brighter picture, but you can't make the car out.

Than you don't have your exposure settings set correctly.

There are many different ways to shoot this, and the only right way is the one which produces the results you are after. If I were shooting this, I would probably try and pan most of the shots, that is: Use a fast enough shutter speed to capture clear, sharp detail in the cars, but to produce a blurred background which will impart motion into the image. I would shoot in shutter-priority, at the lowest ISO I could. I've not shot cars going that fast, but I suspect that Marc's suggestion of 1/200 is probably a good starting point.

Your biggest problem may well be the fact that you can't get close enough to the action. Typically professionals will be using 200-400mm zooms and 400, 500, and 600mm primes to get those 'Sports Illustrated' cover shots. If you are going to pan the shots, I would suggest practicing beforehand. It's not difficult, but it does take a little bit of work to get the technique nailed down. Stand on the side of a highway and follow the cars through the camera's viewfinder and click the shutter when they get to a certain point. A few minutes of this should be enough to let you get the technique nailed down.

 

[KmH]

There will be an auto race in north GA this weekend that Im going to. I would like advice on how to get good shots of the cars as they speed down the track and take corners. Is it best to put the camera in shutter priority for this? Thanks

What kind of auto race? A road race? An oval race? Daylight or night? If an oval race, is it on pavement or dirt? How big an oval? If it's a road race, do you have track acesss?

What camera gear do you have to use? The camera itself isn't as important as what lenses you have available. Like tirediron mentioned 'reach' will be important, even if you have track access.

 

[gsgary]

This is a tricky one. I've taken photos in Daytona for the 500, and it becomes a game of shutter speed vs exposure. Too fast a shutter makes a dark picture with no blur in the cars, and too slow makes a brighter picture, but you can't make the car out. Depending on the day and amount of sun, spend a little time adjusting your ISO, shutter speed, and f/stops until you get it right. Second issue is keeping a steady camera if you're looking for little or no blur around the cars. If the cars are moving, you are moving with them, while trying to keep a car in the lens to get the shot. For what it's worth, on a sunny Daytona 500 I use ISO 100, 1/200-250 shutter speed and f/8 as a starting point. I keep a CPL, ND4, and lens hood closeby incase the situation requires it. It would have to be really bright with a slow <1/100 shutter to need the ND or hood. Good luck and have fun!

If your lens came with a hood use it at all times your are robbing contrast from your shots

 

[truephotoga]

It will be a road race, its the Le Man GT race, so its not an oval. There are some sections of the track where I can be about 10ft away from the cars. I only have the lens that came with the camera, 18-55mm. Thanks

 

[2WheelPhoto]

It will be a road race, its the Le Man GT race, so its not an oval. There are some sections of the track where I can be about 10ft away from the cars. I only have the lens that came with the camera, 18-55mm. Thanks

That kit lens will do a great job panning the cars providing you can get close enough. youtube "panning tutorials" and you should be able to find some useful ino.

 

[Robin Usagani]

It sounds like you need photography101.

This is a tricky one. I've taken photos in Daytona for the 500, and it becomes a game of shutter speed vs exposure. Too fast a shutter makes a dark picture with no blur in the cars, and too slow makes a brighter picture, but you can't make the car out. Depending on the day and amount of sun, spend a little time adjusting your ISO, shutter speed, and f/stops until you get it right. Second issue is keeping a steady camera if you're looking for little or no blur around the cars. If the cars are moving, you are moving with them, while trying to keep a car in the lens to get the shot. For what it's worth, on a sunny Daytona 500 I use ISO 100, 1/200-250 shutter speed and f/8 as a starting point. I keep a CPL, ND4, and lens hood closeby incase the situation requires it. It would have to be really bright with a slow