photostaken

[faam1107]

Here is my contribution to the form of how to shoot motorsports. If it helps great.




How to Photograph Motor Sports
By: Zack Cox

First off let me say that by no means do I consider myself a pro. I have never sold a print or been hired for a job. However, just because I am younger then most does not mean that I don’t know a thing or two. My dad gave me his old Argus SLR when I was thirteen. I have really been obsessed with it ever since. I “upgraded” to a Fuji S7000 and now a Nikon D70s. When it comes to photography my passion lies with macro and motor sports. In the past I have responded to a few posts asking how to get the blur motion with cars, so I decided to write this up. Well see how everyone likes it.
First off lets identify what I mean when I say blur the background.



This is a shot I took at Sebring Raceway in 2005. It was actually my first post at Phototakers.
Shutter Speed 1/75
F-stop F3.1
Focal 28mm
The car was about 50ft. away, on a straight away moving approximately 90mph.
Shutter speed is the most crucial part of blur photography. The slower the shutter speed the more blur however, the more blur the harder it is to control the shot. I could get mathematical and use the torque equation T=F*L, Torque = Force * Length. This translates over to photography of motor sports. If you are very close to the car, there is going to be that much more movement with the camera. Lets do a mental activity, picture yourself standing next to a road, putting your arm out follow a car for half a second. Your arm is going to move about 75 degrees. Now picture yourself tracking a car across a major intersection (6 lanes). Your arm is going to move about 20 degrees.




A. is an example of how being close causes a large amount of camera movement.
Example B is using the same focal length allowing for the same amount of car movement with less camera movement.
The human body is far more inclined to shake over a larger distance. You should be shooting with a tripod however; they are not always around and sometimes not that convenient. This is why distance from the subject is crucial. If you are shooting handheld, it is a must to keep both feet firmly on the ground and twist at the waist. This is just another way to minimize the amount of vertical camera shake.

You never want to try to use a shutter speed that you can’t control. Also depending on the speed of the car there is no reason to shoot at 1/10. If the car is moving very fast, as I showed before 1/75 may work. You have to take into account car speed as well as the amount of light. If it is midday unless you use several filters as well as a very small aperture there is really no way to get a blur motion shot. I find that the best time to shoot blur shots is right before sunset and right after. It allows you to use a faster shutter speed, thus only requiring a little camera movement.

As far as tracking the subject, this is just as crucial as the timing and positioning. If you jerk the camera starting off the camera is going to shake. If you stop panning early the shot is going to be blurry. What I do is focus where the subject is going to be, find the car I want to shoot track it, click the shutter, continue tracking well past the shutter closes. This will minimize any extra camera movement.

If there are lights in the background they will show how far the subject has gone. If you really want the shot to look like the car traveled a considerable distance set up the shot so that there are no lights in the background. If you have the ability to pick an area with a large amount of color variations in a small area, this would be perfect for blur shooting.

People have asked about the F-Stop or aperture setting. An open aperture like F3 will naturally create a shallow depth of field. However, depending on how much of the car is in view, top or hood for example, a wide open F-stop may cause parts of the car to be out of focus. This will take some playing with at the scene. Start with a mid F-stop and see which way you need to adjust. However, one thing to remember the smaller aperture you use the more focus you will have. You may run the risk of the background being in focus. Again these are things to consider when you are actually at the scene.

The last thing to consider is the angle you face the subject. If the car is turning then the front of the car will be moving along a different path then the rear of the car., this will create a tricky situation. One end of the car is likely to be a bit out of focus. My tip would be start with straight on and gradually work you way up to turns.

Part II:
How to Photograph Cars Midday

Also in the past I have given pointers on how to take great shots when you can’t get the blur motion effect. These are generally done at a drag track or autocross (small parking lot style racing). Smoke and tire turn are the best addition to these types of shots. When I say tire turn I am referring to the driver having the wheels turned one way or the other, this gives the shot that extra bit, showing the viewer how much the car is turning. My favorite position for these shots is in hairpin turns. It gives the shooter the most amounts of angles from the same position; head on, ¾ shot, side shot, rear 3/4, and full rear. Here it is best to use quite a fast shutter speed 1/300 and above is best. It is still critical to pan with the car to eliminate car blur. One tweak that the shooter can do here is to position the camera very low to the ground or several feet above the car. As far as getting above the car it may take some improvising. Use a car or bleachers or even a large tripod and a remote. There is really no guideline to shoot midday I can only offer here just the suggestions I have made as far as when and where to shoot.

[stevenelson]

Very nice! Thanks faam!
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Greetings from Colorado.

Steve

Member Colorado PT Cruiser Club
http://coloptcruisers.8.forumer.com/index.php

[Digz]

Thanks faam, just what I needed to start practicing.
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[Tim Adams]

Unless you a perfectly parallel to the car, you will almost never get the entire car sharp. I would not go any higher than 1/250, then start working my way down. Also don't worry if part of the car is blurry.

Examples with EXIF data

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 30D
Image Date: 2006:08:19 10:18:28
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 110.0mm
CCD Width: 5.61mm
Exposure Time: 0.0080 s (1/125)
Aperture: f/10.0
ISO equiv: 100
White Balance: Auto
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)



Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 30D
Image Date: 2006:08:20 08:26:43
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 110.0mm
CCD Width: 5.61mm
Exposure Time: 0.0063 s (1/160)
Aperture: f/10.0
ISO equiv: 100
White Balance: Auto
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)

For super tight driver close ups I will go to 1/320, this provides enough blur when you are in tight.

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D
Image Date: 2006:08:19 10:27:32
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 400.0mm
CCD Width: 5.61mm
Exposure Time: 0.0031 s (1/320)
Aperture: f/7.1
ISO equiv: 100
White Balance: Auto
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)

Then a little extreme, 1/25th

Camera Make: Canon
Camera Model: Canon EOS 20D
Image Date: 2006:05:20 15:37:38
Flash Used: No
Focal Length: 140.0mm
Exposure Time: 0.040 s (1/25)
Aperture: f/32.0
ISO equiv: 100
Exposure Bias: -0.63
White Balance: Auto
Exposure: shutter priority (semi-auto)
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www.timadamsphotography.com

[Martint]

Welcome to the forum Tim, some great shots there, looking forward to seeing some more of your images
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