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View Full Version : Grand-Am at Mid-Ohio 2009 (and a question for the photogs)



rosawendel
06-20-09, 09:02 AM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/3643527818_bd37189938.jpg?v=0
Grand-Am at Mid-Ohio 2009 (Friday) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosawendel/sets/72157619883793323/detail/) (some 21 pages - I don't expect anyone to go through them all)

Some background (and a question at the end).
First, I should note that I'm not a fan of the Grand-Am, but I'm going to be on vacation when the ALMS is in town, and I had an agenda to work on: Panning.

So to the trrack with a new camera (Nikon D300), a new monopod (I never had a monopod before), and a strong desire to improve my panning skills. The morning sessions were cloudy, with sun in the early afternoon. I spent most of my time learning the nuances of the autofocus mechanism, learning how to shoot in the high-speed shutter mode, and working out different shutter speeds for the lighting conditions (I shot in "shutter priority" mode) - all with varying levels of success.

Here's my question: At the end of the day I shot about 1,500 shots. after running through the raw list, i found I had about 300 "keepers", using only the criteria of "sharp focus" and "reasonable composition" as a guide (I do like the sharper focus gained with a monopod - that was a good choice). Should I expect to have that many "throwaways" normally?

emjaya
06-20-09, 09:45 AM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3379/3642349885_230ba3239b_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3643157334_2373f4a98f_m.jpg

Nice...work. :saywhat: :gomer:

Methanolandbrats
06-20-09, 11:46 AM
What lens are you using? As far as exposure and panning goes, use manual exposure and low ISO so you can use slow shutter speeds and wide aperatures. I also use manual focus. Find a tire mark or some other marker on the track where the side of the car will be when they go by you. Focus on that. Now look way up track and pick the car up, follow it in one smooth motion and shoot just before it gets to your spot. Continue to pan as the car goes away from you. The last part is important because it helps you develop a smooth motion. I really like the one you posted in the thread.

pchall
06-20-09, 11:52 AM
Back in my Nikon F2 toting days printing 1 of 5 shots on a contact sheet would have been an acceptable percentage for action photography.

nissan gtp
06-20-09, 01:41 PM
sounds like you're doing it right :thumbup:

300 really good pics out of 1500 isn't bad at all, panning adds a lot of challenge (at least for me)

what len(s) are you using, and what kind of monopod ?

rosawendel
06-20-09, 02:54 PM
the lens was a nikon 70-300 VR 4.5-5.6 (VR was on), and a manfrotto 694cx carbon fiber monopod.

I played with verious shutter speeds - everything from 60 to about 200, using shutter priority. ISO was "LO(1.0)" - 100 equivalent.

i've tried using the LCD preview monitor to review after the fact, but it's hard to catch a good tight focus on something that small, which is why I went for the "carpet bombing" approach.

Methanolandbrats
06-20-09, 03:00 PM
I asked about the lens because although that is a pretty sharp lens, 5.6 is a little slow for AF lock on something moving that fast. Use manual focus and time the shot. Turn off the VR too.

rosawendel
06-20-09, 03:13 PM
i did have a bit of "ping-ponging" early on down the back stretch. good tip. thanks.

NismoZ
06-20-09, 06:16 PM
You guys piss me off. Try a Kodak Brownie with B&W 110, then blow a month's allowance on 2 lousy rolls of film, wait 2 weeks for the damn things to come back to the drug store and end up throwing out 2/3 of 'em! (including the STILLS) But, BOY did you learn to pan!:D (PS- the blur on some of those old shots make them some of my favorite old pics!:thumbup:)

NismoZ
06-20-09, 06:28 PM
Is it just me or are the in-cars at Mid-Ohio better than usual? Anything different? Camera location? I'm not even watching in HD and it just looks great!

NismoZ
06-20-09, 06:29 PM
Oh, never mind. I've just had a few beers after mowing!:gomer:

Methanolandbrats
06-20-09, 07:24 PM
Is it just me or are the in-cars at Mid-Ohio better than usual? Anything different? Camera location? I'm not even watching in HD and it just looks great!

No, they don't look any better. :gomer: