Stirling Bike Race

TonyL

Am I nuts?



Laying down for a cat 1/2 race, they were hitting 38 mph at the turn. I was laying on my back, taken with any Oly E-500 and the 14-54mm. Overcast day. Friend suggested using flash to make the colors pop.
What do you think of the perspective?

InsuredDisaster

cadguru wrote:

Am I nuts?

[

Laying down for a cat 1/2 race, they were hitting 38 mph at the turn. I was laying on my back, taken with any Oly E-500 and the 14-54mm. Overcast day. Friend suggested using flash to make the colors pop.
What do you think of the perspective?

Love the perspective, but perhaps the background could have been less in focus

TonyL

InsuredDisaster wrote:

Love the perspective, but perhaps the background could have been less in focus

Thanks.

Trying different things.
Was supposed to photograph a race this weekend (was going to try panning to blur the background) but it was canceled because of the inclement weather we are supposed to get.

ian408

Instead of your back, try your belly. You will be able to at least try and move should something happen

Otherwise, you could mount the camera on a small plate and using a Pocket Wizard, fire it.

TonyL

ian408 wrote:

Instead of your back, try your belly. You will be able to at least try and move should something happen

Otherwise, you could mount the camera on a small plate and using a Pocket Wizard, fire it.

I did take some on my belly.
Scary thing is next corner guy's wheel locked up and a crash ensued, but they usually happen beyond the actually turn.
My wife likes those angles because the Life Insurance Policy is in full effect.

chuckice

Nice shot but definitely a little too much background noise...especially with power lines.

TonyL

chuckice wrote:

Nice shot but definitely a little too much background noise...especially with power lines.

Nothing I can do about them except cut them down next time:D or blur the background

David_S85

I would warn against using a flash. Having raced for 5 years, I don't think I'd enjoy strobes going off nearby when I'm 6 inches away from another's wheel at 30 mph.

TonyL

David_S85 wrote:

I would warn against using a flash. Having raced for 5 years, I don't think I'd enjoy strobes going off nearby when I'm 6 inches away from another's wheel at 30 mph.

That's what I thought but www.cyclingcaptured.com swears by it.

When I played Hockey (goalie) nothing was worse than a flash going off.

emtp563

cadguru wrote:

That's what I thought but www.cyclingcaptured.com swears by it.

When I played Hockey (goalie) nothing was worse than a flash going off.

Your using flash as fill. At least -1, preferably -2 FEC with ETTL. 1/64th or 1/128th for Manual Mode. I've never had anyone complain about my flash going off in their face in my 5+ years of cycling photography. Yes, strobes at full power would not be good. A little fill never hurt anyone.

Biffbradford

cadguru wrote:

That's what I thought but www.cyclingcaptured.com swears by it.

When I played Hockey (goalie) nothing was worse than a flash going off.

No flashes on the inside of turn unless you're looking to create a crash!

Pick a corner on the other side of the course where the sun is more behind you and be wary of the back ground. Also be wary of where exactly you lay on the ground. If that inside rider gets bumped/pushed/or flats and needs to cut that curb (see the nice handicap ramp you're laying on? a nice 'bail out' ramp?), you're in for some hurt yourself.

This summer I was shooting on the exit of a turn and when the pace car came around, he cut the apex hitting a dip in the road, and did a four wheel slide right towards me! :eek1

Safety first! (now I hide behind trees ... even at a bicycle race).

I like the angle of the shot though. Often you'll get a reaction from the riders: "What the heck is he doing??"

Here's one of mine while laying on the ground, with a flash, but on a straight:

ian408

cadguru wrote:

When I played Hockey (goalie) nothing was worse than a flash going off.

That'd leave you seeing more than a bunch of pucks

I think the difference is between full power and fill flash as one of the other posters mentioned.