Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 2007

[John Thawley]

Great race....

1. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104312&g2_serialNumber=1

2. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104286&g2_serialNumber=1

3.http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104280&g2_serialNumber=1

4. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104270&g2_serialNumber=1

5. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104276&g2_serialNumber=1

6. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104328&g2_serialNumber=1

7. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104322&g2_serialNumber=1

8. http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104300&g2_serialNumber=1

[FlyingPhotog]

Super! Is that just the sunset behind #3? That's kick *ss!!

[dave&helen]

Great set , I love #3 Colours , angle and the dust and rubber coming up from under the car . I would put that one in a frame

[YeloFevr]

Nice! Did you get any shots of the C6Rs?

[throw_n_gas]

JT,

Number 3 gets my vote, although #1 shows a great perspective of the course.

Thanks for taking the time to share.

Rick

[Bosscat]

Awesome stuff as always John. Your right it was a great race. I was on the edge of my seat watching some of McNish's and Dindo's passes.

Really thought Pobst was gonna do the double in SWC, but he got punted in TC, and had to settle for the GT championship only.

[JSJR4]

Great photos as usual

[Aaagogo]

omg... number 3 number 3 number 3 is my favourite...

I would guess that it's shoot with a 300 2.8?

[ArenGh]

damn... those are nice

[Jamie Holladay]

Wow JT 3 & 7!

[John Thawley]

Great set , I love #3 Colours , angle and the dust and rubber coming up from under the car . I would put that one in a frame

Actually, that is not rubber. It's pea gravel. The car was recovering from an "off" down in turn 5. Hence the cloud of dust lighting up behind the car.

JT

[John Thawley]

Nice! Did you get any shots of the C6Rs?

Yes.

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104308&g2_serialNumber=1

[John Thawley]

omg... number 3 number 3 number 3 is my favourite...

I would guess that it's shoot with a 300 2.8?

No. But why guess? The EXIF data is intact.

JT

[John Thawley]

Wow JT 3 & 7!

Good eye, my friend. #7 was the toughest nut of all. It was dark.. I was at the bottom of the corkscrew outside the spectator fence. Basically I had no way to get anywhere else before the race ended. This was shot from the sidewalk coming off the walkover bridge. 500mm... 1/60th sec. and just squeezed in between the ugly radio tower and the corner worker station. Honestly, I guess it was what you'd call, throwing up a prayer. LOL

Thanks,

JT

[Dumale]

is it my work computer ... or have the photos been removed ?

[BraveUlysses]

^^^Work fine for me.

John, how would I go about purchasing a print of #3 ?

[Jamie Holladay]

Good eye, my friend. #7 was the toughest nut of all. It was dark.. I was at the bottom of the corkscrew outside the spectator fence. Basically I had no way to get anywhere else before the race ended. This was shot from the sidewalk coming off the walkover bridge. 500mm... 1/60th sec. and just squeezed in between the ugly radio tower and the corner worker station. Honestly, I guess it was what you'd call, throwing up a prayer. LOL

Thanks,

JT
Thanks for the explaination.

[seanq]

3 wow... superb!

[mike1515]

#3 and #5 for me.

You say #3 was an off, hence the dust, but how about the lighting?

--Mike1515

[John Thawley]

#3 and #5 for me.

You say #3 was an off, hence the dust, but how about the lighting?

--Mike1515

I'm not sure I follow your question.

JT

[FlyingPhotog]

I'm not sure I follow your question.

JT

I may be wrong, but I think he's asking what is lighting up the dust and making it glow red? Headlights from a car behind? Sunset? Other?

[John Thawley]

THe shot was taken at sunset.. and it is backlit. With the configuration of the track and the bridge, the sun gets "pinched" between the drive over bridge and the elevation in the background. So, basically, you can cheat the sun.. shooting directly into i, because it's blocked. But, you still get all the orange glow. In this case, because of the "off" all of the dust is being lit up by the back lighting.

Hope that helps,

John

[FlyingPhotog]

THe shot was taken at sunset.. and it is backlit. With the configuration of the track and the bridge, the sun gets "pinched" between the drive over bridge and the elevation in the background. So, basically, you can cheat the sun.. shooting directly into i, because it's blocked. But, you still get all the orange glow. In this case, because of the "off" all of the dust is being lit up by the back lighting.

Hope that helps,

John

Check out the 12th image in the "Week In Sports" gallery at msnbc.com

You were probably standing right next to this guy.

[pitslave]

Very nice pictures. 3 and 5 are my favorites

[mike1515]

I may be wrong, but I think he's asking what is lighting up the dust and making it glow red? Headlights from a car behind? Sunset? Other?


That's exactly what I was asking. Thanks for clarifying! ;) And thanks for the answer John. That's a great shot.

