I’ve always loved racing, mainly bikes and as a little treat, i had the pleasure of going to Mallory Park for the day to see some great racing. This was back in 2019 when such events were still commonplace.
I’ve not had the chance to do too much of this type of photography, and today was a chance to practice.
The technique used for a lot of the shooting is panning. Using the slowest possible shutter speed and following along with the vehicle to create the effect of a lot of movement. You could probably get down to 1/30th maybe, but since I’ve not done this for a while i kept my shutter speed a bit higher to capture a good sharp image of the vehicles.
Getting the right balance between aperture, shutter speed and ISO, can sometimes be difficult. If the shutter speed is too fast the car will look like it’s just stopped on the track. If it’s too slow then the chance of a blurred shot increases. It is really down to practice.
Taking notice of your aperture is always a consideration. This will determine your depth of field. It also needs to be thought about in line with your ISO. The more depth of field, the higher the ISO. The shallower the depth of field, the more difficult it is to get tight focus.
Here are a few of the race shots 500cc Racers
Depending on your location and proximity to the track a 300mm lens is a good shout for most race photography. Here is used a zoom lens. A Sigma 150-600.
Using this sort of lens, it is sometimes useful to use a monopod or tripod to help with stability.
In The Pits
It is always fun to grab a few shots in the Pits, or watching the racers prepare.
The main thing, as always is to have fun. Learn at your own pace, and grab some great shots.
Here are a few bits of kit i use and advise to get.
I do all kinds of photography, and learn everyday
About Me
I’m Gareth, a 41 year old Photographer, Eternal Optimist and Blogger. I have been behind a camera for about 5 years now and love shooting products, food, portraits, the stars, and anything else for that matter. Learning is the main aim for me. I am a family man, and strive to be the best i can be in all fields that i put my mind and heart to.
