so thats it. if nobody is impressed I am. the girl got 3rd in her heat and made it look easy. she was second for most of it. the last 2 of the daring damsel snagged later as she mingled with her fellow Grand National Dirt Track racers. Racers who like to take 750 Harleys burning racing fuel with half the brakes of normal bikes and run them up to 90mph or so on dirt and throw it sideways into a turn.
ps. they go a lot faster on the mile tracks. :eek1
Sorry I missed all this as you were posting 'em up. Teaches me to go away for the weekend . . .
I almost went to this race, actually. Had media credentials and everything. But it was family-vacation weekend.
When I was at Hagerstown in July Sammy Sabedra (#11a, Expert Twins) was telling me he really looks forward to the NY round--it's a wide, fast cushion track.
Looks like you had lots of fun. And some nice shoots to boot. I just found a track close to me and looking forward to getting some of this type of action all so.
Sorry I missed all this as you were posting 'em up. Teaches me to go away for the weekend . . .
I almost went to this race, actually. Had media credentials and everything. But it was family-vacation weekend.
When I was at Hagerstown in July Sammy Sabedra (#11a, Expert Twins) was telling me he really looks forward to the NY round--it's a wide, fast cushion track.
yo. you missed a good one but I'm looking forward to yours from the coming weekend. but I believe this was the first year at Monticello?
anyway I've got some more and I aim to post em.
once the races started it was pretty much dark. I had "lingered" in the pits and at 7pm they stopped open access to the pits but being there already nobody noticed my intrusion.
but the important thing was I had a birds eye view at turn one. track lights were on. I was armed with a DSLR and finally ready to unleash the full power of my new toy as opposed to a point and shoot.
sports setting. on.
focus check. roger.
the pack roared into turn one. and cinders flew as they exited turn 2.
as one they flew down the back straight and dove like men possessed into turn 3.
and just like that the pack passed by leaving me somewhat puzzled and bewildered. oops. I instantly knew that I was not ready to shoot on a "sports" setting. daytime? yes. nighttime at a distance under questionable lighting? no way.
but we do what we can. I wasn't in the mood to break out the directions and start experimenting. maybe even ask them to run a few more laps in each heat so I could prefect my adjustments.
I took a few more that looked like that. I switched to manual and opened the F stop and tried a faster shutter and got a few pics that looked like the inside of a can black paint. with the lid on.
oh well. in desperation I remember reading somewhere about someone shooting with an aperture priority, I think the Steel City MX thread. what the heck I've got 2 gig of memory.
shooting totally clueless I got some...decent shots given the circumstances.
at least it was Coolbeth for the shot of the night.
I did grab a few shots of the riders as they passed directly in front of me. at that point out of the turn and under heavy acceleration onto the straight. they mostly looked like this. what I really got a kick out of watching this part of the track was the totally ramrod body positioning they all used. the riders backs were all pretty much straight up. I'm sure there is a reason but it just looked wierd.
oh well. in desperation I remember reading somewhere about someone shooting with an aperture priority, I think the Steel City MX thread. what the heck I've got 2 gig of memory.
The only shooting modes you need: Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, & Manual. Forget the rest are there.
Shooting flat-track at night is difficult and places significant demands on the camera (and photographer!). Did you bump the ISO up to 800 (or higher)?
Not to hijack, or to suggest I have it figured out, but here a couple of mine from Hagerstown:
70-200 f/2.8 @ 200 & 2.8, 1/100, ISO800, no flash
Same lens @ ~100mm & 2.8, 1/200, ISO800, with flash (rented SB-800)
. . . what I really got a kick out of watching this part of the track was the totally ramrod body positioning they all used. the riders backs were all pretty much straight up. I'm sure there is a reason but it just looked wierd.
They're trying to transfer as much weight as possible to the rear tire for a strong drive onto the straight.
The only shooting modes you need: Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, & Manual. Forget the rest are there.
