Drag Racing /Burnouts - Calder Park Melbourne

[MattyB]

my first time shooting with my 300D!! :D:D:D
i'm still unfamiliar with the camera, but i took most of your guys advice
these were some of the better shots

i know some of them look kind of 'fake', (undetailed faces, painted almost), thats because of the noise removal program i used, they were SO noisey, but it was inevitable considering i was using the Kit Lens, and it was so dark.

most of the shots were:
1/60th shutter
f/5.6 - which is the lowest number i can do when i'm zooming alot some shots
ISO 1600 - i know, way to high, it was dark.. and ISO 800 wouldn't let me have a fast enough shutter to capture the launches etc.

varied between manual and auto focus,
all were hand held

most of the shots, i was within touching distance, but the other photog. there was a pain in the a.h., he kept purposely getting in my way.
i swear i could read his mind.. "oh, he's got a good position" or "oh, look at the angle he's using" followed by "i'll steal it, he's only a kid".. really ticked me off, but next time, if he's there,. i'll repay the favour :)

it started to rain half way so i stopped early, i'm dissapointed because the VL (white) Funny-Car was stunning, and i REALLLLLY wanted to see it go, and get some shots of it frying the tyres and launching.
it was a WEAPON!, he started it up, then went out onto the warmup patch, and as soon as he tried to light'em up, it stalled.. being a top fueler (i think it was), it was a pain to restart it, and eventually they gave up and left.

anyway, pics :D

comments, critiques, convo, critisisms, ALL wanted. (CCCC's ha ha)

how did i do?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/eda2eeb5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/4b11be03.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/89c5f3a7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/490cc98f.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/efacfcb9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/66cb45de.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/8b823416.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/d9f89eb4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/dadb83a9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/f8ee7384.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/64f684de.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/chevs_n_holdens/8391522f.jpg

i know, alot of small cars - the Toranas (launching one, purple one) aren't small.. they're housing monster V8's!

and yes, we like to demolish our little 6 banga's (crappy gemi burnouts)
but one of those little burnout cars had a 253 V8 in it which was a suprise.

all my photos will be up on driftkings.com (who i'm shooting for) in about 2 weeks.
check out their site and compare mine to other area's photographers :P

[MattyB]

well i thought they were good :P

[Nidz]

Nice first try there.. I'm no expert so I can't realy offer much advice besides what I can see or in some pics what I can't see.. lol.. Nah good stuff there. Action shots are hard to do. Especially when it's dark. I love the pic of the NOS pumping out the bonnet of the Camaro I think it is.

[malla1962]

Look good to me.:D

[MattyB]

thanks malla

the dark ones i only put up there because i like the numberplates and the sparks coming out lol

and IFRYEM because it suits the plates :P

[Desertraptor]

Love the purple LJ Torana :)

[MattyB]

she's gorgeous isn't she, 383ci, ran a 11.2 i think.


but even louder, this baby here

it tore my ears to shreds, i was deaf for about 5 minutes after it. and in shell shock, didn't even watch it run. i was shaking my head and getting laughed at by everyone else wearing ear muffs LOL, when it launched, i was literally about 3 feet away from it.

[MattyB]

oh, to get an idea about how loud it was, http://mozza.rwy34.com/offchopz.wmv

theres a 3.08mb clip of it going past my mate captured. he couldn't get it going down the strip because he too didn't have anything protecting his ears, he dropped the camera. this is editted without all the swearing.

[Desertraptor]

Cool video. Would love to see the run :)

[MattyB]

yeah, they'll all be there next week, the AME nationals are on, i've got media passes coming :D yay

victor bray, myers, etc etc :D

[MattyB]

anyone know how i could get more light in the background without sacraficing my shutter speed? :\

i don't have an external flash.. any tips or tricks i'm doing wrong?

[webcase]

The capella is the pick of the bunch there .Some of the others are too dark IMO

I envy access you have there .I Was at the East Coast Nationals last week here in Sydney at the WSID and couldn't get any where near that close .
Try to get your hands on a faster lens . Night time shooting is a bitch with a slug like the kit lens . With access as close as that (did i mention i envy that ! ) a 50mm 1.8 may help in so far as they are really cheap( about $120 AUS and nice and sharp and fast . The 1.8 will let you lower the ISO a little thus cutting the noise down ( the 300D isnt at its best at 1600 ISO ) If moneys no object get some fast white glass .

