Anyone else shoot motorsports? (help me :))

[Jklersy]

I am wondering what to do when the race is at high noon and the sun is full blast on the subject. I was camping there for the weekend so I took jpeg instead of raw (unfortunately) and have very limited, i.e. no, experience with PS other than the raw settings. Here are some shots I thought could have been better but was unsure how to make my camera do what I wanted.

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[prodigy2k7]

"Here are some shots I thought could have been better but was unsure how to make my camera do what I wanted."

What did you want? You did not really ask a question...

 

[Jklersy]

Super bright sunlight glare, I want the cars sharp with some wheel blur. All the white cars were just white blobs. If I shoot at f8 and slower shutter I couldnt get the cars sharp enough and the DOF was too much and made the background a distraction. If i went with the max F5.6 for my lens and sped up the shutter it would freeze the wheels and make the cars look like their in a parking lot.

Is PS the only way to get what im after? Is there a filter i could use, like a polerizer or is there another.

thanks again and C&C always welcome

 

[mxracer32]

just a thought, have you tried slowing the shutter speed and panning with the cars? might give you the motion your looking for while keeping the cars crisp..

 

[Jklersy]

yeah, it works well on the straiter parts, but then i get the "side shots" which are ok. I am looking to get some cornering shots with multiple cars. maybe i just need to learn PS. I have it, i just dont like using it cause i get lost in the vast sea of tools.

 

[prodigy2k7]

Well since the cars are often at a great distance from you, the background of the cars are normally close to the subject (like walls, the ground, etc) So its very difficult (thinking about it in my head, not from experience ) to achieve a nice bokeh...

The best thing to do is to either pan and blurr the background with a slower shutter speed or perhaps try to get high up (so you point down more when you shoot, to get less background....)

Those are what I thought of, im sure there are more ideas out there

 

[DRoberts]

Slow your ISO down and widen your aperture...
Try...ISO 200, 1/1200, f/8 (or greater)

 

[*Knowledge*]

I'd recommend shooting in shutter priority at 1/125 or slower if your panning ability is top notch.
Otherwise, the cars are going to look like they're parked on the track.
If you're shooting the cars head on then it won't make a difference so it depends on where you're shooting in regards to the subject(s).

I'm no pro myself but here are a few of my pics from ALMS.

 

[Jklersy]

Your ALMS pics are sweet! I def have some new info to work on for next race season, thanks everyone who posted!

 

[puyjapin]

not shot any motorsport yet but im interested as going to some motorbike road racing next year.... can someone tell me pls if im panning on the subject to create the blur is it obligatory to hav a camera that has auto refocus as the subject moves as i dont believe my d40 has this..... also what would be the best suited lens, bearing in mind the type of racing i am going to is close to the spectators.

 

[TamiyaGuy]

For the three-quarters shots, if you want to pan, bear in mind that you'll probably have to zoom out a little bit while taking the photo as well, as the car is not only moving to the right/left of the frame, but also moving towards you. If you can, get a lens with a massive aperture, set it to the minimum f-stop, and focus just in front of the car you want to be in focus. If done right, the car will be in focus, and the background will be nicely blurred. Of course, a downside to this is that you won't get any wheel blur in your shots. If you want wheel blur, when you'll have to pan. In my opinion, it's much easier for shots perpendicular to the cars than for ones three-quarters on. Still, best of luck, it's not easy getting used to panning, but when you do, you'll be amazed. Go get 'em :mrgreen:.

Also, Puyjapin, if when you mean "auto refocus" you mean continuous-servo AF, then yes, the D40 has it. Look in page 23 of you manual for more info. Also, there is no "best" lens for anything. If you can, before the day, see where you'll be standing, where the cars are, and test different lenses out. Failing that, just pack everything into your bag and hope for the best.

 

[Jklersy]

The lens I used the most was my 75-300 f4-5.6, which on my camera is actually a 120-480mm. It let me cover more than one corner from one spot and get some close ups too. I was a bit farther from the track than you will likely be at your motorbike races and if you have a 1.6 crop rate I would suggest getting a 70-200 or equivalent, but it should have at least f4. I found out first hand why those 70-200 f2.8 lenses are so nice. also, a monopod is a must! I couldn't have taken most of these shots without it and it makes panning easier.

I was close enough to get some pretty close shots with my max zoom, here is one I thought looked good.

 

[YoungPic]

first off im not trying to thread jack this post by posting my pics just showing what ive beena ble to do in bright sunlight. all of these were taken on a day with the sn over head and way bright all day long, i was using a 40D and a 70-200 2.8, my ISO was 100, shutter around 200 ish give or take and f/ sitting between f16 and f19

 

[Village Idiot]

Neutral density filter.

Get something like a three stop one. That will cut three stops of light from entering your lens and will let you use a slower shutter speed with a wider aperture when it's that bright out.

 

[TamiyaGuy]

I must say, Jklersey, that Ferrari photo is good. In my opinion, all it needs is the brightness increasing and a saturation boost (minor photoshop stuff, pretty much every photo needs it), and a little more experience with panning. Really, I cannot emphasise that enough, the only way to get better panning results is to practise. Every motor event you go to, practise, even if you have your camera out on the street and see a nice car go past, pan it with a slow-ish shutter speed.

Still, now much more to go, I reckon. Nice stuff!