--Mike1515

[rutmonkey]

It's 3 and 5 for me,good set.

[BenJammin]

Wow! Nice work man. #3 and #5 are amazing. I especially like #5's angle

[John Thawley]

Check out the 12th image in the "Week In Sports" gallery at msnbc.com

You were probably standing right next to this guy.

That was Gavin's from Getty. Not sure about standing... but I was sitting next to him all week. Looks like he may have been shooting a bit shorter... or sensor size and cropped in a bit. My 500mm pushes the focal length to an 800mm crop factor. So, I was shooting a bit earlier before the cars started to turn in.

We were all waiting for the light to get just right. The frame after my shot is actually of the safety vehicle. I took the shot you see here just as the light got perfect... much redder than a minute earlier. What I realized afterwards.. in fact it was Jim Sykes that pointed it out, it was the 88 car that brought out the caution and the safety truck. He had an off in 5 and that's why there's the cloud of dust and all the gravel. Ultimately, because of that, we lost the light. When the track cleared the light looked like this:

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104282&g2_serialNumber=1

This was before the caution:

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=104278&g2_serialNumber=1

If you look, the times are 6:17 for this last shot, 6:22 for my first posted shot, and 6:25 for the shot of the #37 car above. Talk about chasing the light. LOL

JT

[FlyingPhotog]

That was Gavin's from Getty.

<Snip>

Great backstory John...

And again, brilliant images!!

:)

[John Thawley]

<Snip>

Great backstory John...

And again, brilliant images!!

:)

Happy to share... Thanks!

[cwphoto]

I love the light on number 5 and the Corvette.

[ArenGh]

f my life. I wish I could have met up with you John... I was with a group and they were trying to meet with another group... and we were late to the race, etc, etc... sucks for me.

[integra_gsr98]

The realtime cars have been my favorite for as long as I have been watching. I almost miss their old integras. :)

And I would love to have #3 as a desktop background!

[joove]

I was there rooting for acura as Acura was hosting a bunch of us. I am completely new to these kinds of photos and how to position myself what to look out for etc. Your #3 captures the dynamics of the sport, some of he violence inherent in the kicked out gravel and the lovely lighting! Superb.

I had rented a 70-200 2.8IS for friday/saturday and while not as artistic or sharp, I am fairly proud of having captured some of the following.

http://lh4.google.com/juvvij/RxxOQA4HbPI/AAAAAAAAAC8/tMo6lwsg2qc/s800/IMG_3410.JPG


http://lh6.google.com/juvvij/RxxOog4HbXI/AAAAAAAAAEE/_Lq4gshNgUY/s800/IMG_3427.JPG



http://lh3.google.com/juvvij/RxxSYw4HcJI/AAAAAAAAALI/kNpVv3b396E/s800/IMG_3807.JPG

But seeing your photos, #3 especially, I understand the difference between capturing the cars and capturing the excitement and dynamism of the cars racing on a track.

-vamsi

[John Thawley]

f my life. I wish I could have met up with you John... I was with a group and they were trying to meet with another group... and we were late to the race, etc, etc... sucks for me.

wondered what happened to you.

JT

[Paul C-J]

very very very impressive shot's...

[luke001]

Amazing shots. I think the 3rd pic is just amazing :D :D :D

[HighPixel]

Those are some AWESOME shots! Sweet cars too...
HP

[Strnge]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#3 RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John Thawley]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#3 RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!

You romantic fools are just suckers for a sunset. LOL :)

[aridan]

Amazing job. Simply artwork!

[John Thawley]

Amazing job. Simply artwork!

I usually reserve the term "art" for those blurry shots I can't explain. :) Seriously, though, thank you.

JT

[Mike-DT6]

Yet another compliment for that shot! No.3 is exceptional. That would make a fantastic poster.

[John Thawley]

Thanks!

[Bosscat]

You romantic fools are just suckers for a sunset. LOL :)

Thats the best comment I read in awhile.

Thanks for the laugh, and all the great photos all season John.

[Jim G]

#3 is fantastic :)

[cmedrive]

Amazing photos guys.
I just bought my first SLR a few weeks ago and my first chance to use it was at the Petite LeMans in Atlanta. I went a little nutty and took about 600 shots over the course of the weekend. Most of the weekend was rainy but here's a couple that I really like.
1.http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z264/cmedrive/Petite%20LeMans%202007/GT3-1.jpg
2.http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z264/cmedrive/Petite%20LeMans%202007/Maserati2.jpg
3.http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z264/cmedrive/Petite%20LeMans%202007/Acura_UhOh.jpg

[MKII]

wow. 3 is gorgeous.........

[red hot sheep]

All great, but 3 is superb. Really excellent.

I like your views of the corkscrew as well.