Britcar from Silverstone.

[Cadwell]

Well I had a desperately unpleasant trip to Silverstone on Saturday for the first Britcar meeting of the season.

For a start off I turned up with the wrong lens. Oh I admit it was my fault. I'd failed to check the race card and so hadn't seen that they were running on the Silverstone "International" circuit; I'd assumed the "National" circuit. For the "International" Circuit I need my 500mm... I was there with a 300mm and 600mm.

Secondly it was windy. Now the Canon 600mm is a lovely lens but you really don't want to be using it in blustery winds. The thing has about the same surface area as your average barn and it does a fantastic weather vane impersonation. That coupled with the huge, deep hood (think wind-sock) makes it a major pain to control on top of a monopod.

All in all I was pining for the little Sigma 500mm which is sooo much easier to control.

Coupled with the wind we had *every* kind of weather. It was sunny, it rained, it was sunny again, it got cloudy, it decided to try a few hail stones for variety. Get the picture? On top of that it was cold... very, very, cold.

The racing? Well I suppose some was going on but what with the weather, the cold and me fighting with the wrong lens in a cross-wind I didn't pay it too much heed.

On the plus side the breakfast in the Paddock Bite is much improved this season. Hurrah for better breakfasts!

Oh yeah, this is the photo sharing section. You'll be wanting some pictures I suppose...

#1 Mosler MT900R and Lotus Elise
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK9502.jpg

#2 A burst of sunshine for Porsche, Porsche, Ginetta!
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK9512.jpg

#3 Back to the gloomy stuff for this Porsche
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK9585.jpg

#4 It may have been raining but this is a really pretty Escort Turbo!
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK0017.jpg

#5 Hurrah! Another little burst of sunshine
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK9913.jpg

#6 This chap looked to be having about as much fun as I was...
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK9899.jpg

#7 Car... almost a pan (shhhh....)
http://www.photozo.com/album/data/9249/RPUK0038.jpg

Thanks for looking, just thought I'd spread the boredom around a little.

[restyles]

It may have been cold and miserable but .... Now thats what I call vibrant and punchy !!
Quality Glenn .. even shot with a 'windsock' !

[AzzA]

Nice stuff Glenn, all sharp and vibrant, good motion etc. Glad to hear you enjoyed the day though lol. I think Britcar and GT racing in general is going to struggle this year in particular.

840mm on #3 is a nice touch.

[LUK3]

Nice pics. Really looking forward to the Britcar weekend at Castle Combe later on in the year :D

[Simon Harrison]

Great stuff Glenn, particularly given the conditions (i.e. wind) that you were shooting in. While I really like the look of the big GT cars on track, the Escort in #4 looks super!

Cheers,

Simon.

[Cadwell]

Thanks, everyone.

840mm on #3 is a nice touch.

Yah... you have no idea how hard it was to hold onto 840mm at 1/200th in a crosswind :lol:

the Escort in #4 looks super!

Yeah, I liked that one!

[chrispons]

Looks like a lovely day ,Glenn ,you should have come to Snowdonia for the Bulldog,proper weather in the morning.:)
For the record I hate Silverstone,once was enough for me last year in the fog and cold of the GT cars,too big and exposed,primitive conditions,half the facilities were shut.

As a set,they are all excellent,besides which I cannot imagine you posting naff shots,and doubt if you take many any way.

Circuit racing is not my bag,but you have done a great job with these.
Love how you get the wheel blur but sharpness and dof,damm good work.

Of these I like the Mosler best,wonderful car,lovely sounding beast,so I am biased.

Pons

[Button1]

Hi Glenn

You don't know me I'm a friend of Richards (yes Richard it's John) One question, I've seen a lot of your work on here, all your images are not only very sharp & punchy but they have quite a lot of depth to them, sharpness from front of the car to the rear, especially on the 3/4 views. Is this down to the gear you use or is it how you take the image. Thanks in advance. John

[sastein]

Great shots. You can never have enough lens. :)

And I complained about having a 400 5.6 + 1.4x on the camera at Sebring being a weather vane. I can't imagine what a 600 would be like.

-Steve

[silvrr]

Great pictures! Great color, sharpness and composition.

Oh and I wish I had to decide between my 300, 500 and 600 mm lenses.

[Cadwell]

Hi Glenn

You don't know me I'm a friend of Richards (yes Richard it's John) One question, I've seen a lot of your work on here, all your images are not only very sharp & punchy but they have quite a lot of depth to them, sharpness from front of the car to the rear, especially on the 3/4 views. Is this down to the gear you use or is it how you take the image. Thanks in advance. John

Hi John,

That's an interesting question and it is something I have been asked before. Truth is I am not entirely sure of the reason.

I guess it is a combination of factors. One thing will be shutter speed I choose to use. I like to include enough motion blur to keep the sensation of movement but I don't go for ultra-low shutter speeds as I don't like beating people over the head with motion blur - for me a little is good but too much doesn't work; that's my preference. Another factor is going to be where I place the active focus point which is nearly always on centre-front of the car. A third factor is going to be the point at which I decide to take the shot and the relative motion of the ends of the car to me at that instant.

I don't believe equipment as such is a factor although focal length will definitely play a part.

[petris]

Excellent as usual, i like these a lot. These are like a standard for race shots where every shooters should try to reach. I am really far a way..

I am also interesting how you do this kind of sharp depth for your shots. I like to know basic methods outside of shutter speed(focusing method and so on, short lesson) :D

[mjw1999]

nice!