The World of Outlaws Sprint Car series came to Williams Grove Speedway in PA this past weekend, and I went up on Sat. night. Shooting from the stands as normal, stinks. Here's a few, what do you think?
Everything was shot with a 1DmkII and either a 28-105 or 120-300.
I have to commend you for making the most of the bad conditions. Between the ISO3200 and that nasty fence there really isn't much more you could have done to get better shots from the stands. Were they not selling infield passes? You must really be a fan of Sprint Car racing. Under these conditions I wouldn't have even bothered to haul out the heavy gear. :-)
Here are a few suggestions from the point of view of an amateur race photographer who has been lucky enough to shoot alongside the pros.
The last time I was at the Grove was many years ago, but they had an area open to spectators in the infield of Turns 1 and 2. Have you tried shooting from there?
I have a few friends who are freelance race photographers, and one of them has been very helpful in getting me infield access. That's a whole different experience than sitting in the stands, and much more satisfying from a photographer's point of view. You might try chatting up the local race photogs at the Grove, or maybe you can buy a pit pass and identify yourself as a freelance photographer. Try the regular weekly (Friday night?) shows for practice, and the many other tracks in the region as well.
Be forewarned. There is no such thing as a "safe place" adjacent to the racing surface. If you are down there with the pro photographers, you need to keep your wits about you, because accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. For me that's part of the adrenaline rush of shooting a sprint car race.
Then there's equipment... A high-powered shoe-mount flash like the 550EX or 580EX, set to full or half power manual, is adequate for starters, but most of the freelancers I know use something bigger. Used Norman 200B setups are readily available on eBay for around $200 and are plenty adequate for the job. Be sure to get the 2H telephoto reflector for it. Battery life is an issue. There are several ways to deal with this: carry spare batteries, use a lower flash power setting and/or a higher ISO, or just take fewer pictures.
Lenses in the range of 85 to 135 mm (for 35 mm film) are adequate for most purposes from the infield. I prefer primes in this range.
John--G wrote:
I have to commend you for making the most of the bad conditions. Between the ISO3200 and that nasty fence there really isn't much more you could have done to get better shots from the stands. Were they not selling infield passes? You must really be a fan of Sprint Car racing. Under these conditions I wouldn't have even bothered to haul out the heavy gear. :-)
John,
About all I could do from where we were sitting was pan the cars as they went by. However, the rows of chairs were so close together, that I was afraid of wacking people in the head with my camera. Especially the 120-300 with the hood on. If I wanted too, I could have given someone a nice headache.
While all track fences stink, I think dirt track fences are by the worst. But they have to be for good reason, something has to protect us from those nasty crashes.
They were selling infield passes, however, the friends I went with, didn't want to get them. They wanted to sit in the stands (they're not photographers). I won't say I am a huge Sprint Car fan, but I am a huge fan of motorsports, so I didn't have any problems taking the camera to the track. The more I go the different tracks with what I have and see what I wish I had, the better decision I will be able to make when it comes time to spend more money on camera gear.
Chuck Fry wrote:
Here are a few suggestions from the point of view of an amateur race photographer who has been lucky enough to shoot alongside the pros.
The last time I was at the Grove was many years ago, but they had an area open to spectators in the infield of Turns 1 and 2. Have you tried shooting from there?
I have a few friends who are freelance race photographers, and one of them has been very helpful in getting me infield access. That's a whole different experience than sitting in the stands, and much more satisfying from a photographer's point of view. You might try chatting up the local race photogs at the Grove, or maybe you can buy a pit pass and identify yourself as a freelance photographer. Try the regular weekly (Friday night?) shows for practice, and the many other tracks in the region as well.
Be forewarned. There is no such thing as a "safe place" adjacent to the racing surface. If you are down there with the pro photographers, you need to keep your wits about you, because accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. For me that's part of the adrenaline rush of shooting a sprint car race.
Then there's equipment... A high-powered shoe-mount flash like the 550EX or 580EX, set to full or half power manual, is adequate for starters, but most of the freelancers I know use something bigger. Used Norman 200B setups are readily available on eBay for around $200 and are plenty adequate for the job. Be sure to get the 2H telephoto reflector for it. Battery life is an issue. There are several ways to deal with this: carry spare batteries, use a lower flash power setting and/or a higher ISO, or just take fewer pictures.
Lenses in the range of 85 to 135 mm (for 35 mm film) are adequate for most purposes from the infield. I prefer primes in this range.
