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Anyone shooting car racing events ??
 
I am not shooting them frequently, but motorsports are where I want to do the most work. I have a few shots from the recent IndyCar race here in Nashville. I shoot with an A7RIV and used a Tamron 70-300 for these shots. My panning results with this setup were not very promising. That's mostly due to my lack of experience, but I know the A7RIV is also not the best at high-speed photography. Once I start doing more paid work, I'll probably go for the A1 for the track and the A7RIV for everything else.
 

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I am not shooting them frequently, but motorsports are where I want to do the most work. I have a few shots from the recent IndyCar race here in Nashville. I shoot with an A7RIV and used a Tamron 70-300 for these shots. My panning results with this setup were not very promising. That's mostly due to my lack of experience, but I know the A7RIV is also not the best at high-speed photography. Once I start doing more paid work, I'll probably go for the A1 for the track and the A7RIV for everything else.
I shoot an A7-IV and and A7R-III at the drag strip. The A7-IV is amazing at fast object tracking, the A7R-III sucks. The IV is lightyears ahead of the R-III. Sometimes the R-III will stop in mid-burst while trying to gain focus. It has a fantastic sensor and makes beautiful photos, but the AF tracking blows.

I'd love to try the speed of a 9, but I'm not paying that kind of money for a 24MP sensor and I don't need the shutter speed or light sensitivity. I suppose someday I'll end up with a 1 and the IV as a backup.

I'm one of the venue's photogs, both of these images are uncropped. I am very close to the cars.

DSC05553 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

P1048625 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr
 
I shoot an A7-IV and and A7R-III at the drag strip. The A7-IV is amazing at fast object tracking, the A7R-III sucks. The IV is lightyears ahead of the R-III. Sometimes the R-III will stop in mid-burst while trying to gain focus. It has a fantastic sensor and makes beautiful photos, but the AF tracking blows.

I'd love to try the speed of a 9, but I'm not paying that kind of money for a 24MP sensor and I don't need the shutter speed or light sensitivity. I suppose someday I'll end up with a 1 and the IV as a backup.

I'm one of the venue's photogs, both of these images are uncropped. I am very close to the cars.

DSC05553 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

P1048625 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr
nice Tim hopefully someone like minded to bounce off image wise, I never shot birds until joining sony shooters as it became obvious this is a bird first site
 
nice Tim hopefully someone like minded to bounce off image wise, I never shot birds until joining sony shooters as it became obvious this is a bird first site
Now it's birds and bugs with the occasional mountain.
 
I shoot an A7-IV and and A7R-III at the drag strip. The A7-IV is amazing at fast object tracking, the A7R-III sucks. The IV is lightyears ahead of the R-III. Sometimes the R-III will stop in mid-burst while trying to gain focus. It has a fantastic sensor and makes beautiful photos, but the AF tracking blows.

I'd love to try the speed of a 9, but I'm not paying that kind of money for a 24MP sensor and I don't need the shutter speed or light sensitivity. I suppose someday I'll end up with a 1 and the IV as a backup.

I'm one of the venue's photogs, both of these images are uncropped. I am very close to the cars.
I had no idea the A7 IV was that fast; that's awesome! I do love the 61MP on the RIV; being able to crop in and still have a super detailed photo is amazing. You definitely have some access there, those shots are fantastic!
 
I had no idea the A7 IV was that fast; that's awesome! I do love the 61MP on the RIV; being able to crop in and still have a super detailed photo is amazing. You definitely have some access there, those shots are fantastic!
Thanks. I received an all-access media pass first in 2019.

The A7-IV has the same focus abilities as the A-1. It was released with features like bird eye recognition that were added later to the A-1 via firmware updates. What the 7-IV doesn't have is a stacked sensor with blistering readout, and thus slower burst and read speeds. For my purposes it's irrelevant, I shoot uncompressed RAW only @ 6 frames/second. For this type of photography it's plenty. Even when trying to pay attention to my burst durations I can come home with well over 2000 images to sort through. As a rule a burst will be 4 to 6 images. With the 7-IV, they'll all be good images, I just have to choose which one I want to keep. From the R-III There will typically be one, sometimes two that are out of focus. Worse yet, there can be missed shots in the middle of the burst where the shutter didn't fire because focus wasn't achieved. For these reasons most of the shots from the front of the car is with the A7-IV and Sigma 100-400, from about 90' down-track from the starting line and the cars coming toward me, whereas the side shots are with the R-III and a Sony 24-105. The reason is the cars from the side aren't moving very fast yet and the R-III performs better in that situation.

