Any tips on how to photograph rally cars?

pecrow

pecrow

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i'm off to watch wales rally gb tomorrow, first trip for a very long time. does anybody have any photography tips or do /donts, even safety info?
 
Hi There

Kind of whishing I was going too, not been for a few years.

THIS is probably a good place to start.

Don't forget to show us some of your photos.

HTH

David
 
Have a look on the Motorsport forum on here its very good
 
what sort of focal lengths do folk use? i'd rather not take anything up that i'm unlikely to use. not lazy, just old.
 
Dont stand on the outside of a bend.

Listen for the whistle and get off the track.

Watch out for flying stones/debris...
 
are you forced to watch from certain areas or can you get there early and find yourself a safe spot?
 
I was at the Yorkshire Rally a couple of weeks back and took a 70 -300mm and an 18 - 55mm. Managed to get some quite useable shots with them.
Panning and using a slower shutter speed can, if you get it right, produce some nice shots.
Most of mine were with faster shutter speeds to freeze the action, but I@m happy with them.
 
don't shoot above 1/320th as a genral rule, pan the cars like a clay pidgeon shooter would the clay, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, rally cars CAN (and usually WILL) do things you don't expect!

last thing, for a newbie to rallies, LISTEN TO THE MARSHALLS!
 
And as they used to say on Hill street blues "Hey lets be carefull out there" A ton and a half of car traveling at 90mph goes a supprisingly a long way off the track if it goes pear shaped. give yourself room to move out of the way of something and ideally take someone with you to watch out for you.
If your going along the track to shoot take some grub and a drink, it might be a while before you can get back along it to get food.
 
Photography wise... if you want panning shots find a spot a reasonable distance from the track where you can have time to lock on/shoot with a lens 50mm and above.
OR
get on the inside of a corner with a wideangle and flash and pan as the car goes round the corner.

If you want cars doing interesting stuff get a reasonable distance on from a corner and photograph the cars as the come round - although in this case choose a bent where you have visibility of the car as to comes into the bend.

Why? Your best safety barrier will be what you can see is about to happen. Being ready to run will mean if it does go pear shaped you will be on the move quicker.
 
note: on wales rally GB you will NOT be able to stand where you like.

Your either in the carparks and stood in a 'pen' (literally a sheep pen) or your out the ngiht before trying to beat the police roadblocks, getting cough cough 'dodgy' (interperate that as you wish) access to the forests.
mates of mine are out and i have just seen a status on facebook: 'get in, beat the blockade and now for the walk to stage'

enjoy the experience and most of all, be safe :)
 
I used to love chasing the rally about the country when it really WAS the GB rally. Nowadays it just goes round a bit of Wales. It's too localised nowadays.
As for taking fotys of the cars, it depends on what sort of spot you pick. Panning pics can be really good but personally, I love a good yump! If you can catch a car airborne you can get some excellent action shots.

Also, plan your day, you can usually get a good three or four stages in, in a day if you plan when and where you want to be.
 
I don't like this "Designated Area" business. When I used to follow the Rally GB you could walk down the stage until you found a decent spot. The only restrictions were on the really bad bends.

Got to admit, the marshalls at the YOrkshire Rally were fair about this, as long as we were being safe.
 
I hope you had a good time and didn't really read half the advice on here.

I'll take it that most who have replied don't attend many rallies.

Photograph courtesy of Dave Benson.

10126_162048841876_509646876_2687771_5138618_n.jpg


Those spectator pens are really restricting.
 
never been to a WRC level event personally only club level, i cant imagine it being much different.

ive always used a 70-200 f2.8 for rallying, ideal length, not too heavy for all day work and the 2.8 comes in handy in those gloomy forests. as said dont set a too high a shutter speed, you want to catch the speed.

look out for flying stones. generally where possible try and put yourself next to a sturdy tree for shelter/cover. dont stand in the outside of corners.

