My Indy GP pics

[Verne]

Well here are a few of my MotoGP pics. First off I have much respect for you guys who can pan. I'm still, and looks like for a while, working on my panning. Let me know what you all think.

Even with the rain I had a blast. Surprised my camera isn't a fish aquarium after the weekend.

1. A get off in practice Friday.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_1361.jpg

2.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_1662.jpg

3. Saturday Practice & Qualifying.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_2018.jpg

4.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_2289.jpg

5.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_2380.jpg

6. Sunday Race Day. I think there is some water on the track.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_4454.jpg

7.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_4725.jpg

8. Darn rain messed up the lens.
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l71/verne3/Canon%20Forum/IMG_5328.jpg

Verne

[klippe]

Don't beat yourself up over the panning thing. The key thing to remember is that you must first "get the shot" - then worry about the slow shutter stuff. I have wasted entire meetings trying to get artsy shots, only to realise that I didn't actually get any "useable by the press" type shots.

Remember that when you see panning shots on this forum, by and large they are the "good" ones that made it through. I wouldn't mind betting that for every good shot, there are a pile of "not so good" shots to go with it.

Depending on how slow you go with the shutter speeds, sometimes getting a super-slow pan can just be a question of the physics involved. The slower you go, the more the parallax effect (or "parallax shift" as some call it) will come into play. So if you are not dead side-on, it can get tricky. Shot 5 looks to me to be an example of that - note how some of the bike's fairing is sharp, but the rear of the bike isn't. (If you are unsure of how the parallax effect works, have a look at this explanation I gave ages ago http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=487139)

So, start by shooting to get the shot, then work your way into slower shutter speeds.

If these shots are your early attempts at panning - then you are off to a good start.

But as I said earlier, there is often a lot of luck involved in nailing a good panning shot. I have to say it's not so hard now that some of us can sit with our finger on the button and rattle ten shots out as a car/bike flies by - all within one second. When shooting like that, chances are, one of them is going to be OK.

Have fun!

[The California Kid]

Good start!

I was at the Laguna Seca GP and it was incredible. I wish I could have snapped a picture of Rossi jumping off his bike and kissing the corkscrew though

[Jamie Holladay]

Nice start.

[Verne]

Thanks for the comments. I have done some panning before but nothing near what I did last weekend. You are right though, I have a pile of crap shots. Cut off bike and riders, horribly out of focus and just scenery in them with nothing else. Thank God memory cards are cheap. I took over 4,500 photos with maybe 500 coming out. Either way I still had a great weekend.

Thanks,

Verne

[NickR]

So, start by shooting to get the shot, then work your way into slower shutter speeds.


Totally agree, this is what I do for panning shots, I may start as fast as 1/640th and work my way down to 1/250th. I never go down to 1/125th for bikes.

I took over 4,500 photos with maybe 500 coming out. Either way I still had a great weekend.

I like the 1st shot the best, the BMW car shot is the best quality shot. Klippe advice is spot on.

Cheers

[WShade]

#6 really shows how much water was on the track that day.

[Big Ant]

Good effort, keep at it

[saturnin]

clean your sensor

i hate panning in crappy weather.. IE RAIN or very gloomy.. its like the focus has a problem getting **** sharp....