Help with Drag racing photography

RYC-RKT wrote in post #15270085
I have nothing to prove to you or anyone in this forum. Especially trolls like you.

You may not have anything to prove, but by not posting any images you certainly proved one thing.

boooo! "trolls"

"hey! Coop..." those first 4 snaps look good... post 1 more to enter the contest.....

redrocket wrote in post #15270915
boooo! "trolls"

"hey! Coop..." those first 4 snaps look good... post 1 more to enter the contest.....

I get that a lot...

I'm a little confused on this? Am I meant to be reading further into something?

What do you think of my colour coding? or ?

Hey heycoop, I've shot a bunch of drag racing with a 70-200. 70-200 sometimes is a bit much meaning you may have to step back. I have added a few examples.

Should have stepped back a bit for this one.

Heycoop Photography wrote in post #15271165
I get that a lot...

I'm a little confused on this? Am I meant to be reading further into something?

What do you think of my colour coding? or ?

color coding is cool.. dont read into anyhing from me...
go out and shoot... keep posting pics..

heavyc wrote in post #15271585
Hey heycoop, I've shot a bunch of drag racing with a 70-200. 70-200 sometimes is a bit much meaning you may have to step back. I have added a few examples.

If you have any questions I will try and answer them if I can. I just do this for fun a expensive hobby for me.

Chuck

Nice shots, that last one of the tractor at 1/13, were you using IS? Thats an awesome pan! Thanks for the pics, I like that sort of angle for the burnouts, so will give that a go. Thanks!

Heavy C knows his stuff !!!! I will agree that most of the advice on here is pretty worthless though,if you havent shot on the wall its best to not comment on it. Check out a guy named Mark rebilas,he has a blog you can follow,his pics have camera setting on them, you can learn and try new stuff.

Thanks for all the help guys, check out the below link, for the results, and let me know what you think.

https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=15285850#po​st15285850

redrocket wrote in post #15266296
study your favorite drag racing shots from the pros.. and try to inincorporate those looks into your shots.. before you know it you will develop your own style.... get the exhaust spitting fire.. wrinkled tires... get some panning shots... post some pics....

He's right!

That's exactly what I did...although, with film, it was costly and slow...

Only pics i have to hand...

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STIC wrote in post #15289574
He's right!

That's exactly what I did...although, with film, it was costly and slow...

Only pics i have to hand...

They take me back a few years, especially the Kenwood rail

To the OP:

Shoot any and all spots.. starting line, burn outs, behind the burn outs, behind the launch, top end of the track, the stands.. etc.. If you have access, by all means MOVE AROUND! =D Shoot one car, both cars.. etc.. There are only so many angles at a drag race.. so go for it! I have been pretty stagnant for quite some time with my racing shots but here are a few.. By the way.. my 70-200 is my main workhorse at the track.. well, it was.. until I got a 400! None the less, the 70-200 is probably the most versatile lens to have at the track! If access is limited, hit up the pits!! Lots of cool stuff to be shot in the pits at any race!

