Castle Combe Classic - My Efforts and some waffle (as usual)

[Dave_G]

I made the trip to Castle Combe yesterday for the Classic Raceday. The mission I had chosen to accept was to shoot the Formula Ford 1600s for www.ff1600.co.uk (http://www.ff1600.co.uk) editor Ian Sowman, which meant I would have accreditation and be on the dangerous side of the track.

Combe is about 110 miles from my base and I prepared for the trip (and planned 5.30 departure) by getting drunk, which in hindsight wasn't a masterpiece of planning, neither was going to bed at 1am.

I left at just after 6, got some fuel (for the car plus driver) and was on my way by 6.30am. Got there at 8am, found the media centre and signed on and got my sweaty media bib. I had emailed the other photographer who was supplying images for the website the day before but got such a confusing and random reply that I decided to do my own thing and submit the images I'd taken anyway - they won't appear for a while - not until it's decided whether (or not) they'll be used.

The rest of the day featured quite a lot of classic old tin on track, plus the usual Combe Special GTs and Saloons. I've only managed to get through a handful of the stuff I shot for myself (the FF1600s taking priority) and here are a few of them.

All shot with 20Ds. Lenses were either Sigma 120-300 or the 70-200. I have 2 20Ds now so was able to mount a lens on each and fire away like a maniac. EXIF details are all there for you to see

Anyway, here are a couple, I'll get some more up later.

911 leads Jag through Quarry. Note: this wasn't the green flag lap! Straight out of the camera, just resized & bordered poorly. 120-300.
http://images14.fotki.com/v21/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_0215-vi.jpg

Towards the end of the day it brightened up. This is also from Quarry but on the way in - the Dialynx A4 Quattro racing in the Castle Combe Saloons. Also 120-300, and 1/100th of a second. A bit slow for a head on? Yeah. It worked though. Just resized and bordered.
http://images18.fotki.com/v328/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_3343-vi.jpg

Gratuitous 1/60s pan of what I thought was an old TVR but is in fact a Milano GT MkI. Not a car I've seen before. This is also straight from the camera and 70-200.
http://images18.fotki.com/v24/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_9786-vi.jpg

Finally one of me (on the left). I was spied by a mate in the crowd. This was during the Castle Combe Saloons :p I was knackered and a bit bored actually..
http://images18.fotki.com/v339/photos/3/374437/3867997/CC_0044-vi.jpg


Criticism will be severely frowned upon, and anyone who does dare will be flogged*









*that last bit isn't true

[Allen Mead]

Excellent shots as usuald Dave, absolutely love the pan of the TVR :)

[Dave_G]

hahaha

thanks Allen. more coming later (I think)

[andrewc]

The Milano is a curious car - it races in the HSCC Road Sports Championship - its an Australian car - quite pretty as well, and now quite a well developed racer.

[pswillies]

Great stuff Dave.

Love the Keith Murray flame shot. :cool:

[Dave_G]

Yep, there were two running yesterday and both seemed on the pace. Sounded lovely too.

[Dave_G]

Ok a few more. Castle Combe is pretty much one big right hand bend with 2 chicanes dropped in so action shots can be quite limited, the circuit is very flat too so no dramatic angles can be had so I stationed myself (mostly) at Quarry. It's a fast right hander with a left-under-braking entry, which can throw up some good action. Here goes!

One from the Castle Combe Saloons - an Impreza. 120-300, PP limited to some VelviaVison to boost the saturation as the light was a bit flat and miserable, it was raining as well which can take the edge of things. Plus a little bit of Unsharp Mask.
http://images18.fotki.com/v24/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_0052-vi.jpg

Poor old Bob Higgins. He's Combe's 2nd most successful Formula Ford Driver. I've seen him race twice and each time he's gone off at the same corner! He got it fixed for the race though, and I apologised to him for hexing him. He was cool about it! (see here! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=161645) )

The nearside rear actually broke of it's own accord, gutted. Those of you that may have been at the event will have seen me legging it with a 20D + 120-300 attatched to a monopod, I've seen what lurks in those tyres and it's not nice!
http://images18.fotki.com/v25/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_0125-vi.jpg

I like this one. Flag Marshalls displaying the 'Oversteer' flag and making sure the cars do actually do it. Imp driver obliges.
http://images18.fotki.com/v339/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_9745-vi.jpg

Lotus Cortina fends off another Imp. It's so much easier to get 'racing' shots when you are the other side of the fence, I just wish I was there more often.
http://images18.fotki.com/v340/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_9720-vi.jpg

Once I have been through everything which may be a few days, I'll do another thread or 3 and post the link to the gallery. Cheers!!!1

[WxGuesser]

great pics... my favorite is definately the Milano GT MkI. Is the intercooler on the scooby mounted upsidedown? or is it cause for a fmic on the sti going from top mount to front mount it's like that..

[Dave_G]

No idea re the front mount. Not sure it actually matters on a race-car application! Anything is better than a tiny top-mount that Subaru install from the factory though!

If you look at it, it's angled. Maybe there wasn't enough room to get the pipes in at the bottom? Might be a really thick IC compared to road apps? I dunno :D

[Dave_G]

Click on the elusive Milano GT MkI to go to the (by no means complete) gallery

http://images18.fotki.com/v24/photos/1/105162/3868260/IMG_0207-th.jpg (http://davegalpin.fotki.com/events/motorsport/castle_combe/2006/classic_race_day/)

[DOverton]

The Impreza is very nice, very well captured too, looks like difficult light

also, well dont on staying there till the last seconds for the Formula Ford shot, ive been in that situation for a Forumla Vee, not a nice site seeing that coming down your lens.
P.S
Who was you working for?

Dan.

[Ospi]

Awesome photos Dave. They are really full of colour and p0p (if you get my drift). That 120 - 300 also looks like an impressive performer.

[Dave_G]

Dan - I was shooting for www.ff1600.co.uk . I hung around as long as I could with poor old Bob heading for me, when I saw the car accelerate as it hit the grass I decided getting covered in stagnant water wasn't a good plan so hopped it. As it happened, it wasn't all that bad, he just slid into the barriers.

Ospi - The light for the most part was pretty easy to deal with. Overcast days are pretty straightforward to shoot as there are no extreme bright light or shadows to deal with. On days like Saturday I use a Fred Miranda plug-in for Photoshop called VelviaVision, which apparently replicates the saturation characteristics of Fuji Velvia film...! It just boosts everything gently and gives them a bit of pop.

The Sigma 120-300 is the business. Heavy, but the business. Worth every penny IMO.

Thanks for the comments guys :)

[GSH]

I like the broken single seater and the Sideways Imp. Lotus Cortina always brings back memories of the one my old man had when i was a kid, if only i still had it...

Hark at Mr 2x20D's over there :rolleyes: :)

[Dave_G]

20 DOUBLE Ds :p

Erm

:D