The extra pixels are nice but not necessary. I surely don't need 64. Most of my cropping is for composition, where maybe a car got ahead of me in the frame and I want to remove some of the image behind it. I am hoping (I keep saying this---broken record) they'll release an A9III with 40-45MP and a stacked sensor. I'd get one of those in a heartbeat.

Of the two images above, the Camaro Funny Car was with the 7-IV and Sigma 100-400 and the slingshot rail was with a 20MP Panasonic G9 and a Leica 50-200. The image below is with the R-III.

DSC03196 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr
 
I'd love to try it. I live near Nashville Fairgrounds but don't know who to talk to about getting access.
 
I'd love to try it. I live near Nashville Fairgrounds but don't know who to talk to about getting access.
It all depends, you may/may not be able to. If they're racing a sanctioned event like NASCAR or ARCA, it's likely you won't get near the place without press credentials issued by the sanctioning agency. For instance, I don't currently have NHRA press credentials. If they were to hold a national event at the track where I shoot, I probably wouldn't get by the track. They reserve those spots for Hot Rod Magazine, Car and Driver, ESPN, etc. I recently met an NHRA official and plan to work on credentials over the off-season. Fingers crossed.

You can get started though by developing a portfolio. It can be as simple as an album on a website or photo sharing site you can link to. Go to local car shows and shoot static, go to the race-track and shoot from the stands. You'll need to have some examples before anyone is likely to give you access. Learn how to shoot cars, there's more to it than standing there. Get low, get high, don't get too close, let the car breathe in the shot, then get real close, shoot sections of the car. The biggest problem with shooting cars is redundancy. Same ol' same ol'. Find a new perspective.

This was made at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It's a prototype Mustang from the early 60's. I set the camera up for a shutter delay, adjusted the screen so I could see it somewhat to try and get a composition, and held the camera out over the car on a monopod. I thought sure someone would see me and boot me out!

P1061797 by telecast, on Flickr


A Pontiac Chieftan. Cool old car, cooler shot from down low with a Dutch (German) tilt. I was laying on the ground looking up when I shot this:

P1030450 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr


A beautifully restored '55 chevy with props. I took a couple dozen shots of the car from all angles and entered them in a contest, this one took a win in the nostalgia category:

P1074653 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

Once you have your portfolio ready, find out who the track manager or marketing person is. Sometimes the website will have media information. Contact them and ask if you can get a media pass to shoot some local races, nothing fancy. Send a link to your portfolio and reference it in the email. If you do get access, shoot your ass off and make sure track people are seeing your efforts. The more you shoot, the more likely you are to get access to larger events. Early this season the dragway posted some of my shots and the result was over 55,000 hits on my Flickr page in one day! :eek:
 
It all depends, you may/may not be able to. If they're racing a sanctioned event like NASCAR or ARCA, it's likely you won't get near the place without press credentials issued by the sanctioning agency. For instance, I don't currently have NHRA press credentials. If they were to hold a national event at the track where I shoot, I probably wouldn't get by the track. They reserve those spots for Hot Rod Magazine, Car and Driver, ESPN, etc. I recently met an NHRA official and plan to work on credentials over the off-season. Fingers crossed.

You can get started though by developing a portfolio. It can be as simple as an album on a website or photo sharing site you can link to. Go to local car shows and shoot static, go to the race-track and shoot from the stands. You'll need to have some examples before anyone is likely to give you access. Learn how to shoot cars, there's more to it than standing there. Get low, get high, don't get too close, let the car breathe in the shot, then get real close, shoot sections of the car. The biggest problem with shooting cars is redundancy. Same ol' same ol'. Find a new perspective.

This was made at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It's a prototype Mustang from the early 60's. I set the camera up for a shutter delay, adjusted the screen so I could see it somewhat to try and get a composition, and held the camera out over the car on a monopod. I thought sure someone would see me and boot me out!

P1061797 by telecast, on Flickr


A Pontiac Chieftan. Cool old car, cooler shot from down low with a Dutch (German) tilt. I was laying on the ground looking up when I shot this:

P1030450 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr


A beautifully restored '55 chevy with props. I took a couple dozen shots of the car from all angles and entered them in a contest, this one took a win in the nostalgia category:

P1074653 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

Once you have your portfolio ready, find out who the track manager or marketing person is. Sometimes the website will have media information. Contact them and ask if you can get a media pass to shoot some local races, nothing fancy. Send a link to your portfolio and reference it in the email. If you do get access, shoot your ass off and make sure track people are seeing your efforts. The more you shoot, the more likely you are to get access to larger events. Early this season the dragway posted some of my shots and the result was over 55,000 hits on my Flickr page in one day! :eek:
Thanks for the advice. I will start working on it. Not having any car shots to show, I've been reluctant to approach the guys I see around the track shooting. I appreciate your advice and will start doing it. Thanks!
 
