Indoor Motocross ( Arenacross) suggestions please?????

[picprinter]

I was hoping that if there were any indoor motocross photographers in here if they help me with some ideas. This year I am doing some photography at an indoor motocrossevent to support a charity. Below is a rather poor multi image composite put together toshow you the arena and the course. Don't judge this composite because I threw it together just to give you an idea of the lay out.

Where would YOU think the best photo ops are presented in a situationsuch as this? But let metell you the following, I MUST shoot with fill flash ! ! ! Sorry to all the available light fans in these forums but the promoter saw our fill flash images from last year's show and compared themto the other photographer who was shooting available light and hired us with the understanding we would shoot with flash. They also want the crowd of spectators in the background.

So, the course is run as follows, out the starting gate they dash across the whole length of the arena ( down in the image ) and turn right to go over a triple set of small bumps, then to two larger bumps which the good riders double. I primarily was shooting from what I marked as #1 and shot the riders in the air or just launching off the first big bump and had the crowd in the background. The riders then pass through the starting gate area to the other side of the arena going through a timing section of small bumps, the finish line area and then a double jump. From there they counter back through the center of the arena turning 180 degrees to jump across a big double jump in the center of the arena and around again.

Last year I shot from position #1 which gave me ops with bikes in the air and the crowd for the background. (sample below)

I also had a photographer shooting in position #2. He was shooting the riders coming straight at him, catching them in the air or just before touchdown on the back side of that double jump. The crowd also filled the background in these images. This is harder to do with the promoter requiring us to shoot fill flash because of the distance between camera and
subject.

Likewise we used position #3 catching riders coming off the big double in the center of the arena, crowd in the background. This was easier to fill flash the rider because the camera to subject distance is shorter than position #2.

Position #4 gives a shot similiar to position #1 but the rider don't get as much air there because of the quick turn they need to make.

How would you shoot this???????????

These sample images all come from the practice sessions so there isn't much of a crowd in the stands but for the finals the stands are full.

http://www.photofinishingstation.com/images/arenacross/arena2008.jpg

Position #1 Sample
http://www.photofinishingstation.com/images/arenacross/GN2V5356.jpg

Position #1 Sample
http://www.photofinishingstation.com/images/arenacross/GN2V5382.jpg

Position #2 Sample
http://www.photofinishingstation.com/images/arenacross/JMP_0786.jpg

Position #3 Sample
http://www.photofinishingstation.com/images/arenacross/JMP_0870.jpg

[srn_photo]

Shoot more ambient light and less flash. Just more ambient light would help these pictures. I would work on your timing and see more of the jumps witch the riders left off of. That is just my style tho.

[BrownDogWilson]

For moto, you will get your best shots as riders are exiting corners, if there is any roost to be had that is where you will get it. For the start, a good shot is always the first corner where they are all coming in together. For air shots, I like to get in front of them a bit more so in case they lay it flat you will be at a good angle. Shots of them going them through the whoops don't ever seem to turn out as good as you think they should. It looks great live, but in photos they are just going straight over some bumps,,,just my 2 cents..Here is a link to some of the shots I took at Supercross in Anaheim last week..

http://picasaweb.google.com/BrownDogWilson/A108RACEDAY

[salexande867]

Almost everyone that shoots supercrss/arenacross focuses on the single rider getting air. As a photographer and rider, I suggest you remember that it is a race. Include that part in your photos. A shot of a single rider looks like a single rider riding around a track.

With arenacross, you don't get the flashy bikes and gear of supercross and because the arena is much smaller, the 2-strokes fill it with smoke quickly. This makes it a low light situation. However, I never use a flash because it can distract the riders. Go with a high ISO and a fast lens.

I like to get shots in the whoops because a lot of action happens there (especially if they are right out of a corner).


http://stevealexander.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p583647774-3.jpg

http://stevealexander.zenfolio.com/img/v2/p589022936-3.jpg

[BrownDogWilson]

Not to question what you say, but they are pretty much the exact same bikes and the same gear. Some of the AX teams also have factory support just like in SX, and the riders aren't bothered much by the flash. In regard to the two stroke comment, some of the guys may race in the 125 class when it is offered, but other than that they are all on 4 strokes.

[picprinter]

Thank you to each of you for your valuable comments. I had a meeting with the show promoter and the ad agency that does their advertising. During our discussions I showed them the replies to this thread so they could see the different options in shooting styles as used by other photographers. Now I know exactly what they want. From that meeting it is obvious to me that we will have to shoot two different styles during the show. One style to satisfy to the promoter and another to satisfy the riders. But, its nothing that too complicated so it should be a lot of fun.

Again thank you for your comments, they were very valuable and much appreciated.

[movol]

Browndog is correct...same bikes, same gear, a few riders get full factory support, most are privateers, all are looking for that jump to SX/MX rides... just smaller tracks...it's a circuit that travels easier to smaller markets.


to the photos at hand...I would open your lens a little more to blur the backgrounds so the rider(s) will stand out more in the photo's.

[mitchella68]

I can see the challenge you have there, I would try dropping the flash down half to one stop, shoot raw if possible so I could adjust the exposure some too. As far as positions I would try to catch the turns and also see if I could put myself up high enough to catch the action on some of the larger jumps and still have the audience in the pic.

[Nzshrimper]

try underexposing the shot in the camera to darken the BG then using fill flash on second curtain to light the rider / bike. this helps separate the rider from bg. play with the flash as you may need to go as high a 1 - 2 stops over to compensate for the under exposer of the shot.

open the lens a little to this will remove some of DOF allowing the bg to blur .

change your angles to tilt the camera.... and last slow down the shutter speed to get some sense of movement..

i hope that helps a little...

[salexande867]

Not to question what you say, but they are pretty much the exact same bikes and the same gear. Some of the AX teams also have factory support just like in SX, and the riders aren't bothered much by the flash. In regard to the two stroke comment, some of the guys may race in the 125 class when it is offered, but other than that they are all on 4 strokes.

Not in my area. Local arenacross races have a few pro riders, but also have local guys riding in long sleeve t-shirts. Most riders are kids riding on their parents' budget with maybe a little local sponsor support.

You are forgetting about the minis who are almost all 2-stroke. It doesn't take long for these to fill the arena. My local arena has to run 6 huge industrial fans to continuously exhust the smoke from the arena.