Dirt Track Demons-Sprintcars

[BBJ]

Hi All, Well here is just a taste of my nite at the speedway, among other photogs. Was ok with lots of action and managed to get a few shots in as i was starting to run as it was starting to be a pile up so just pointed camera and took shots while walking backwards so nothing spectacular. I hate flash But all was ok i still have lots of pics to go throught and start getting some on my site so here are a few.




Just some of the carnage.


Cheers
John
BBJ

[Alpha_7]

Great series John! I particularly like the last two of the collision. Some of the others have great detail like the flying dirt etc... Its good stuff!

[BBJ]

Thanks Craig, they are just a couple of that prang, many more cars involved etc... but just a few. Still have lots to organise for website.

[mudder]

G'day,

Like that first one with the flying mud, and no wonder you were backing up...

Liek the way the front wheels are off the ground in #2 and #3, well caught...

The way these guys fly around I'd be getting out of their way too!

[MCWB]

John: #1 is sublime, great shot! #2 and 3 are maybe a bit warm (arvo sun no doubt) and #2 is a bit too contrasty for mine. Crash pics = mayhem. Love #1 though, gets a big frame it and sell it from me.

[Paul]

 LOL the first one looks like my car after parking at Eastern Creek on Tuesday!
Love the 3rd one with the semi-deflated tyre, gives a good impression of the speed and skill of the drivers.

[BBJ]

Thanks Paul and others, like i said this is just a few, to get started as i have a few hundred shots that i am now uploading to website. Still a few to look at but yeh all was ok during daylight, nite sux so i wont bother with them. Anyhow was all fun.

[jethro]

Love the stack John. Speedway is so good to watch. I remeber being at Surfers Paradise Speedway years ago when it was pissing down rain and i made the fatal mistake of getting on the back turn right against the fence. the rest was mud!
Jethro

[Jeff]

Great shots John.The night time shooting I have always found difficult although I have never being trackside and the flash from the stands is useless. Do you have any tips as all of our speedway is in low light.

Jeff

[BBJ]

Jeff, i was somewhat on my own as all the other photogs were up the opposite end to me, nearly shooting into the lowering sun so i used this as an advantage where i was as i had the evening sun shining on the cars at the eastern side of the track and just upped the ISO. One canon user had his camera on a l plate with an off camera flash grip handle and one on camera. So 2 flash units almost side by side, when i asked he said it was very effective.

3 Canon users and 2 of us local Nikon users, but yeh i had my flash set to GN 18 meters and +1.0 to 2.0 ev on the flash, but at 250 sec sync seemed a bit slowish on the d2x, but could be just me as i am not a flash type of person to use it other than for fill. Here is one of the better nite shots and i was stuffed and used the D70 for these as i felt the faster shutter might have been better, this one at 500 sec.

[Jeff]

Thanks John as usual you are helpful. I think speedway is difficult but you have nailed it. Unless you are trackside I think one should give up. Pity because of the close racing and endless action.

Jeff

[BBJ]

No problems Jeff, what i did notice is how many people in the crown have so much reflective stuff on there cloathes. Some of my pics i had to look twice as there was a lot of bright bits in the crowd and had me thinking then realised what it was, stood out like doggs balls. Well was my first time there so all new to me.

[Big V]

John, great pics...with having to use flash, you could always try for second curtain, this gives some very cool effects when panning. On the canon, you can set your flash for high speed mode, which allows using a higher shutter speed than th enormal sync. The downside is it fires the flash for a longer duration (so as not to run into the synch problems with the curtain openeing and closing - meaning it will drain the battteries a little quicker than normal). I am sure the nikon would have the same feature...

[BBJ]

Thanks Mate, i actually should have used that as mate whi is a canion shooter said he almost always leaves his on rear curtain, oh well speed way in a week or so again so might try it out then.