Need help and advice for race photography

[Boosting1Bar]

I'm going to the 12 Hours of Sebring race Saturday and I really want to get some good shots. I'll be in a hospitality tent right beside the track so I think I have a good opportunity. What are your best tips for this kind of thing? Thanks gang!

[IndyJeff]

What are your best tips for this kind of thing?

Make sure you have a back up battery and cf card. At least a 200mm worth of lens. Pan your shots just watching the cars thru the view finder for the first couple of times. See what is happening and get your timing down on following the cars.
Use a shutter speed of no less than 1/500 and when you get used to shooting you can slow it down for the blurred background type shots.

Keep alert and obey all rules.

[CoolToolGuy]

If you are using a G5, its not likely that you will get much of the cars on the track unless you have one of the telephoto add-on lenses due to the length of the lens (135mm equivalent). Take some, and you'll probably like them, but they won't be that fill-the-frame sort thet get the wows. With an add-on lens you may get something a little larger.

But if you can get near the pits or paddock, you can get some very good shots. Obviously, you don't want to go into an area where you don't have credentials, but pit action shots can be cool, and the paddock or garages if they let you (I don't know Sebring) can be very cool.

Also look for the other things around the track that say 'Sports Car Race'.

Hope this helps

Have Fun
Rick 8)

[Boosting1Bar]

If you look at the copy of the map I added below, I'll actually be quite close to the pits and there is an overwalk right beside where I'll be. From the overwalk you have a really good view of the pits and of the start/finish straight. Let's hope something good comes of this!
http://www.boosting1bar.com/canon/sebring.jpg

[CoolToolGuy]

So, how'd it go? I had Sebring on the TV near the end of the race, but I had something else going on and the lead car had a 25-lap lead, so I wasn't riveted to the screen. Porsche is apparently back into factory racing, and as usual they wiped the floor with the other cars in class, so that was cool to see. :D

Did you get any good shots? Get drunk? Both of the above? :roll:

Have Fun
Rick 8)

[Boosting1Bar]

I'm uploading them all now and I'm going to post a few up at the top of the page here shortly.