1 week with the 7D

1st time shooting racing, had a good day.
here are a few

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The photo is sharp, too sharp. When I shoot cars racing, I try to show some movement by lowering my shutter speed and panning the subject. It takes practice. In your shot, can you tell if the car was moving or parked on the track? Lowering your ss (1/80 - 1/180) will blur the background and wheels, but keep the body sharp.

Nmura wrote in post #11964718
The photo is sharp, too sharp. When I shoot cars racing, I try to show some movement by lowering my shutter speed and panning the subject. It takes practice. In your shot, can you tell if the car was moving or parked on the track? Lowering your ss (1/80 - 1/180) will blur the background and wheels, but keep the body sharp.

I have to work on that......as you can tell my SS was set to 1/4000

I'm also not sure about the diagonal downhill tilt.A slight tilt with the car going ' up hill' can sometimes work.
I've had my 7D a full year now and still loving it , especially for motorsports, but I still haven't used all it's functions!
Regarding shutter speeds to set.Check your view screen and zoom in after you have taken a shott to see what sort of wheel blur you have.I would always set high ,say 1/160th and work down to 1/80.Even try 1/40 when you get better at panning but be prepared to bin a few,although the 7D increased my keeper rate right away as it locks on focus so good in A1 Servo mode.

cryton wrote in post #11965328
I'm also not sure about the diagonal downhill tilt.A slight tilt with the car going ' up hill' can sometimes work.
I've had my 7D a full year now and still loving it , especially for motorsports, but I still haven't used all it's functions!
Regarding shutter speeds to set.Check your view screen and zoom in after you have taken a shott to see what sort of wheel blur you have.I would always set high ,say 1/160th and work down to 1/80.Even try 1/40 when you get better at panning but be prepared to bin a few,although the 7D increased my keeper rate right away as it locks on focus so good in A1 Servo mode.

I know what you talking about on the slow shutter speed...............th​ink I will go out to the side highway this week and do some testing on cars

Definitely sharp shots but the shutter speed needs to come down. Even sacrificing a little sharpness for movement will drastically improve the photos. Everyone starts somewhere

I'm gonna disagree and say that not every motorsports shot has to be blurry in the background. Panning shots are dramatic in their ability to capture the movement and action of a racing car, but sometimes a good all-around sharp shot is pleasing as well.

I happen to like this photo, a lot. I shoot a fair amount of road racing and am always looking for a new perspective, a different shot. This one fit that category in my opinion.

If this is truly the OP's first time out shooting motorsports I congratulate you for a great start. All of the other ideas posted are valid ones, and the panning technique will take some time, don't get discouraged until you've practiced it a lot. Keep trying to think out of the box for your shots and you'll come up with some more great ones.

DennisW1 wrote in post #11970815
I'm gonna disagree and say that not every motorsports shot has to be blurry in the background. Panning shots are dramatic in their ability to capture the movement and action of a racing car, but sometimes a good all-around sharp shot is pleasing as well.

I happen to like this photo, a lot. I shoot a fair amount of road racing and am always looking for a new perspective, a different shot. This one fit that category in my opinion.

If this is truly the OP's first time out shooting motorsports I congratulate you for a great start. All of the other ideas posted are valid ones, and the panning technique will take some time, don't get discouraged until you've practiced it a lot. Keep trying to think out of the box for your shots and you'll come up with some more great ones.

I have to disagree. The shot in this thread looks like the RX8 is parked on the track. Motorsports is moving. The paddock shots are great. Things are not moving as much. On track shots really need some motion to give it a correct 'feel'.

dinanm3atl wrote in post #11970828
I have to disagree. The shot in this thread looks like the RX8 is parked on the track. Motorsports is moving. The paddock shots are great. Things are not moving as much. On track shots really need some motion to give it a correct 'feel'.

This shot was in the race

DennisW1 wrote in post #11970815
I'm gonna disagree and say that not every motorsports shot has to be blurry in the background. Panning shots are dramatic in their ability to capture the movement and action of a racing car, but sometimes a good all-around sharp shot is pleasing as well.

I happen to like this photo, a lot. I shoot a fair amount of road racing and am always looking for a new perspective, a different shot. This one fit that category in my opinion.

If this is truly the OP's first time out shooting motorsports I congratulate you for a great start. All of the other ideas posted are valid ones, and the panning technique will take some time, don't get discouraged until you've practiced it a lot. Keep trying to think out of the box for your shots and you'll come up with some more great ones.

Thanks...............I understand what the others are saying I need to work an panning with slower shutter speed......I was worried about overexposed to mush light.?

bckane wrote in post #11970903
Thanks...............I understand what the others are saying I need to work an panning with slower shutter speed......I was worried about overexposed to mush light.?

You will shoot at a higher f/stop to allow less light in. I was shooting 1/160 or lower in broad daylight at times in Miami.

dinanm3atl wrote in post #11970960
You will shoot at a higher f/stop to allow less light in. I was shooting 1/160 or lower in broad daylight at times in Miami.

I will take a note of that...............tha​nks

DennisW1 wrote in post #11970815
I'm gonna disagree and say that not every motorsports shot has to be blurry in the background. Panning shots are dramatic in their ability to capture the movement and action of a racing car, but sometimes a good all-around sharp shot is pleasing as well.

I happen to like this photo, a lot. I shoot a fair amount of road racing and am always looking for a new perspective, a different shot. This one fit that category in my opinion.

If this is truly the OP's first time out shooting motorsports I congratulate you for a great start. All of the other ideas posted are valid ones, and the panning technique will take some time, don't get discouraged until you've practiced it a lot. Keep trying to think out of the box for your shots and you'll come up with some more great ones.

Agree Dennis, good point. It depends on the motorsport and angle that you shoot. Example, for motorcross, I like to freeze a rider and his bike coming round a turn head on with mud flying all over. Freezing shows intensity of the sport, especially if you can get his face. There is a time for panning and freezing.

Lets see lastweek shot rodeo and had my shutter speed to low this week ss to fast.......now this is the way you learn thanks
Cant wait this need event

Besides the blur there's also too much open space around the car. You have 18 megapixels to play with on a 7D so you can do a pretty aggressive amount of cropping while maintaining the quality of the image. And that is definitely way too much tilt, especially for flat-ass South FL.