The 100-400 still works! (ChampCar Photos!)

[defordphoto]

The smell of methonal in the morning.

Sweet.

The feel of the 10D and the 100-400L as I shoot the ChampCars at 180-plus mph on the front straight at Portland International Raceway.

Sweet.

All on a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree Spring day in God's Country.

Life doesn't get much better than that as you squeeze the trigger on a Canon camera and get the shot.

Been a long Winter and I'm warmed up for the 1D MKII.

It's going to be a wonderful year.

Gallery at: http://racefamily.racinglines.com/Galleries/2004/CCWS/index.htm

http://racefamily.racinglines.com/Galleries/2004/CCWS/img_8008_std.jpg

[martcol]

what better combination a fast car and a 10D? (Ok so a fast car and a 1D Mk II). Lovely shot.

Martin

[SoCal69]

Beautiful shot! I like the new watermark too...very nice touch.

[Mthorpe_Davies]

What series do you prefer IRL or Champ cars. I'm leaning towards IRL, as I've always been a Penske fan, although I'm not to happy with them no longer making there own chassis. I also doubt the Champ car series will last much longer, maybe only a couple of years more.

In your professional opinion will Dixon win the series this year? I think he might then go to Williams or some other F1 team (my money would be Toyota if Willaims don't take him). Who do you rate?

BTW awesome photos I bet you are loking forward to the Mk11.

[chris.bailey]

As usual, many of those shots are just awesome !

[ron chappel]

I too hope they survive.I think that they are over the very worst --spending so much last year for nothing and allmost not having enought teams to start this year.
I hope that now they are past the worst they will last years :wink:

[ssim]

Awesome shot Jim. It has been a long winter and I can hardly wait for the races to hit Montreal this year.

Looking forward to seeing your racing season.

[Mthorpe_Davies]

If IRL starts running on street circuits as well as the ovals then there will be no point to Champ cars I think the US isn't big enough for two series that are basically the same. I hought the writing was on the wall when Penske and Chip Ganassie defected.

[scottbergerphoto]

Beautiful shots as usual. Keep wowing us!
Scott

[Tom W]

Nice job, Jim! Keep up the excellent work.

[Belmondo]

And when he gets the 1D MkII (soon), things are only going to get better. A litle frightening, isn't it? :wink:

I like the watermark, too, Jim.

[loumash]

Those shots are great! How are you able you get those tails away shots, do you have to pre focus? Or can the camera focus fast enough?

Im about to trade in my trusty Pentax K1000 for a DRebel and Im anxious to get out taking racing pics this summer. Im used to prefocusing and panning in my manual world so Im curious about techinqies with AF.

I dont have the budget for 400mm L glass, so Im considering the cannon 100-300 f4.5 5.6 lens. I realize they wont be as sharp as your shots, but what can I expect? Any advice would be great.

[IndyJeff]

OWRS will survive. There is room for two open wheel series. Personally I prefer the IRL, anytime you can see cars running side by side, lap after lap, at over 200MPH you will see a good show.

More than Penske and Gannassi jumping over to the IRL, it was Andretti, Toyota and Honda that put the big hurt on CART. CART hurt itself more by bad management than anything tho. I think the new bosses will run it and bring it back up to par, at least I hope so. Last thing I really want to see is the IRL go to parade errrrr road course and street course racing.
In my opinion anyone who attends one of the IRL races at Kentucky, Nashville, Chicago, Texas or Richmond will become a fan of the IRL instantly.

[PhotosGuy]

what better combination a fast car and a 10D?
A close 2nd is a fast car + anything!

The smell of methonal in the morning.
Years ago, "Car & Driver" showed an advanced copy of the film "Grand Prix" (my second choice for "Best racing film") in Detroit for the ad guys. We took thermos bottles containing HOT "Castrol R" with us so we could sniff it & enhance the ambiance!

Good shot! I always look forward to seeing your stuff.

[Lamplight]

Wow, excellent shots! I enjoyed looking at every one of them!

I've always been amazed at how well the drivers perform with their line of sight barely peeping over the nose of the car. In fact, in some pictures it looks like they can't see at all! ???

[PhotosGuy]

In fact, in some pictures it looks like they can't see at all!
No, that's only when it rains!

[defordphoto]

Thanks everyone! I so love shooting these cars. And no, I will not get into a CCWS/IRL debate here. It is not the proper place to discuss that issue.

loumash asked: How are you able you get those tails away shots, do you have to pre focus? Or can the camera focus fast enough? and: Im considering the cannon 100-300 f4.5 5.6 lens

AI Servo focus. The camera "follows" a moving object always keep it in focus. And get L-glass whenever you can. This 100-400L has been such a sweet lens for me.

belmondo & SoCal69 said: I like the watermark, too, Jim.

Thanks guys. That will be a real business when I get my check from the magazine here soon. Then I'll work on the website (in my spare time that is on backorder)

scottbergerphoto said: Beautiful shots as usual. Keep wowing us!

If I ever stop the wow-factor, then I'll hang up my lenses. I am so, so looking forward to the season and the new camera. I have the itch real, real bad now. I want my MKII!!!!

[NILOLIGIST]

RFMSports,

Those shots are WOW!!! You are the best advertisement for Canon if I ever saw one. LOL...Anyone wavering about getting the 10D can make up their minds with those shots. You put the 70-200 L to shame with those shots. That is your best work.

Very nice watermark. I have a feeling everyone will want those shots. Get ready, your business is going to take off...Don't forget us.

All the best.

NiL,

[Belmondo]

Jim:
When my gravitationally challenged 100-400 comes back from Canon, I'll then have two of them. In theory, I should be able to take twice as many good pictures as you, right?

(We both know the answer to that one.)

When the magazine does come out, how about scanning the cover and posting it here for us all to admire? I've been looking for it in all my usual bookstores and newsstands, and I'm not having any luck. If I do find it someday, of course I'll want it autographed so I can dipslay it in my trophy case.

[defordphoto]

Nil: Thanks! I can hardly wait for my season to start here. Looks like I'm gonna go shoot some bikes next weekend out at PIR. Cool! Hope the weather holds up.

Tom: You bought another 100-400? You're a madman! Yeah, I'll scan the cover and then offer info on how to get a copy once I find out myself. Before all this I had never heard of the mag. It's produced in Connecticut, if that means anything. They do not have a website. Now that's is just weird. But, you might try boat shops, hiking and sporting stores or something like. They cover mostly non-professional, or semi-pro type sports like fishing, hiking, boating, bicycling, off-road stuff. Probably snowmobiling and other winter sports too.

I cannot scan the entire magazine though and I cannot display/sell the photos they are publishing for 6 months, so it will be a low-level scan and I'll watermark it pretty hard, but I will scan it.