Drifting Photos

SquamishPhoto

The recent guest post about drifting photography is really great and the photos are spectacular. Anyone else feel like looking for races around their area to attend?

kyoshinikon

Been there, done that...

Msmoto

Yup, good article.....and as they say .....practice, practice, practice.

proudgeek

I've done this with bicycle racing with very limited success. Of all the styles in which I shoot, this tends, not surprisingly, to yield the lowest keeper rate.

shawnino

Standard of the Guest Posts this year has been exceptionally high, this one no exception.

kyoshinikon

I'm not saying it wasn't a good post because it was fantastic especially for those who want to get into it, but as someone who is seasoned in motorsport photography I got nothing out of it. I'd still like to see posts like it because they are inspiring and because they help many photographers who would otherwise have "learned it the hard way" like me. Armin H. Ausejo like all of the recent guests is an amazing photographer with much to teach. Still I've already "been there and done that" as I learned it the "hard way" years ago. Using ND's are vital to panning shots especially in daytime and it'll take many newbies a bit of time to figure that out.... Unfortunately like most motorsports, drifting photography requires a huge investment in time I do not have. Even Armin I'm sure comes out with a small amount of top keepers every race. 80% of his photos are probably great but only 5% have the boom to make it to the portfolio...

SquamishPhoto

Of course you weren't saying that, its just that you felt it was of great importance to the rest of us that we understand that you've been doing race photography for a long time and that you understand more than the average newbie does about nailing these types of shots. Maybe he does only get a couple keepers like you say, but that in no way detracts from how awesome the shots are that he does get. Like you said he's "an amazing photographer" and his portfolio speaks for itself. Of all the motor sports shots you've or anyone else has ever posted here in the forum, none are as refined and creative as the best of his are. So, perhaps some of us here have "been there" like you say, but so far I have yet to see anyone here who has "done that". Just sayin'. ;]

Msmoto

It would appear some are really impressed with the guest post on drifting and I think it may be helpful to get folks interested in giving it a try.

As I have a couple motorsports shots in my portfolio, I find it always interesting to see how someone else does it. Some car owners want the cars like a statue, others more dynamic shots. Some like long shots (telephoto) and others the wide more distorted or dramatic shots. All, personal preference.

I can get about 5% which I think are 'good' technically, artistically, but one most likely will find about 1% are real real winners.

An interesting problem in motorsports in general is the decision to grab the action (slow shutter speed) or wait for the incident (crash) shots which generally are happening so fast one needs to be in the 1/500 and up range to get acceptable results.

And, in motorsports one does not get a reshoot.....bikers, drivers, owners do not seem to want to venture into the kitty litter, or a wall, just for the benefit of a photog...LOL

Oh, the time investment mentioned by kyoshi.....for sure..I have spent two weekends with no real super shots in spite of spending 50 hours behind the camera..... and I have had the 'great' shots happen in front of me, but I was looking at the wrong bike.... bummer

kyoshinikon

Lol that happened to me this weekend (Had to shoot go kart racing... Apologies if I came off as rude or bitter. I sometimes throw out my opinion prematurely. Seeing a post makes me happy and is inspiring as a whole but having done it and knowing the investment to do it, it doesn't inspire me as a photographer to go out and specifically try what he is doing. His ideas can be applied to many other forms of action photography which is kinda a gem about many of the concepts he shared. It was a fantastic post tho and I hope to see more. The crash always happens where your camera isn't lol.

jonnyapple

It's fun to try with any moving subject, not just races. Thanks for your honest keeper rate estimate, Tommie. That made me feel like less of a failure because it's pretty close to my experience!

Msmoto

Thanks, Jonny, and welcome back.

A couple days ago I went out to try the super slow panning with the 400 mm...and I wanted an angle about 18" off the ground, so I placed all on a gimbal/tripod and tried panning at 1/30 sec, then 1/60, and finally 1/125 and 1/250. Vehicle speed was about 40-60 mph about 75 meters away.

First, panning while viewing through a right angle finder...I need a lot more practice...could not get it right at 1/15 or 1/30. I was sitting on a stool and looking down...yikes.

Finally, panning at 1/60 from eye level I was able to get a few. Here is one



http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/10109374355/sizes/o/ (larger)

The interesting fact which I have had occur with wide angle panning at 1/15 sec, is that the ends of the vehicle are moving at different speeds during the exposure, so even at f/18, the ends are blurred while the center is relatively sharp. This is seen on the larger version. But, the keeper rate for the 1/60 sec is about 5%. This includes the issues of car angle which can be good or just not correct. Background also has a play in it, but cannot be controlled in many situations.

The shoot is a lot of fun even if frustrating.

obajoba

Before my safari a few months ago I practiced panning by setting up off the highway and attempting to shoot cars traveling down the interstate at 70+ MPH. I found it was a great way to practice without having to look for races. I think it has proved extremely beneficial to my wildlife shots and sports events. I bet my keeper rate is closer to 10% now where it was maybe 5% on a good day before this practice.