Shooting flat-track at night is difficult and places significant demands on the camera (and photographer!). Did you bump the ISO up to 800 (or higher)?
Not to hijack, or to suggest I have it figured out, but here a couple of mine from Hagerstown:
70-200 f/2.8 @ 200 & 2.8, 1/100, ISO800, no flash
Same lens @ ~100mm & 2.8, 1/200, ISO800, with flash (rented SB-800)
hah! Brian Smith. Thats Moroneys rider. I live 5 minutes from Moroneys. You can see it on his left forearm.
thanks for the tips! I need to learn how to set the ISO. that first pic is sweet. that looks like real "dirt". the Monticello track was almost like a cinder, and the hot shoes sparked at night. very cool looking. or hot depending on your perspective.
that first pic is sweet. that looks like real "dirt". the Monticello track was almost like a cinder, and the hot shoes sparked at night. very cool looking. or hot depending on your perspective.
Monticello is a "cushion" track, meaning it has a loose surface. The joke is that you don't need a throttle, just an on/off switch.
another shot I'm not happy with. the camera seems to have relegated the sky to pure white. It wasn't.
You tossed out quite a few questions here, but this one I'll tackle...
Your eye has much wider dynamic range than your camera. When you look at that scene with your eye, you see a light blue sky (highlights) and can still make out details in the bike etc (shadows). You know that little ruler thing on your camera LCD? Goes from -2 to +2? That is the range of your camera, about 4 stops (0 +/- 2). You told your camera that you wanted the bike to be at 0 (this is effected by metering mode, an advanced topic). In that light, the "light blue sky" was definitely more than 2 stops worth of light away from the dark bike, so therefore its full white. On your camera sensor, anything more than +2 comes out full white and anything less than -2 is black. Few places I've read say your eye is good for at least twice the range of your typical camera, so let's say the sky was +4, your eye would still see a color there.
yes, I just need to learn how to use the damn thing.
actually got some more. after I realized I wasn't going to be getting any award winning action shots I decided that since I was alreay in the pits I might as well grab some shots of the riders as they awaited their turn out on the track. I think starting line/pre starting line shots are some of the best in motorcycling. so I took some.
some more of the flash no flash from the same vantage point.
the guy next to the 14 bike in the first pic can be seen holding a starter.
squatting down just a tad below handlebar level helps these shots a lot in terms of adding to the feel of the scene from the riders perspective. I'm not sure why.
Ive got one more batch to post from this event and then we can raise the checkered flag. given all the 2 wheeled activity lately I've decided to have a little contest for part of the intermission. I came across this picture today and the contest is, whoever can name the most people in it will win a secret prize.
Ive got one more batch to post from this event and then we can raise the checkered flag. given all the 2 wheeled activity lately I've decided to have a little contest for part of the intermission. I came across this picture today and the contest is, whoever can name the most people in it will win a secret prize.
the contest will close in 48 hours.
3-2-1..go.
Doug Henry (wheelchair), flanked by Valentino Rossi (left) and Colin Edwards (right).
Doug Henry (wheelchair), flanked by Valentino Rossi (left) and Colin Edwards (right).
there are the obvious ones, that's all i got.
Not too obvious, apparently. That's Wayne Rainey in the chair.
Others: Aaron Gobert, Rich Oliver, Jamie Hacking, Ago, Randy Mamola, Kel Carruthers, Kenny Roberts, Henry Wiles, Chad Reed, Rossi, Rainey, Edwards, and Jamie James. I think that may be Eddie Lawson's head obscured in the back row. I don't know the rest. :cry
Comments
ps. they go a lot faster on the mile tracks. :eek1
can anybody cue up Sweet Jane?
I almost went to this race, actually. Had media credentials and everything. But it was family-vacation weekend.
