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Motorsport Photography – Tips To Get You Started
By guest | September 29, 2009
You know the feeling. You buy countless numbers of motorcycle magazines and drooled over the amazing race photos of these crazy fast machines battling it out for that last inch on the race track. You totally psyche yourself up in order to be ready the next time at a race where you’ll be ready to capture some pictures just like in the magazines. You are now officially interested in motorsport photography and ready to rock and roll. How is this really accomplished?
1) A DSLR Is Mandatory
Usually one would say it takes pure talent and the equipment can only play a minor role for many types of photography that is out there, motorsports is one of the rare exceptions where you need special equipment. A good example of this would be when a person with average skills can capture a beautiful landscape image with a regular point and shoot camera however a newbie could botch it up with a state of the art DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). With the motorcycles traveling at speeds in excess of 200mph, all the skills in the world could not help you capture that: You need a DSLR. More specifically it’s the outright speed and control a DSLR offers.
Main features that are important is a high frames per second shooting mode, high-speed auto focus and the near absence of shutter lag. The faster the above is usually better although today even an entry-level DSLR will do the job. A high end, fast DSLR will certainly make your life easier. As for lenses, obviously the longer zoom range you have the more options are open to you but that doesn’t mean having a short lens will mean it’s hopeless. Work with what you’ve got and don’t spend too much time dreaming about what you don’t have.
3) Understanding The Track Layout
Unless you’ve been to the track numerous times, it’s important to explore the track as best as you can to scope out acceptable potential spots to shoot from. If you have never been to a racetrack at all you will see it’s simple to get caught off guard by the sheer size of the track premises. What you will soon learn is that going from one side of the track to the other can easily be a 20 minute walk or more.
When it’s time to shoot the race, you should be prepared to know exactly where you’re going after you’ve finished grabbing all the pics you want at a specific spot. By not being prepared you’ll most likely end up getting stuck in the same position the entire time or worse, miss numerous laps (possibly even the rest of the race) by walking around looking for another suitable spot to shoot from. A race weekend will usually include practice sessions for the racers. You can use them as your practice sessions too.
3) Understanding The Sport
Having a good understanding of the sport is not necessary to take great motorsports shots but it can at least decrease the learning curve a bit and allow you to quickly move up the ranks to being a motorsport photographer. For an example, lets look specifically at motorcycle racing. Are you looking to get a picture of racers dragging their knees? Put yourself in places such as tight, relatively high speed corners to get a good one.
What about a rider tucked in low behind the windscreen? Keep away from braking zones where they need to sit up to prepare for corner entry. Need to capture a stand-up wheelie shot? No one intentionally tries any celebratory antics in the middle of a race, so wait till the end.
Although the above three tips may give you a head start of sorts, what they can’t replace is practice and an inevitable amount of trial and error. The first time out may prove to be a rude awakening, but once you get more acquainted with the speed of your subjects and the capabilities of your equipment, it will come together soon enough. Most importantly, have fun!
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