Formula Drift Long Beach On Track Coverage

[xknowonex]

I covered Formula Drift Round 1 Streets of Long Beach over this past weekend on both Friday & Saturday. Though I have been shooting car events for a while, I still had alot of learning on the fly was my first time shooting a real motorsports event. What made the shoot even more difficult was that I upgraded from an XTi to a 40D the night before the event so I had alot of trouble figuring out my camera the next morning at the event.

I brought my treasured 70-200mm 2.8 but it remained in the bag the entire time in favor of the 17-40L due to the extreme proximity of the cars.

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Fore more pictures:

Friday Qualifying

http://the-perfect-exposure.blogspot.com/2009/04/formula-drift-round-1-long-beach.html

Saturday Main Event

http://the-perfect-exposure.blogspot.com/2009/04/formula-drift-round-1-long-beach_14.html

Pit Zone

http://the-perfect-exposure.blogspot.com/2009/04/formula-drift-round-1-long-beach_15.html

[silvex]

Nice panos! I can smell the rubber being burn! are you behind the fence ?

[Zoso23]

you got some sweet shots there, number 7 is my favourite.

would have been a real fun day no doubt. i was watching on tv and wishing i was there haha.

anyway, very well done on the shots, looking good.

[duntov]

Those pics are awesome...could you give me some suggestions on getting great pans like that?

Greg

[AP64]

These are nice shots, especially with an unfamiliar camera

[silvex]

Those pics are awesome...could you give me some suggestions on getting great pans like that?

Greg

Yeah it would be nice to see the settings (EXIF).

[RadAL]

great pics, just wished you used a littel slower shutter speed.

[be_good]

amazing!!

[xknowonex]

Thanks guys

If it is close enough for my 17-40L,

I usually go for TV Mode and shoot at the following shutter speeds

1/80 for side pans

1/160 for 3/4

1/320 for a straight on shot

Those are just my basic starting points. If necessary I might bump it up a little higher or bump it down if I can afford to

I am still having alot of trouble with focusing because alot of times the camera will focus the wrong part of the car because the car is traveling too fast. Hopefully I will get more practice increase my keeper rates

[rich_cooper]

Good pics

[cbouchez]

great pics!!

[priorityone]

hey man u got some very nice pictures and at very nice angles.. with wicked cars man..
thnaks for sharing..

cheers

[whoadude]

Man you were close! Great shots, did you have media/photo pass?

[chopperdave]

nice pics of the event.

[kookie]

Excellent shots, i really like the Falken Mustang photo!

p.s: what was the video on your page taken with?

[jsigone]

awesome pics, I got pics from the grandstand. I'm still going through them.....

[xknowonex]

Excellent shots, i really like the Falken Mustang photo!

p.s: what was the video on your page taken with?

The video was made by some guy thats pretty well known in the car scene by the name of Josh Herron. I dont know what he used.

[kookie]

ok, thanks. i thought you used your 40D with a hack to record the movie :)

[GVal]

nice shots, love that one of JR

and I dig the hell out of Josh Herron's work.

[phys]

Wow great work, loving that len's its going on my short list for sure! I just got my pass for shooting Drifting in NZ so looking forward to that and just brought a 1D mark II , hope to get some shots as good as yours though they are stunning.