Motorbike racing photography

[p38arover]

Ok, what is the secret of good motor racing photography?

I spent the weekend at the Formula Xtreme/Aus Superbikes (run by TerryO of this forum) at Eastern Creek and took a lot of pics.

Practically none were any good.

Owing to the lighting conditions on Sat (overcast/rain) I was at ISO 800 to get reasonable apertures at 1/1000th sec shutter speed. I used shutter speed priority all weekend. I had vibration reduction turned on. I was using both a 100-300mm and 18-200mm zoom lenses. Initially I was using a monopod but changed to a tripod for Sunday.

As I was doing the pit exit marshal's job, it meant I was right at the point where turn 1 commences at the end of pit straight so the bikes are really at top speed - 180-190km/h for the 650 Hyosungs a couple of friends were racing (and they were slow) and probably closer to 260km/h for the superbikes.

I'm starting to think that, even with panning, 1/1000th wasn't fast enough for where I was positioned.

Tell me if my maths is wrong:

Assuming 150km/h..

= 150,000 metres/hour = 150,000/3600 metres/second = 42 metres/sec = 42mm/millisecond

i.e., the bike travels 42mm in 1/1000th second! No wonder the images are blurred. For the superbikes, that movement could be in the region of 75mm.

As I was marshalling, I couldn't move to a location where speeds were slower.

I tried both autofocus and manual focussing and it's hard to say if I have a focus or shutter speed problem - I think shutter speed.

A couple of pics are below to illustrate what I mean. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.




Details: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...full-exif=true



Details: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...full-exif=true

[Chucaro]

On the very first image I think that your PP is not the best and perhaps the glass if not sharp enough to get a good shot.
There is not enough info in the image (pixels) to improve it to my standards of presentation, however I give it a go on my LT.
I hope that you do not get upset by doing it so.
Please remove the post if you think that I have acted improper.

[p38arover]

No problem, Arthur. Happy for you to play with the images.

Certainly the glass isn't brilliant.

The 18-200mm lens is a Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC DSLR lens full review Cameralabs introduction
Cost about $500

The 100-300mm is an older Pentax-F SMC 100-300mm f4.5-5.6 - Cost only $55 off eBay. SMC Pentax-F 100-300mm F4.5-5.6 Reviews - F Zoom Lenses - Pentax Lens Reviews & Lens Database

Both pics were taken with the Pentax lens.

The pic of the two bikes was cropped.

Uncropped:



This was taken with the Sigma:



Picasa album link (not many pics yet): https://picasaweb.google.com/1043052...9EasternCreek#

What is PP? Post production?

[Chucaro]

PP is for post processing.
The best is taken the shots in raw so you can fix an image when it is under exposed.
Try to look the histogram in your camera and expose to the right.
Under exposed images loose information that it is hard to recuperate and also show more ISO noise.
Instead of explain to you in my spanglish cross with ozitralian I am recommending THIS LINK with good info about the histogram.

Cheers

[300+]

In the second shot I think you managed to take a technically great shot of the wrong subject - you seem to have nailed the Armco spot on. Shame the bikes may have been the intended subject.

Not that I've ever done that. Not me. No never.



More seriously, moving away and across the frame at that speed is a serious AF challenge.

Steve

[Jeff]

You find most of the professional motorsport potographers will take their best photos in slow corners. That way not only are they easier to focus on, but also the field bunches up mid corner. In the faster corners you need to see them coming, not just when they get there. On slower corners you also get more of that knee-down look.

I went to the Isle of Man once and the bikes there appear from behind stone walls and hedges at great speed, so you get a lot of photos of empty race track, or a fornt or rear wheel only.

My wife loves taking photos at race meetings while I race, and it has taken years of practice to get the location and the timing right. I don't know about settings on the camera, I have enough on my mind on race day, but I will ask.

Jeff

[p38arover]

I agree, Jeff, about slow corners. As I said, I was locked into being at pit exit as there was only me there to operate the lights, flags, show the 5 min/2 min/30 sec (and other boards) and to close/open the exit, etc. If you know Eastern Creek, you know the "slow" bikes don't even back off into turn 1.

I also got a lot of empty track or half a bike in the pix. The speed was the reason I tried pre-focussing and snapping the shot when the bike reached the focus point. One problem is that it's hard to get a focus point on an empty track surface.

Where I was located was right near where the word PITS is in this diagram: http://www.eastern-creek-raceway.com...eneral_Map.pdf

[p38arover]

PP is for post processing.
The best is taken the shots in raw so you can fix an image when it is under exposed.
Try to look the histogram in your camera and expose to the right.
Under exposed images loose information that it is hard to recuperate and also show more ISO noise.
Instead of explain to you in my spanglish cross with ozitralian I am recommending THIS LINK with good info about the histogram.

Cheers

Thanks Arthur. I don't know a lot about using the histogram.

I was taking the pix in RAW but I also don't know a lot about post processing.

I'll try again next weekend at the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed. http://www.barrysheene.com.au/

[Pedro_The_Swift]

If it was easy Ron,,
imagine how many "Media" vests they'd have to issue---

[p38arover]

I was talking to the producer for the Speedweek showing of the events. For some HD video which will go to air, he was using his Canon EOS DSLR. He set up for a few shots from where I was working.