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Motorcycle racing pics

rookieshooterrookieshooter Registered Users Posts: 539 Major grins
edited May 21, 2009 in Sports
My first time shooting motorcycles. I rented a 200-400mm VR lens from lensrentals.com for it, and the only major problem was I didn't have a press pass so I had to be pretty far away and had to shoot from the stands. Anyway, here are the pics. I shot most of them at shutter priority 1/800 but found that 1/250 gave the best background blur.

539088572_sQKVq-M.jpg

539088023_EQZ2e-M.jpg

539088939_UwH6T-M.jpg

two bikes: 539088340_mZUrd-M.jpg

gallery: http://joshnorem.smugmug.com/gallery/8243689_JYfXL#539088547_LgpH5

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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 18, 2009
    Nice...

    Man that 200/400 is a load isn't it? Where were they taken?
    Rags
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    RaphyRaphy Registered Users Posts: 431 Major grins
    edited May 18, 2009
    Nicely done. I shot motogp last year and 1/160th - 1/250th was the best as well for me.

    Love the 2nd last shot!

    Great photos man !!
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    rookieshooterrookieshooter Registered Users Posts: 539 Major grins
    edited May 18, 2009
    torags wrote:
    Nice...

    Man that 200/400 is a load isn't it? Where were they taken?

    yeah it was big and heavy. All the civies were looking at me like WTF? And some of the pros, who were in front of the barricades gave me some looks like where did you get that lens? :D

    This was in Sonoma last weekend. The thing that pissed me off the most was as a spectator you can only shoot them turning right, away from you, so I don't have any pics of them coming out of a corner, just going into it.

    I was considering going to Laguna for MotoGP but not sure if there are any good places to shoot from. IIRC the only place with a low fence is turn 2.
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2009
    Well first of all , if you want to get a different angle you have to move. Were you shooting from the grassy area near the kids playground?

    I was up near the grandstand where the TV camera was. I was there Sunday, here's one from my angle. They're coming up from the dip that's under the bridge to that area

    539855244_whsNx-M.jpg

    Laguna Seca is nice just don't speed near there.
    Rags
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,919 moderator
    edited May 19, 2009
    You can shoot action as it's headed toward you.

    383306995_24hjA-L.jpg

    You might need to head up the hill or find a spot that you can shoot over the fence but it is possible. And with a 100-400, you should be able to do that--get a 1.4TC to go with that to extend it (but only if you need to).
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2009
    Hey Ian... a rare capture... superbike racing supermoto :D
    Rags
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    rookieshooterrookieshooter Registered Users Posts: 539 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2009
    torags wrote:
    Well first of all , if you want to get a different angle you have to move. Were you shooting from the grassy area near the kids playground?

    I was up near the grandstand where the TV camera was. I was there Sunday, here's one from my angle. They're coming up from the dip that's under the bridge to that area

    539855244_whsNx-M.jpg

    Laguna Seca is nice just don't speed near there.

    I walked around half the track (the hilly portion) but was hauling a lot of gear and my feet were killing me because I just spent a week in New York, but yeah....ultimately I would have liked to have walked the entire course to scout more.
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    ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,919 moderator
    edited May 19, 2009
    torags wrote:
    Hey Ian... a rare capture... superbike racing supermoto :D
    Also known as a Track Day :D

    The SM put up a fight and probably passed more than he was passed too.
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2009
    "
    I walked around half the track (the hilly portion) but was hauling a lot of gear and my feet were killing me because I just spent a week in New York, but yeah....ultimately I would have liked to have walked the entire course to scout more."

    Yeah. It's a long haul, especially with 200/400. But you only have to do 1/2 the track the other half keeps riders in the shade. :D

    I have a mountain bike I use, it works good. I sold my 125cc pit bike cause they don't allow them (Laguna Seca&Infineon) around the track. Laguna will ticket you. But they have an accessible area called the corkscrew, where you can fill a frame with 300mm on FX as an uncredentialed photog. Its on a slight treed hill overlooking the course.
    Rags
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    anvilimageanvilimage Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
    edited May 19, 2009
    I was there, too, but spent more time on Saturday up at the supermoto track. It may be heavy like you said, but it definitely paid off because I need to fill my frame more like you did. Since I don't see myself getting a media pass (I may be able to for supermoto), the long lens sounds like the way to go...

    nice pics!

