Help - Night Time Trials at the Drag Strip

All right, everyone, please help me understand how this one had so many things go wrong with it and what I can do to improve in the future.

What you're looking at:
Pacific International Raceway's dragstrip, shot from behind the staging area to the right of the track. Two cars have just completed their run on the left side of the photo, and the scoreboard on the right is for the right-hand lane, and is showing the E/T (elapsed time) on top and trap speed on bottom.

Vital Statistics:
Camera: Canon Digital Rebel XT
Lens: EF 70-200L f/4.0
F/L: 200 mm
Aperture: 4.0
ISO: 1600
Mode: Manual

What's wrong:
Look above the right-lane car. There's a lens flare from the scoreboard visible on the right. You can even make out the E/T and trap speed in the lens flare image. There are other flares from the other cars making their return drive on the right as well. Also, very noisy. Yes, I was using ISO 1600, and I know a lower one would have resulted in less noise, but I don't see how I could have gone down on the ISO without widening the aperture (wide open already) or lowering the shutter speed (motion blur results).

Please assist me in improving this type of shot. I love going to the Test & Tune nights, you get everything from grocery-getters to hand-built dragsters there, and I love seeing them all tearin' it up! Let me know how I could improve this with existing materials first, and then equipment upgrade suggestions, please.

PS: That blue-and-white car that's making the 13.70 quarter mile? That's my wife in our Mustang!

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If it were me, and I was likely to be shooting from this spot, I would go with a Graduated Filter. Clear on the bottom, dense on the top. I would turn it sideways so that the dark area attenuates some of the light coming from the right half of the shot. This would accomplish 2 related things. First, it would lessen - though not eliminate - the ghost image. And second, it would tone down the light from the scoreboard - which is not the subject, but still is the brightest thing in the shot.

Rad

Rad,

Thanks! I've seen those, just wondered if it were something I would ever use. It would help, you think? I'll look into it, thank you.

Anything else you would change? Composition, angle, etc.? I know I'm taking a picture of something that, by definition, is a quarter of a mile away, but is there anything I can do to make the photo stand out more? You said if you were standing "here", where would you stand?

Thanks again!

I think it may have been more interesting to shoot from a different angle... maybe on the left side on the strip shooting across it towards the sign. It would have more of the subject in frame?

@ Rhino,

Further down the track, you mean? Closer to the finish line, maybe? Might be difficult, I don't know if they let spectators down that far, but perhaps I can finagle it. I'll try it. I guess that might have the effect of getting the lights directly out of the field of view and cutting down on the flaring, as well.

The problem that Rhino was alluding to is that from here, the tail lights don't really tell the story. If you want this shot, you will need a longer lens so that the subject, the cars, are more prominent in the shot.

My dad used to race class B brackets at Irwindale - back in the day. He had a 57 Chev that would turn low 12's all day long. Best run was an 11.90. So I know that at the finish line, the story is best seen looking across the track, not down the long axis.

If you have to stay where you are at, get them coming off the line.

Rad

Radtech1 wrote:
If it were me, and I was likely to be shooting from this spot, I would go with a Graduated Filter.Rad

Are you sure this wouldn't make the situation worse? I'm not speaking from experience but a filters just another surface for light to bounce off, however good it is. I would remove all filters and watch the shooting angle. keep the lights out your image but use the light they produce. perhaps get a bit closer to the cars - fill your frame with them, they are reflective and therefore brighter. try not to zoom to reduce camera shake, keep it at 70mm, use foot zoom. - camp out in an illuminated area and try and get some panning shots maybe.

I guess I'm not quite sure what story I'm to get out of this picture. The cars are too far away. I don't get a sense of speed, even with the trap time in the image.

I know that there have been spectator areas closer to the finish line for other events, but I haven't been out there in quite a while, so I don't know what's there these days. It might be worth a shot to see what your options are closer to the finish. The ones I remember were on the right side looking down the track.

For me though, I think I'd prefer to see the starting line. If you're shooting from behind and to the right, you can probably get some decent launch shots, staging shots, just about anything with the tree. Unless you have to have the time in the shot, those say drag race to me as much as anything else. Even shots from the right looking back at the start can give you a chance to catch the launch, and maybe even some panning as the cars begin their run. Those would give me more sense of motion.

I meant shooting in the same position, but on the other side of the strip so you can shoot across the strip. If I were to do this shot I would time the shot where I could get tail lights streaking by and have the shutter close right after the time shows up.

The image attached shows how I would shoot. You do not need to go further up the strip just shoot across it.

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