Camp your self in the spot you got that last one and you'll get some wicked shots . Good luck .Keep shooting

[MattyB]

thanks, i can't afford even 120AU just yet, but soon :D

would an external flash be worth buying BEFORE a faster lens? or would a lens be my first buy?

would the 50mm 1.8 100% replace the kit lens?
should i wait longer, and save up a bit more for a lens that will do what the 50mm 1.8 does plus more?

sorry for so many questions :P

ta guys :D

[zopi]

I like the Camaro and the Mustang especially.

I think you have the right Idea about how to deal with said AH photog..I'm usually a little more (too?) aggressive in such situations tho'...

[MattyB]

yeah, others just told me to tell him to 'F O', but i didn't want to get in trouble and make a bad name for the people i'm shooting for.

maybe a little spray bottle full of brake fluid to squirt on his lens would be better :P

[webcase]

thanks, i can't afford even 120AU just yet, but soon

would an external flash be worth buying BEFORE a faster lens? or would a lens be my first buy?

would the 50mm 1.8 100% replace the kit lens?
should i wait longer, and save up a bit more for a lens that will do what the 50mm 1.8 does plus more?

sorry for so many questions :P

ta guys

I'd be buying a good lens first as the external flashes are quite expensive(they are around the $300-500 dollar mark for the good ones )and having a million dollar flash aint going to help when the lens isn't the greatest . The 50 won't replace the 18-55 as it aint a zoom but its great glass thats a cheap stop gap till some more money comes in for a fast zoom . Set your 18-55 to 50mm and have a look throught it and see if it feels right for the distance you'll be using it at .

The 1.8 will help a lot for the night shooting and you can always use the built in flash . I'd check with other photogs trackside first to see if using the flash is ok . Standing where you are it may be a no no that close to the drivers .
If the shots are only for the web you'll be able to crop the 50mm shots quite a bit without any major concequences .

[MattyB]

thanks webcase, might look into this 50mm 1.8 :D

[MattyB]

hey, whats the bokeh like on the 50mm? can you get some decent portraits out of it with a heaps blurred background and crystal sharp face and hair?

[Andy_T]

Matty,

You can definitely blur out the background a lot more than with the 18-55 kit lens.

However, bokeh refers to more than just whether you can blur out the background or not.
Bokeh also tries to judge whether the blurring is a pleasant one or not.

This is an area where the 50/1.8 is a bit lacking.
Y'know, life's full of compromises. Canon engineers designed this lens so sharp that the bokeh can be distracting.

However, if you pay attention to your background and avoid harsh contrasts there, you can get stunning portraits. The lens can't be beat for the money.

Take a look at this thread:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=69785

BTW, nice pictures. Love the mustang!

Best regards,
Andy

[MattyB]

thanks andy :D
top advice :D

[zopi]

yeah, others just told me to tell him to 'F O', but i didn't want to get in trouble and make a bad name for the people i'm shooting for.

maybe a little spray bottle full of brake fluid to squirt on his lens would be better :P

light coat of vaseline..focus it now, Bonehead! <LOL>

[MattyB]

LOL! :D

[scouser]

Hi Matt, larger aperture really helps to expose the background, then flash fill to capture the car.

I've only had my camera for a week and managed to get close to the action at the recent charity event at Adelaide. A couple of pics turned out ok I think....

See what you think: http://scouserich.smugmug.com/Cars

[webcase]

Hi Matt, larger aperture really helps to expose the background, then flash fill to capture the car.

I've only had my camera for a week and managed to get close to the action at the recent charity event at Adelaide. A couple of pics turned out ok I think....

See what you think: http://scouserich.smugmug.com/Cars

Some great pics there . What lenses were you using .Nice and sharp with great colour .Love the Jack Daniels shot of the blower and the truck .Great composition .
How did you get such great access ? I've all but given up shooting at the drags as the public access areas are not much good for action shots .

[xa-coupe]

Excellent Pics !! I was out at calder park a while ago doing the same with a G5 and ended up giving it away for the Video camera.
I now have a 350D and 580EX and am raring to give it a go again.
I know what you mean about the attitude of the 'regular' photographers. They tend to just do what they want without regards to what you may be up to.

[PhotosGuy]

anyone know how i could get more light in the background without sacraficing my shutter speed? :\
This old flash is pretty cheap on eBay & would work well in that situation.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66358
And this thread will give you an idea of how fill flash covers a larger area without too much falloff as you get away from the subject. For example, there's only one stop difference in the light between 32 & 45 feet, so the car & the background would both look good.
Maybe when you can afford it, the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for $350US would work well in that situation & also get you away from the guy who keeps getting in your way? Get the 50 for now & plan on cropping a bit. ;)
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=66353