It all depends, you may/may not be able to. If they're racing a sanctioned event like NASCAR or ARCA, it's likely you won't get near the place without press credentials issued by the sanctioning agency. For instance, I don't currently have NHRA press credentials. If they were to hold a national event at the track where I shoot, I probably wouldn't get by the track. They reserve those spots for Hot Rod Magazine, Car and Driver, ESPN, etc. I recently met an NHRA official and plan to work on credentials over the off-season. Fingers crossed.

You can get started though by developing a portfolio. It can be as simple as an album on a website or photo sharing site you can link to. Go to local car shows and shoot static, go to the race-track and shoot from the stands. You'll need to have some examples before anyone is likely to give you access. Learn how to shoot cars, there's more to it than standing there. Get low, get high, don't get too close, let the car breathe in the shot, then get real close, shoot sections of the car. The biggest problem with shooting cars is redundancy. Same ol' same ol'. Find a new perspective.

This was made at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It's a prototype Mustang from the early 60's. I set the camera up for a shutter delay, adjusted the screen so I could see it somewhat to try and get a composition, and held the camera out over the car on a monopod. I thought sure someone would see me and boot me out!

P1061797 by telecast, on Flickr


A Pontiac Chieftan. Cool old car, cooler shot from down low with a Dutch (German) tilt. I was laying on the ground looking up when I shot this:

P1030450 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr


A beautifully restored '55 chevy with props. I took a couple dozen shots of the car from all angles and entered them in a contest, this one took a win in the nostalgia category:

P1074653 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

Once you have your portfolio ready, find out who the track manager or marketing person is. Sometimes the website will have media information. Contact them and ask if you can get a media pass to shoot some local races, nothing fancy. Send a link to your portfolio and reference it in the email. If you do get access, shoot your ass off and make sure track people are seeing your efforts. The more you shoot, the more likely you are to get access to larger events. Early this season the dragway posted some of my shots and the result was over 55,000 hits on my Flickr page in one day! :eek:
Hi Tim I hope this is the start of some other folks feeling as if they can post car and race shots
 
Thanks for the advice. I will start working on it. Not having any car shots to show, I've been reluctant to approach the guys I see around the track shooting. I appreciate your advice and will start doing it. Thanks!
All of the photos I posted are Flickr links, you can click through to my Flickr page. Events are separated by albums.

Here are a couple more examples. Car shows have lot of shiny reflective surfaces. The local one is held every Thursday evening in a park, under the trees, with the sun low in the sky. Makes for a lot of blown-out skies if you're not careful, along with unwanted reflections.

I always liked this shot. The subject is the fuzzy dice and windshield. The sky isn't blown and windshield reflections are bearable. It may have benefited from a polarizer, but in this case the reflections don't bother me.

DSC00451 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr

Here's what NOT to do! Who is that handsome devil of a man reflected in the fender of this beautiful old 'Vette? Why it's me, of course! I can't tell you how many times I've shown up in my own shots. Most are fairly innocuous, this one is egregious! Note I'm sitting on the grass, getting down to the car's level to show the detail. Sky is not blown, it was grey overcast. Decent shot except for me being there.

DSC00423 by Shotglass Photo, on Flickr
 
Brownie, that is awesome advice and some great shots. Thank you!

Thanks for the advice. I will start working on it. Not having any car shots to show, I've been reluctant to approach the guys I see around the track shooting. I appreciate your advice and will start doing it. Thanks!
The monthly Cars and Coffee for Nashville usually happens on the first Saturday of the month (it's on the 10th this month due to tomorrow being Labor Day Weekend). It is held at the fairgrounds next to the Speedway. I haven't been to one since they moved from Franklin to the Speedway, but the shows are typically huge and are a great place to see everything from hypercars (Pagani's, McLaren, etc) to old-school hot rods. Lots of opportunities to add to your car portfolio there.
 
Brownie, that is awesome advice and some great shots. Thank you!


The monthly Cars and Coffee for Nashville usually happens on the first Saturday of the month (it's on the 10th this month due to tomorrow being Labor Day Weekend). It is held at the fairgrounds next to the Speedway. I haven't been to one since they moved from Franklin to the Speedway, but the shows are typically huge and are a great place to see everything from hypercars (Pagani's, McLaren, etc) to old-school hot rods. Lots of opportunities to add to your car portfolio there.
Thanks, and you're welcome.