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I shoot on the rail and in the burnout box but I am certainly not a pro
Safety is #1, always keep an eye on the cars, never turn your back
Never stand directly behind a car when at the tree, there was guy killed a few months ago when the car was left in reverse and the light when green
In the burnout box I stand inbetween and ahead of the cars .
Sometimes I'll stand, sometimes bend down and sometimes kneel down
If all goes well theres a good chance you'll get pics of both cars if the burnouts are not at the same time
Seldom will I take a pic of a burnout from the side
Sometimes I'll shoot the rear corner
Remember that a burnout will be throwing pavement, rubber and water
That rubber is hot , ask me how I know
At the Christmas Tree, I get infront of the cars and behind
At the rail I sometimes stand and other times kneel holding the camera just above the rail
Put the camera on continious shooting
You'll learn by the sound of the motor (in some classes) how close they are to launching
When I've got the car framed and pre focused, I hold the camera in position and pull my head back and look at the lights
Once I see the bulbs start to light up I start to look back into the camera
Knowing any fraction of a second that the car is launching I start shooting
In drag racing the cars are moving when it goes green
If you wait till you see green you'll miss some good shots
I want tire lift and wrinkle in the slicks
Anybody can shoot a pic of a car at the lights but I want the look of motion
When I get home I eliminate all the extras, crop and edit the keepers
Sometimes I'll go down track approx 50' or more as needed and put on my 70-200
If I'm too close then I go a little further down the track
Usually but not always within the first 50' you're safe
Its unlikely but still possible that a car will launch and wipe out into the rail at that distance
The further down the track you go the greater the chance of the car going out of control
You couldn't give me enough money to stand 1/2 track on the rail
I have stood 1/2 track and back 100' or more and panned with no concerns but I alays have the car in view.I don't even take a drink of water when I car is in motion
Another position that I like is when the car is at the lights and starting to stage
I get at the back left corner of the car, usually kneeling
I have the lens zoomed out so that I have the Tree in the pic.When the lights start to go yellow I'm ready
On the last yellow I'm already taking pics
In that position I get wheel lift and the wrinkle in the slicks
When home I crop out the light if possible, if you prefer leave the light in the pic
Most of my pics are taken with a 15-85 lens
Alway have a protector filter on
Cheaper to throw away a $60.00 filter then it is to replace a lens
Get yourself a pair of custom made, silicone grade ear plugs.Mine cost less than $75.00. Hearing loss is accumulative, you lose it and its not coming back.
Even with street cars and bikes,if I'm standing in the burnout box or on the rail I have my plugs in
I usually shoot at 200 ISO
Single point focus, white balance set to cloudy, even in the bright sun
90% of the time I shoot in TV, I control the shutter speed
Depending where I'm standing and the cars racing will determine the shutter speed
Burnouts the car is sitting and heating up the tires, I would shoot at 1/500
When at the Tree and ready to launch the minimum I would shoot would be 1/1000
Experiment with different settings and practice
Ask other photographers what their settings are at
Most are pretty good about helping out , but best to have the conversation when a race isn't going on
Shoot from different locations or spots and try to vary the shots from standing to kneeling
Some guys move for every car
I take 10 pics: in between the cars in the burnout box, move to the rear corner of the car while they're at the Tree, then I'll move to a position infront of the cars, then down track(50') and then to the opposite side and do the same again from there.
When you get home and are editing pis you can delete the ones don't like and keep the best, once you're home you can't take anymore pics
When I'm done editing I sort by random order
I personally don't like 10 pics from the same angle then 10 more form another angle etc etc
Practice, practice practice
Ask others
Have fun and be safe at all times
Its an experience like no other in the world when the ProMod is less than 10" from you doing a burnout
Good luck
Ontario55

Ontario55 wrote in post #15356772
I shoot on the rail and in the burnout box but I am certainly not a pro
Safety is #1, always keep an eye on the cars, never turn your back
Never stand directly behind a car when at the tree, there was guy killed a few months ago when the car was left in reverse and the light when green
In the burnout box I stand inbetween and ahead of the cars .
Sometimes I'll stand, sometimes bend down and sometimes kneel down
If all goes well theres a good chance you'll get pics of both cars if the burnouts are not at the same time
Seldom will I take a pic of a burnout from the side
Sometimes I'll shoot the rear corner
Remember that a burnout will be throwing pavement, rubber and water
That rubber is hot , ask me how I know
At the Christmas Tree, I get infront of the cars and behind
At the rail I sometimes stand and other times kneel holding the camera just above the rail
Put the camera on continious shooting
You'll learn by the sound of the motor (in some classes) how close they are to launching
When I've got the car framed and pre focused, I hold the camera in position and pull my head back and look at the lights
Once I see the bulbs start to light up I start to look back into the camera
Knowing any fraction of a second that the car is launching I start shooting
In drag racing the cars are moving when it goes green
If you wait till you see green you'll miss some good shots
I want tire lift and wrinkle in the slicks
Anybody can shoot a pic of a car at the lights but I want the look of motion
When I get home I eliminate all the extras, crop and edit the keepers
Sometimes I'll go down track approx 50' or more as needed and put on my 70-200
If I'm too close then I go a little further down the track
Usually but not always within the first 50' you're safe
Its unlikely but still possible that a car will launch and wipe out into the rail at that distance
The further down the track you go the greater the chance of the car going out of control
You couldn't give me enough money to stand 1/2 track on the rail
I have stood 1/2 track and back 100' or more and panned with no concerns but I alays have the car in view.I don't even take a drink of water when I car is in motion
Another position that I like is when the car is at the lights and starting to stage
I get at the back left corner of the car, usually kneeling
I have the lens zoomed out so that I have the Tree in the pic.When the lights start to go yellow I'm ready
On the last yellow I'm already taking pics
In that position I get wheel lift and the wrinkle in the slicks
When home I crop out the light if possible, if you prefer leave the light in the pic
Most of my pics are taken with a 15-85 lens
Alway have a protector filter on
Cheaper to throw away a $60.00 filter then it is to replace a lens
Get yourself a pair of custom made, silicone grade ear plugs.Mine cost less than $75.00. Hearing loss is accumulative, you lose it and its not coming back.
Even with street cars and bikes,if I'm standing in the burnout box or on the rail I have my plugs in
I usually shoot at 200 ISO
Single point focus, white balance set to cloudy, even in the bright sun
90% of the time I shoot in TV, I control the shutter speed
Depending where I'm standing and the cars racing will determine the shutter speed
Burnouts the car is sitting and heating up the tires, I would shoot at 1/500
When at the Tree and ready to launch the minimum I would shoot would be 1/1000
Experiment with different settings and practice
Ask other photographers what their settings are at
Most are pretty good about helping out , but best to have the conversation when a race isn't going on
Shoot from different locations or spots and try to vary the shots from standing to kneeling
Some guys move for every car
I take 10 pics: in between the cars in the burnout box, move to the rear corner of the car while they're at the Tree, then I'll move to a position infront of the cars, then down track(50') and then to the opposite side and do the same again from there.
When you get home and are editing pis you can delete the ones don't like and keep the best, once you're home you can't take anymore pics
When I'm done editing I sort by random order
I personally don't like 10 pics from the same angle then 10 more form another angle etc etc
Practice, practice practice
Ask others
Have fun and be safe at all times
Its an experience like no other in the world when the ProMod is less than 10" from you doing a burnout
Good luck
Ontario55