Chuck,
This was my first time going to Williams Grove, and only my second time shooting dirt track racing. They were selling infield passes, but my friends didn't want to get one, so I just sat in the stands with them. This Sept. the World of Outlaws Tour comes back to the Grove, and I'm planning on going back for it. I'll get a infield pass then, whether my friends do or not.
I know what you mean about being in the danger area. I had the opportunity to shoot a drag race earlier this year with a press pass, and while I was leaning on the jersey wall, the car came by about 8 inches from the wall. That was a little too close for comfort.
A 580ex flash is on my wishlist, and hopefully I'll have it before I go back to the track.
Thanks for the tips and ideas. I was about to ask if you wanted to go back to the Grove this fall, but I now see in your signature that you reside in CA. Did you used to live here on the East Coast?
chopper dave wrote:
those look a lot nicer than the ones I got last year from the stands at Perris Auto Speedway. All I had was my 300D and a 70-200 f/4.
Good job considering the conditions for sure.
Thanks, Glad you like them! I'm not familiar with the 300D but if its anything like my old D30, it would be almost useless at this track. So I think I might understand why you might not be happy with the results you got from your camera at the track.
It's pretty bad when ISO 3200 and F/2.8 isn't enough. I found myself sometimes underexposing, just to be able to get a decent shutter speed (for me) that I could hand-hold with.
Your images remind me of the old saying about the 3 most important things in real estate.... You made the best of where you were. Nice, sharp shots with good exposures.
The WoO shows are always a blast, IMO it's the most exciting form of circle-track racing -- I still can't figure out why the superspeedways are so popular.
This spring, I was lucky enough to capture a full frame shot of an undercarriage coming straight at me -- with my 50mm lens. It's a little blurry because I was busy diving towards a light pole. It was one of those strange things where the car hooked up in the middle of a turn and launched into the infield, one of the scariest moments I've ever had while shooting. Those cars are fast.
Your (planned) 580 should be fine -- just carry a bunch of spare batteries and you'll be fine. You won't be able to 'machine gun' when there's a wreck, but you will do well with single shots... I use my SB800 and haven't been able to justify the expense of another unit.
Also -- since the Outlaws do qualifying, I recommend getting in close with a 50 during the qualifying and pan -- then back out a little bit and try to catch the multiple car shots during the racing with a longer lens... Besides the obvious photo composition reason, I feel much safer when there's only one car on the track so I'm comfortable getting in closer.
Daron Shade wrote:
The WoO shows are always a blast, IMO it's the most exciting form of circle-track racing -- I still can't figure out why the superspeedways are so popular.
Me either!
Your (planned) 580 should be fine -- just carry a bunch of spare batteries and you'll be fine.
An external battery pack like the Quantum can help. BTW I'll be selling a Quantum Battery 1 in the near future...
Also -- since the Outlaws do qualifying, I recommend getting in close with a 50 during the qualifying and pan -- then back out a little bit and try to catch the multiple car shots during the racing with a longer lens... Besides the obvious photo composition reason, I feel much safer when there's only one car on the track so I'm comfortable getting in closer.
I like using a longer lens for qualifying, to frame the single car a bit tighter, and then switching to a shorter one to catch side-by-side action during the races. Here's a qualifying shot taken a couple of weeks ago at a Golden State Challenge race in Antioch, CA, with an 85 mm lens with late afternoon setting sun on an EOS 10D (1.6x crop factor), and cropped down from there:
This one was taken with a 50 mm lens and a 550EX at half power during the main event later that same night:
Just my humble opinions... Daron's got a lot more experience than I do at this!
Scotts007 wrote:
Chuck,
This was my first time going to Williams Grove, and only my second time shooting dirt track racing. They were selling infield passes, but my friends didn't want to get one, so I just sat in the stands with them. This Sept. the World of Outlaws Tour comes back to the Grove, and I'm planning on going back for it. I'll get a infield pass then, whether my friends do or not.
Ah yes, the National Open! Great event, I've seen that one.
IMHO, the regular weekly racing in central PA is as good as it gets. I strongly recommend going to the weekly shows at the Grove, Selinsgrove, Port Royal, Lincoln, etc. I have been watching sprint car racing for a while and I find the WoO races often turn into parades. Fast parades, but parades nonetheless. The PA local runners can put on a great competitive race
Thanks for the tips and ideas. I was about to ask if you wanted to go back to the Grove this fall, but I now see in your signature that you reside in CA. Did you used to live here on the East Coast?