A show like that is a good place to get a start. A couple more thoughts:

I shoot most shows with the Tamron 17-28/2.8. I would NOT depend on a prime due to the number of people you'll have in your way, and I can guarantee there will be people in your way. The wider you go, the closer you get, the fewer conflicts with attendees. Having a short zoom is really handy, and it's safer than trying to back up to compose the shot with so many people around. Don't go so wide though that you end up with fisheye. While it may be a fun effect it's novelty only. Most car owners don't want to see their beautiful 1960's body lines warped!

LOOK PROFESSIONAL! The more crap you have on you, the more people will give you a wide berth! I have seen people taking photos with their cells or a bridge camera back away when they see me getting on the ground or twisting into some strange geometric shape to get a shot. I have had people ask me if I'm shooting for this or that news agency. Most will get out of your way if they think you're a pro.

One drawback of these shows is that almost without fail, the owners will have opened the hood (bonnet) trunk (boot) and maybe the doors (doors) 😁to show off their vehicle. If there's something that really catches my eye and I want to get multiple shots, I'll strike up a conversation and see if they're amenable to closing the car up for some beauty shots. You can usually tell within a minute or so if they'd be into it or be bothered. If I get the wrong signal I bid them well and move on.
 
Unexpected: There's a small (1/4 mile oval) speedway near me that races ARCA, figure 8, Outlaw, and some other classes I don't understand. I had forgotten the place existed, but saw a post for it in my FB feed yesterday and contacted them. They put me in touch with the official track photographer. It sounds like the season is done for the year, but he invited me to contact him directly and we can discuss next season. All I want to do is get into a good position (ie: not the stands) for photos and give it a shot. This would be a total departure from the drag strip.

I think whether or not they give me access is 50/50. The track is owned by ARCA, and with an official photographer I have a feeling that unless I'm a fulltime pro who makes a living with photography they're going to say no, but it's worth a shot. As I suggested in a previous post I'll ask to shoot the least important races they have, maybe they'll at least let me give it a try.
 
Well guys, it worked! I will be granted limited access to the infield next year. By 'limited' I mean I can go in and shoot with the regular track photographer, but have to set it up ahead of time. I'm ok with that, it's a start!!
 
Well guys, it worked! I will be granted limited access to the infield next year. By 'limited' I mean I can go in and shoot with the regular track photographer, but have to set it up ahead of time. I'm ok with that, it's a start!!
That’s awesome! I think I need to reach out to some of the tracks near me and see what they say.
 
That’s awesome! I think I need to reach out to some of the tracks near me and see what they say.
You have a good start with the shots you posted. Get them together on the 'net somewhere like Flickr and add some car show shots. One of the very first parts of my discussion with him was experience. I think you have a good chance to get a foot in. That's really all I'm expecting here for myself, a one-shot deal that may turn into two, or three or?

He told me that he just picked up duties for a third track this year and is running himself ragged on weekends. Perhaps in the future there'd be an opportunity for me to fill-in if he's double booked. Way too early to think about it, but who knows? Just play it by ear and if it happens it happens.

Good luck, keep us posted!

I gotta' go work on my panning skills!
 
Bad news!! Since Japan market cameras only have kanji menus I ordered my A-1 from states and won’t have it in time for the FIA Fuji 6 hr Le mans race. Next race I’ll be ready!
 
Time to start charging batteries and cleaning lenses, checking the bag for all necessities like business cards, lens tissues, etc. The last big event of the year is this weekend.
 
Well can’t post any pics been waiting for almost a month for B&H to send me my camera, no camera or refund have to stay my luck has been awful with them not what everyone else has had.
 
Well can’t post any pics been waiting for almost a month for B&H to send me my camera, no camera or refund have to stay my luck has been awful with them not what everyone else has had.
That sucks. Have you tried to call them? Don't leave it to an email or chat, call them. They're usually very good.
 
Called them when it was returned asked to resend it they told they would in a day now they emailed me and said need to refund me then they went on 4 day vacation and no responses or refund after vacation is over! Submitted dispute with CC. Terrible meanwhile missing car shoots and fall starting !
 
Called them when it was returned asked to resend it they told they would in a day now they emailed me and said need to refund me then they went on 4 day vacation and no responses or refund after vacation is over! Submitted dispute with CC. Terrible meanwhile missing car shoots and fall starting !
They close during their religious holidays and have had several longer ones recently. It can be a pain. Every once in a while I have a less than stellar customer service experience with them, but in the end they always make it right. Good luck.
 
It’s been 10 days since my return, no new shipment or refund just excuses it takes time ! Lucky for me I didn’t order all my lens and bag monopole from them lost out on over 10k worth of sales!
 
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