Anyone here shooting the Indy 500 this year?

[kb9tdj]

I received my credentials a couple of weeks ago to shoot the Indy 500 for the first time and wanted to know if anyone here is also going to be out there as well during May. I'm planning on being at the track many of the days and thought it would be fun to meet other POTNers out there to share war stories and tips for shooting the race/practice and just generally hang out and BS (as time permits).

[DC Fan]

Been doing it for a while.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090524a1990.jpg

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/05092009a0186.jpg

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090507a0550.jpg

Learned how to do it from the guys who used to shoot Tri-X. If you really want to learn, find the guys who stand on the inside of the third turn, which has the best sun angle for most of the day.

[kb9tdj]

DC Fan,

I shot a lot of Tri-X (and Plus-X and Ilford HP-5, and Tech Pan 2415, etc etc) myself back in the 70's. I do have inside turns access and also thought turn 3 would be the best for the sun angle. The gal at the media desk at the track office said that there was no reserved area for photogs in turn 3, and that the turn 1 grassy area was the best. If it's cloudy I could see turn 1 being good, but otherwise the backlight might not be the best.

What is the fence situation like in turns 1 & 3? Are you able to get on the track side of the fence or are there fences with "shooter" holes in them?

[DC Fan]

The gal at the media desk at the track office said that there was no reserved area for photogs in turn 3, and that the turn 1 grassy area was the best. If it's cloudy I could see turn 1 being good, but otherwise the backlight might not be the best. What is the fence situation like in turns 1 & 3? Are you able to get on the track side of the fence or are there fences with "shooter" holes in them?

Unless something big has changed since last year, the area inside turn three is the last remaining old-style area that's completely open to photographers for the 500. There's a low fence at three, but nothing that gets in the way, including the guardrail.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/05092009a0692.jpg

From the spectator area on the inside of the third turn at 110mm from an XTi.



Turn one also is completely open and you don't need a credential: it's the area rebuilt for the MotoGP course, which is behind a wall and a fence, and way back from the track. There are two credentialed areas in the first turn, at the entrance and exit to the turn, and both are behind fences. The center of one needs a 400-500mm lens.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090524a1134.jpg

This is roughly the view you'll get from the entrance to the first turn, at 340mm from an XTi.



http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090524a0627.jpg

From the closest available spectator area near the exit of the inside of the first turn with a XTi and a 400mm. A credential area at the exit of one is closer, but sometimes crowded.

Two and four have a few areas behind fences.

No one gets on the track side of any fence, not even the track safety crew. Everyone has to be behind a wall or a guardrail, or both.