Yes, I used to live in the Boston area during the late '80s, where there are no dirt tracks (or weren't at the time anyway). It got to where I needed a dirt fix so bad, I was willing to drive 8 hours to the Susquehanna Valley for a sprint car race!
Your images remind me of the old saying about the 3 most important things in real estate.... You made the best of where you were. Nice, sharp shots with good exposures.
The WoO shows are always a blast, IMO it's the most exciting form of circle-track racing -- I still can't figure out why the superspeedways are so popular.
This spring, I was lucky enough to capture a full frame shot of an undercarriage coming straight at me -- with my 50mm lens. It's a little blurry because I was busy diving towards a light pole. It was one of those strange things where the car hooked up in the middle of a turn and launched into the infield, one of the scariest moments I've ever had while shooting. Those cars are fast.
Your (planned) 580 should be fine -- just carry a bunch of spare batteries and you'll be fine. You won't be able to 'machine gun' when there's a wreck, but you will do well with single shots... I use my SB800 and haven't been able to justify the expense of another unit.
Also -- since the Outlaws do qualifying, I recommend getting in close with a 50 during the qualifying and pan -- then back out a little bit and try to catch the multiple car shots during the racing with a longer lens... Besides the obvious photo composition reason, I feel much safer when there's only one car on the track so I'm comfortable getting in closer.
Chuck Fry wrote:
IMHO, the regular weekly racing in central PA is as good as it gets. I strongly recommend going to the weekly shows at the Grove, Selinsgrove, Port Royal, Lincoln, etc. I have been watching sprint car racing for a while and I find the WoO races often turn into parades. Fast parades, but parades nonetheless. The PA local runners can put on a great competitive race
Yes, I used to live in the Boston area during the late '80s, where there are no dirt tracks (or weren't at the time anyway). It got to where I needed a dirt fix so bad, I was willing to drive 8 hours to the Susquehanna Valley for a sprint car race!...Show more →
I'm told that Lincoln is the closest track to me, so I'm hoping to start going up there. I've never heard of Port Royal, so I'll have to check into that one.
Like I said before, this was only my second dirt track race, the first being the WoO at Hagerstown Speedway in MD, back in May. I understand what you mean about the parades, except for some single car accidents, they were green all the way. I've seen more caution laps because the 2 leaders can't start at the same time, then because of crashes. Call me crazy, but I actually like that, because I don't want to see anyone get hurt. Crashes suck.
Daron Shade wrote:
Your (planned) 580 should be fine -- just carry a bunch of spare batteries and you'll be fine.
Chuck Fry wrote:
An external battery pack like the Quantum can help. BTW I'll be selling a Quantum Battery 1 in the near future...
Here's a qualifying shot taken a couple of weeks ago at a Golden State Challenge race in Antioch, CA, with an 85 mm lens with late afternoon setting sun on an EOS 10D (1.6x crop factor), and cropped down from there:
I'm not familiar with the Quantum battery packs, but I'll definitely look into them.
Both shots you posted look very good, I like them both. I wish the WoO raced here during the day, alas they only come out at night. I would love to be able to shoot them at less than ISO 800.
When I was at Hagerstown last month, I started the event at ISO 1000, but then the rains came, and by the time racing resumed I went straight to ISO 3200. So I only got about 5 shots at ISO 1000, and I really liked the angle I had too. Hopefully next year, I can get more like this one.
It would be even better, if the cars had the upper wings reversed so you could see the driver inside the car. But oh well. I'll just have to start shooting from inside the track.
Do they race a lot during the day out on the west coast? Everything I see here on the east coast are evening events.
Daytime racing is few and far between. I try to shoot the practice before dusk to get some daylight stuff in. The above shot was taken in January or March at a special event. Can't remember which date. I also prefer the daytime shooting, track lighting and flash cause a lot of headaches.
I have to agree with 'crashes suck' -- best case, it costs someone a lot of money and worst case it costs a lot of money and someone gets hurt.... who can enjoy watching that?
I also agree with Chuck on Pennsylvania racing, it is the best. I lived in PA for my first 25 years or so, still miss the quality of the racing scene back there.
If you're really enjoying shooting the sprints, you might want to look at shooting some of the non-winged, they aren't quite as fast and they slide a lot more. Makes for some great photos! And, no wing in the way