I've got two things to say
1) It's midnight and I can't be bothered reading it, so will get back to it in the morning
2) WOW, did you type or copy and paste. Either way, thanks, I'll need 365 days of straight drag racing to try it all out

Ontario55, that is good advice. I have a few variations. The 70-200 is my go-to lens. I used to use a filter to protect the lens, but I was getting ghost reflections of hot spots. I quit using filters. Yes, the lenses do get dirty. In my situation I use fill flash (HSS) a lot because the cars are usually backlit. I only do this during time trials or for "heads-up" cars or "pro" classes where drivers are fairly used to ignoring potential distractions. I'm like you in that I don't like to stand by the rail too far down track. I've had too many cars take aim at me, to say nothing of exploding parts. I'm reasonably comfortable out to the 60' lights and somewhat comfortable maybe twice that distance, but you can bet I am ready to jump and never take my eyes off the cars. People tell me I can move pretty fast for an old guy! I differ from you in that I don't shoot in continuous mode. I probably miss a lot of shots that way, but it cuts down on the amount of editing, which for me is least tasteful part of the process. One thing I find difficult with street legal cars is the lack of sound. I am amazed at how dependent I am on sound to trigger my process. I hadn't thought of using cloudy white balance, but our track has blue paint near the starting line and that really futzes with color balance. I shoot raw and deal with it in post, but I could probably save a bit of time using your technique. I use ISO 400 almost exclusively. I too shoot TV most of the time and agree that 1/1000 is the best minimum speed at launch. Heycoop, there is a lot of good advice in Ontario55's post.

If you want to see some of my feeble efforts at our small local track, my Zenfolio page is here:
http://jimmarlett.zenf​olio.com/

I shoot drag races with a 70-200 a 24-70 and an older 300. Shooting varies depending on light situation. I've gone as low as 1/15 for panning by accident but had great result due to flash. Big events like NHRA don't allow flash however.
Any TF, FC and parachute I may go up to 1/1200s. Most door cars in action, 1/400 - 1/800. If you want spinning wheels at burn out probably 1/400 is good with a little pan to follow the car. Anything static like burn out or slower cars doing wheelstand does not require much speed.
1/800 -1/1000s is great for any car including Fuel cars from the stands if you pan. You will get spinning wheels but very little blur of the background. Full panning is great but too many shots is just too much.
For the rest, it's all up to your creative skills, often limited by the lighting situation. Improvise and take risks is the key to get pictures. I may bring a ladder and never use it. When you are there, make sure you ask permission to go to the top end for parachute shots.
You can enter Benoit Pigeon in the search at the top right on bangshift.com to see recent work