first attempt - trackday photography

[penguin1300]

All,

Besides riding the FJR, I have branched into photography as a second hobby. I have long been taking photos of our group rides and get some good feedback. This past weekend, I was asked to photograph a mini-bike trackday in Decatur, AL. So, I gave it a try.

If you would, take a look at my website, check out some of the sub galleries for this event, and provide feedback.

The website is: https://www.scotopix.com

Any feeback would be great. What do you like, what don't you like, what shots would you buy if it were you, etc. I have the potential to go back in April to shoot a www.semra.org event and would like to get things dialed in better for that event.

 

[Mike-H]

Funny it looks like supermotard racing more than mini bike racing.....nice photos though..... :good: ......

 

[jwilly]

Scott,

First off nice job with the pictures. You got some very good shots. I'm also interested in photography and have taken some classes and mostly just taken a ton of pictures. One of my hobbies is to take pictures of my kids sports teams and then at the end of the season I give each parent a DVD full of pictures.

A couple of comments on your pictures.

I think that the closer shots are better and people would be more likely to buy them. You did this in most shots but continue to leave more space in the picture open ahead of the direction of travel. In other words, so you can see where the bike is going and not so much where it has been. Of course there are exceptions to that rule but I have had a couple of professional photographers look at my pictures and make that recommendation.

Just curious, what camera(s) do you use?

Keep up the good work!! :clapping:

-jwilly

 

[Rickster]

cool pics.... good job. thanks for sharing!

 

[penguin1300]

jwilly, I'm shooting with Canon gear. I appreciate the feedback and will incorporate that into my next shoot.

 

[Kaelaria]

Here's a few pointers from a semi-pro:

It looks like you were either shooting late or have a slow (typical) camera. Try to always shoot the action going into rather than out of the frame.

Use a larger aperture (smaller f-stop) for better background blur.

Get down to ground level, don't shoot from 5 feet in the air, for better perspective and more dramatic results.

Position yourself at more dramatic points, if possible. 90 deg side shots are not nearly as pretty as just off center through a turn.

Tilt the camera a little for more dramatic action shots. A flat horizon does not depict motion as well.

Use a slower shutter speed and follow the action as you shoot, for motion blurred backgrounds. This also blurs the wheels and gives a sensation of motion rather than the strobe light spoke look.

Zoom in more - photograph the subject and eliminate anything that does not contribute to the shot.

See examples below:

 

[1FJR]

I used to shoot bicycle racing as a living, not much of one so I went back to a job that paid. Shooting bicycle racing and motorcycles are very similar. Kaeleria had great suggestions. You could also look into fill flash. This technique will help fill in those shadows from people bent over on the bike, or when they are standing around under cover. The idea is to try and use just enough flash to fill in the shadows, but not so much to be noticable. Of course this all hinges on if your camera has a seperate flash. Just keep taking pictures and study the results with what the camera was set at. This is a great thing about digital. Back in the old days, I had to write down every shot so that I could compare it with the negatives.

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

This guy had a hobby, and recently dove in with both feet and made it his career:

https://4theriders.com/

He hangs out on www.pashnit.com forum and is named com3 there. He loves talking photography as do many riders there. Go check it out

 

[jwilly]

This guy had a hobby, and recently dove in with both feet and made it his career:https://4theriders.com/

He hangs out on www.pashnit.com forum and is named com3 there. He loves talking photography as do many riders there. Go check it out

Whoa!! He has some awesome shots on his site!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[penguin1300]

Yep, com3 and I have posted together on the YZF board for a LONG time. He has a much better eye with the camera then I do. I was hoping to track him down on the YZF board; however, he hasn't seen my post over there yet.

BTW, I'm going to Barber this Sunday to shoot some friends partaking in a STT track day. I believe they already have their own photographer there, so I won't be selling any of my photos. However, I do look forward the practice. I'm going to take all the suggestions listed here and attempt to apply.

 

[black mamba]

I've been what's known as an " advanced amateur " level photographer for more years than I care to admit to. I've read all, or part of, scores of books on the subject. One I would highly recommend to anyone aspiring to become a better photographer is "The Photographers Handbook--Third Edition" by John Hedgecoe. There are a gazillion books out there so I am sure others are equally good. Read to understand the basics ( paying particular attention to proper composition ) then " shoot " like crazy. That's the best way to improve your photos and to develop your own style.

 

[jwilly]

I was just uploading my pictures last night and thought this was a cool shot of my daughter pitching.