When I was at Hagerstown in July Sammy Sabedra (#11a, Expert Twins) was telling me he really looks forward to the NY round--it's a wide, fast cushion track.
yo. you missed a good one but I'm looking forward to yours from the coming weekend. but I believe this was the first year at Monticello?
anyway I've got some more and I aim to post em.
once the races started it was pretty much dark. I had "lingered" in the pits and at 7pm they stopped open access to the pits but being there already nobody noticed my intrusion.
but the important thing was I had a birds eye view at turn one. track lights were on. I was armed with a DSLR and finally ready to unleash the full power of my new toy as opposed to a point and shoot.
sports setting. on.
focus check. roger.
the pack roared into turn one. and cinders flew as they exited turn 2.
as one they flew down the back straight and dove like men possessed into turn 3.
I had them right where I wanted them.
like ducks on a pond.
fish in a barrell.
come to papa.
ready....steady...
what was it trinity said?
dodge this.
but we do what we can. I wasn't in the mood to break out the directions and start experimenting. maybe even ask them to run a few more laps in each heat so I could prefect my adjustments.
I took a few more that looked like that. I switched to manual and opened the F stop and tried a faster shutter and got a few pics that looked like the inside of a can black paint. with the lid on.
shooting totally clueless I got some...decent shots given the circumstances.
at least it was Coolbeth for the shot of the night.
no.
lesson learned?
yes.
lesson being: take the time to learn your camera you MORON!
could have been worse. it didn't rain.
The only shooting modes you need: Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, & Manual. Forget the rest are there.
Shooting flat-track at night is difficult and places significant demands on the camera (and photographer!). Did you bump the ISO up to 800 (or higher)?
Not to hijack, or to suggest I have it figured out, but here a couple of mine from Hagerstown:
70-200 f/2.8 @ 200 & 2.8, 1/100, ISO800, no flash
Same lens @ ~100mm & 2.8, 1/200, ISO800, with flash (rented SB-800)
They're trying to transfer as much weight as possible to the rear tire for a strong drive onto the straight.
hah! Brian Smith. Thats Moroneys rider. I live 5 minutes from Moroneys. You can see it on his left forearm.
thanks for the tips! I need to learn how to set the ISO. that first pic is sweet. that looks like real "dirt". the Monticello track was almost like a cinder, and the hot shoes sparked at night. very cool looking. or hot depending on your perspective.
thanks again.
Monticello is a "cushion" track, meaning it has a loose surface. The joke is that you don't need a throttle, just an on/off switch.
Your eye has much wider dynamic range than your camera. When you look at that scene with your eye, you see a light blue sky (highlights) and can still make out details in the bike etc (shadows). You know that little ruler thing on your camera LCD? Goes from -2 to +2? That is the range of your camera, about 4 stops (0 +/- 2). You told your camera that you wanted the bike to be at 0 (this is effected by metering mode, an advanced topic). In that light, the "light blue sky" was definitely more than 2 stops worth of light away from the dark bike, so therefore its full white. On your camera sensor, anything more than +2 comes out full white and anything less than -2 is black. Few places I've read say your eye is good for at least twice the range of your typical camera, so let's say the sky was +4, your eye would still see a color there.
Make sense?
yes but thats why I use auto.
yes, I just need to learn how to use the damn thing.
actually got some more. after I realized I wasn't going to be getting any award winning action shots I decided that since I was alreay in the pits I might as well grab some shots of the riders as they awaited their turn out on the track. I think starting line/pre starting line shots are some of the best in motorcycling. so I took some.
some more of the flash no flash from the same vantage point.
the guy next to the 14 bike in the first pic can be seen holding a starter.
last of the Nikon shots.
the contest will close in 48 hours.
3-2-1..go.
there are the obvious ones, that's all i got.
since its not Doug Henry in the wheelchair your other 2 don't count.
next.
Not too obvious, apparently.
Others: Aaron Gobert, Rich Oliver, Jamie Hacking, Ago, Randy Mamola, Kel Carruthers, Kenny Roberts, Henry Wiles, Chad Reed, Rossi, Rainey, Edwards, and Jamie James. I think that may be Eddie Lawson's head obscured in the back row. I don't know the rest. :cry