Braintree Bikes

[gmen]

Back to the grasstrack for some fun at Braintree MCC. Here's a few of my efforts from my second speedway shoot:

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pf201.jpg
http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pf203.jpg
http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pf207.jpg
http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pf208.jpg
http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pf204.jpg
http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/pf205.jpg

Hope you enjoy!

[batfink]

Awesome pictures, especially #6, the look coming from the chap in blue says it all!!

I used to live fairly close to Braintree several years back. I'm an amateur photographer so I give my critique carefully but I would suggest using a lower shutter speed, the wheels in all the shots look like they are frozen which IMO removes the feeling of speed. Go down to 1/250 and give that a whirl (no pun intended).

- Toby.

[gmen]

Thanks Batfink!

The panning shots are taken at 1/100s. The other shots are at 1/640s or 1/800s. There's a compromise to be made with the non-panning shots - if you decrease the shutter speed much below 1/500s, the wheels are blurred but you start to see motion blur also in the bikes - so you might as well just get on and do some panning!

It's a tough call - I used a slightly faster shutter speed on this occasion because the grass and mud being thrown up still seemed (to me) to give the impression of the bikes moving.

Hmmm.

[Radtech1]

I have been meaning to comment on this, and apologize for my delay. Excellent batch of action shots. My personal favorite is the third one mostly because of all of the soil flying through the air. Really captures the power of one of those beasts.

I also like the sixth one for the same reason mentioned above, the look from the rider in blue. As far as the composition on the sixth one goes, I would like to have been able to see all of the "passengers". Even though the story is the expression, to see the complete bikes would've helped. Either that, or completely crop out the passengers. Perhaps putting the bottom of the frame just below the hub of the front wheels, and the left side of the frame just about at the point of the red and yellow drivers right elbow.

Just a couple of other quick comments, on the first one next time tried for a shallower depth of field, and on the second one leaves more room in the frame in front of the bike for them to drive into.

Good job,

Rad