LISTEN to the marshalls, peoples stupidity will get the stage closed if they think its a safety risk.

wear comfortable boots, take waterproofs, warm clothes, thermos and if necessary a fold up chair if youre planning on hanging around for a bit. take a blower and/or microfibre for cleaning the grit off your camera (try and get it out of the firing line asap after youve got your shot) and in my opinion get yourself a good quality UV(0) filter personally i never like the idea of grit/gravel/stones vs my front element.

i had a narrow miss with a flying stone at this years sunseeker lol..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilgates/3319216781/in/set-72157614573707598/

just use your brain, think where the cars may end up if they go off track and youll be fine.. rally drivers can and do get it wrong..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilgates/2801431930/in/set-72157606969357574/

(a togger was standing on the outside of that same corner briefly this year, i cringed for the 2 mins he was there)
 
cars frequently go off on the inside of corners too (especially the exits but also the entries), and sometimes on the straight bits, so try to be at the top of a big bank or behind a really solid tree line

you dont always have time to run, especially if you're busy with the camera,

dress prepared for the arctic and monsoons and mud,
take something to eat and drink
 
thanks all, had a great day. :thumbs:

my god the top 6 or so drivers were SO fast on myherin. its a long flowing stage with plenty of twisty sections but i didnt find any jumps or hairpins or even a challenging corner. top marks to the drivers for finding grip on the polished rock track.

had no trouble walking the stage out early and finding a spot, all the marshalls i met were friendly and helpfull. made my way carefully back along the stage as the high numbers were coming through.

have to say that i found a 70-200 too long for much of the day and used a 18-55 kit lens mostly.
 
Lens choice all depends on where you stand... I use my 100-300mm f/4 95% of the time, my 24-70mm 4.5% of the time, but I have gone right in close and used a 10-20mm at times...the effect is interesting, as is the feeling of a rally car passing the end of your lens at 2 feet...
 
Went to the Malcolm Wilson rally a couple of years back in the Grizedale Forest.
Only used the 18-70 but got a good spot on a corner and got some decent pics.

408899833_5fc0b2ae5d.jpg
 
pecrow said:
top 6 or so drivers were SO fast on myherin
Click to expand...

It used to be worth watching the top 20 cars... and then you used to be able to get to the next stage or the one after that before they did and watch 10 stages in 3 days, plus get to the service area a couple of times.... oh for the good old days! :bang:
 
the main thing I remember about photographing the Wales GP was keep dry and warm, and keep the camera dry

most of all have fun - pick a good spot and remember to pan / focus and snap

do miss this sport...
 
pecrow said:
thanks all, had a great day. :thumbs:

my god the top 6 or so drivers were SO fast on myherin. its a long flowing stage with plenty of twisty sections but i didnt find any jumps or hairpins or even a challenging corner. top marks to the drivers for finding grip on the polished rock track.

had no trouble walking the stage out early and finding a spot, all the marshalls i met were friendly and helpfull. made my way carefully back along the stage as the high numbers were coming through.

have to say that i found a 70-200 too long for much of the day and used a 18-55 kit lens mostly.
Click to expand...

just to mention that i have a couple of shots over on the motorsport sub-forum. thanks to all who helped out.
 
jontucker said:
It used to be worth watching the top 20 cars... and then you used to be able to get to the next stage or the one after that before they did and watch 10 stages in 3 days, plus get to the service area a couple of times.... oh for the good old days! :bang:
Click to expand...

thats why i like "lower" levels of rallying.. on the sunseeker i can get a good 3/4 stages in in a day :)
 
neil_g said:
thats why i like "lower" levels of rallying.. on the sunseeker i can get a good 3/4 stages in in a day :)
Click to expand...

The Sunseeker is a fabulous rally. I've competed on it 3 or 4 times and the atmosphere is great, so many spectators in the gardens on the Friday night and out in the woods on the Saturday. Went this year to take photos instead and the atmosphere is just as good when not competing!

To be honest the stages are not all that great but the amazing organisation of those guys down there and the sheer enjoyment of the whole thing more than make up for it and as you say for a spectator it's superior to Rally GB in many ways.
 
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