    -joe
    Joe Ercoli
    My Photo Blog - www.anvilimage.com
    My Smugmug Gallery
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    picturegirlpicturegirl Registered Users Posts: 245 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    rookieshooter wrote:
    yeah it was big and heavy. All the civies were looking at me like WTF? And some of the pros, who were in front of the barricades gave me some looks like where did you get that lens? :D

    This was in Sonoma last weekend. The thing that pissed me off the most was as a spectator you can only shoot them turning right, away from you, so I don't have any pics of them coming out of a corner, just going into it.

    I was considering going to Laguna for MotoGP but not sure if there are any good places to shoot from. IIRC the only place with a low fence is turn 2.

    I will be at Laguna in 40 days!!!!
    I really liked shots #2 and #3!! Laguna has many fences too, I found a couple of nice spots up by the cork screw. One is right after you cross the bridge (if you are coming from the campground side) and come out on the other side, you can get them coming down the hill. The other was more towards the bottom of the corkscrew, before you get to the bridge. You would get them going away from you. It's is actually kinda cool because they are going soooo fast down through that turn and are pretty much laid all the way over touching the ground! There are quite a few spots where you can see the track and the bikes but the fences are in the way. I would get a pass if you can, Laguna is a really nice track!!
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    anvilimage wrote:
    I was there, too, but spent more time on Saturday up at the supermoto track. It may be heavy like you said, but it definitely paid off because I need to fill my frame more like you did. Since I don't see myself getting a media pass (I may be able to for supermoto), the long lens sounds like the way to go...

    nice pics!

    -joe

    That's where I spent most of the day (at Supermoto). The access is so much better. I had a black Element there and might have seen you
    Rags
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    anvilimageanvilimage Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    My buddy Paul and I were standing at the end of the first straight... I'm on the right.
    Joe Ercoli
    My Photo Blog - www.anvilimage.com
    My Smugmug Gallery
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    Looks like I was on the other side, near the water truck

    539613025_hJknc-M-1.jpg

    I didn't see the getoff
    Rags
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    dadwtwinsdadwtwins Registered Users Posts: 804 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    rookieshooter wrote:
    My first time shooting motorcycles. I rented a 200-400mm VR lens from lensrentals.com for it, and the only major problem was I didn't have a press pass so I had to be pretty far away and had to shoot from the stands. Anyway, here are the pics. I shot most of them at shutter priority 1/800 but found that 1/250 gave the best background blur.

    by far, the 200-400 lens is my fav. You just showed whyclap.gif. Nice pics
    My Homepage :thumb-->http://dthorp.smugmug.com
    My Photo Blog -->http://dthorpphoto.blogspot.com/
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    rookieshooterrookieshooter Registered Users Posts: 539 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    dadwtwins wrote:
    by far, the 200-400 lens is my fav. You just showed whyclap.gif. Nice pics

    Yeah, it's a great lens for sure. Too bad it doesn't weigh a few pounds less though :)

    I might still go to Laguna just to see what I can get. I had a lot of fun shooting the race and it's too bad that Infineon and Laguna are the only high profile events in CA all year.
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    rookieshooter wrote:
    Yeah, it's a great lens for sure. Too bad it doesn't weigh a few pounds less though :)

    I might still go to Laguna just to see what I can get. I had a lot of fun shooting the race and it's too bad that Infineon and Laguna are the only high profile events in CA all year.

    Well the BITD race is coming up. Reach out to desert racing, it's addictive....

    423270146_nBQxd-M-1.jpg
    Rags
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    dadwtwinsdadwtwins Registered Users Posts: 804 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    rookieshooter wrote:
    Yeah, it's a great lens for sure. Too bad it doesn't weigh a few pounds less though :)

    I might still go to Laguna just to see what I can get. I had a lot of fun shooting the race and it's too bad that Infineon and Laguna are the only high profile events in CA all year.

    I think Laguna has much better views for picture taking. Have fun and enjoy taking pics at the corkscrewthumb.gif
    My Homepage :thumb-->http://dthorp.smugmug.com
    My Photo Blog -->http://dthorpphoto.blogspot.com/
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    anvilimageanvilimage Registered Users Posts: 154 Major grins
    edited May 20, 2009
    I need practice before Laguna so I'm going to try to hit a couple of AFM events and maybe even Stockton for some more supermoto on Mondays.

    Where can I get info about the desert racing?

    -joe
    Joe Ercoli
    My Photo Blog - www.anvilimage.com
    My Smugmug Gallery
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    toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins
    edited May 21, 2009
    BITD= Best in The Desert; 1000 mi over 3 days. google it

    Baja 500 (where the pic was taken), that was 1000HP pick up truck that takes air like a supermoto bike, with 30" suspension

    these events are wide open and free ...no fences. You can get up close and personal & some run into dark

    423270610_fSBUc-M-1.jpg
    Rags
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