HELP! California Speedway shoot!!!

BBonesBBones Registered Users Posts: 580 Major grins
edited January 21, 2007 in Sports
Hey folks, I am being sent down to Fontana to do some shooting at California Speedway on Feb 3rd and 4th. Totally excited for this trip/shoot and photos will most likely be up on Ducati.com.

My problem...I have never shot there before. The track day group has cleared me for spectator areas and areas behind the concrete walls but that doesn't tell me what size of lens I should be toting and renting a 400mm at $85/day for 4 days does not sound like fun to me, especially if I don't need it.

Soooooo, can anyone recommend what sizes of lens for California Speedway AND could you recommend some good turns for "staple" racing shots. A lot of what I am doing is canned and staged shots in the pits but I do HAVE to hit some racing shots of the new bikes in action.

Thanks in advance folks!!!!

Comments

  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited January 20, 2007
    ear.gif

    Perhaps a PM to our motorcycling pros? Maczippy?
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • FatNakedGuyFatNakedGuy Registered Users Posts: 116 Major grins
    edited January 20, 2007
    This is the lens I saw on most of the camera's shooting along the concrete wall the day I was there.

    Not sure what it is though but someone here could tell you.
  • Aaron BernardAaron Bernard Registered Users Posts: 169 Major grins
    edited January 21, 2007
    Ive shot there before. Its kind of an ugly place to shoot soooo if you can get some big glass you will be in better shape. What I mean is, there is a lot of junk around the track like telephone poles, freight trains and dead grass.

    As for places to shoot, I like to shoot from the infield (inside turns 2 and 3 of the big oval). You will need to cross a bridge to get in that area. There are some good photo holes to work with.

    This is a shot taking from the infield almost looking at turn three on the big oval.
    Al01.jpg
    Gallery: http://www.aaronbernardphoto.com
  • BBonesBBones Registered Users Posts: 580 Major grins
    edited January 21, 2007
    Actually, that helps, that is the Canon 300 L 2.8 (unable to tell if it is the IS version in that photo but it does not matter) and they are not using the 1.4x TC. That lens is much cheaper for me to rent in comparison. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! That gives me a range idea of what to expect.


    Just making sure. I am shooting the motorcyce portion of the track, not NASCAR so I will not be doing just oval shots (looking at the google maps satellite images, T5 and T6 could give some good angles for example).


    Once I do this shoot anyone that has helped me with this issue of mine I will PM the private gallery and let them download the digital originals as a thank you. It may not be much, but hopefully being the firsts to have shots of the new Ducati's prior to the AMA season will be something to be "smug" about.

    Thanks again!
  • Aaron BernardAaron Bernard Registered Users Posts: 169 Major grins
    edited January 21, 2007
    Hey Bones,

    Yeah Ive shot moto there before. What I was trying to say is that there are good shots if you go to the infield area between turns two and three of the nascar track. I depends on the layout they make of the moto track but you will have some fun opportunities there. The biggest lens Ive used is a 200 and that works but I end up cropping more than I would like. a 300-400 would work really nice.

    This was shot @ 200mm then cropped a little:
    155-ducati.jpg

    I forget what turn this is but it should be the third turn after they come off of nascar turn two. Shot at 200mm. As you can see from this photo hole 200mm is not cutting it. This also gives you an idea of all the crap in the backgrounds.

    fontana01.jpg
    Gallery: http://www.aaronbernardphoto.com
  • BBonesBBones Registered Users Posts: 580 Major grins
    edited January 21, 2007
    Perfect! That is exactly what I needed to know, with only 2 days to "get it" I would have been hardpressed to walk all over the track to find locations. Thanks also for the info on the photo holes. PIR (Oregon) has those too.

    So my existing 70-200 IS L 2.8 and a rented 300 IS L 2.8 w/1.4x TC should be able to handle the job.
  • rich56krich56k Registered Users Posts: 547 Major grins
    edited January 21, 2007
    BBones wrote:
    Perfect! That is exactly what I needed to know, with only 2 days to "get it" I would have been hardpressed to walk all over the track to find locations. Thanks also for the info on the photo holes. PIR (Oregon) has those too.

    So my existing 70-200 IS L 2.8 and a rented 300 IS L 2.8 w/1.4x TC should be able to handle the job.

    BBones,
    for what its worth if you do a search in this "sports" section for "fontana"
    you'll get a few of maczippy's posts bowdown.gif (all of which are incredible shots!)
    i shoot regularly at AAA dragway @ fontana/ca. speedway (great staff/crew) and although they just moved / redid the dragstrip (great for the racers) it leaves photogs
    with the choice of parked railroad cars as the background or shoot into the sun....if you think the b/ground @ the speedway is bad check the strip!
    hope your shoot goes well-please post some results
    rich56k
    http://HooliganUnderground.com
    Member: ASMP; EP; NPPA; CPS
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