Motocross advice needed

KryptoNeo

KryptoNeo

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Stephen
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Hi all. On the weekend i am going to be taking shots at a Motocross race. I have never shot any kind of motorsport so i have no idea what settings to use.

Could anyone give me some advice on what setting to use and some ideas of where the best places around the track would be to get good shots.

I am only going to be using basic equipment for this event as i only own 2 kit lenses at the moment.

So i am goin to use a Sony A200 with my 75-300mm lens.
 
you're looking for a shutter speed in the region of 1/400 to 1/640 if you can for a lot of shots. Just pick an aperture and ISO to let you get that.

If you're taking jump shots against the sky I prefer to meter using centre weighted or spot, that'll let you expose for the rider although it can lead to blown out skies, not a lot you can do about it though.

Look for shots where the dirt (roost) is being kicked up, always popular. Probably best to avoid being too ambitious with panning shots to start off with, these guys have horizontal and vertical movement which makes it a bit hit or a miss.

If you've got flash though try taking the shutter speed down and use second curtain if you have that facility, can be quite effective.

I always use filters on my lenses, they're a lot cheaper to fix than a front element. Plastic bag can be useful as well, rain and mud can make a bit of a mess of equipment
 
Agree with Dod ,inside a slow corner's a handy spot ,make yourself visible to the riders and maybe they'll play ride for you (if it's a race meet maybe not) ,have fun though .Your hit rate will be very low until you get your settings and that sorted so don't worry about the amount of out of focus shots ,use single frame mode,it'll make you concentrate more rather than firing off a heap of shots at once ,have fun and be save :thumbs:
 
Good advice from Dod there - he knows what he's doing, he's Mr MX :D

The only thing I will add is watch your backgrounds (avoid camper vans, ambulances, bored looking marshalls) and bear in mind that you can get VERY close at most MX tracks and the flying muck WILL get you - just look on the floor for freshly flown dirt and understand that that means more is going to be incoming. You will get filthy anyway, but you can avoid the worst by paying attention!
 
desantnik said:
and bear in mind that you can get VERY close at most MX tracks and the flying muck WILL get you - just look on the floor for freshly flown dirt and understand that that means more is going to be incoming. You will get filthy anyway, but you can avoid the worst by paying attention!
Click to expand...

good point, also check where you're standing for tyre tracks :D

Couple of other things, always face the riders. If you're at the edge and one of these guys get's it wrong they can be on you before you know it.

Most importantly though, ALWAYS get pics of the totty :p
 
Just make sure the totty isn't there with their multi-pitbull owning family though ;-)
 
i'd also say watch out for the roost if its a bit stony!
roost hurts like hell & it would definitely damage your gear so bear that in mind when choosing your spot ;)
 
Thanks a lot for the tips guys. Dod thanks for the shutter speeds, this is something i always seem to struggle with when i use a setting other than automatic for any type of photography. I will take all these tips on board when i go,(i have even written them down :D ). I will post the results when im done.
 
All very good advice from the masters, nothing to add really just that digital allows you to keep on shooting and trying different settings out to see what gives you the best results. Oh, and prepare to get hooked, motocross photography gets very very addictive.
 
Yes, the addiction warning was missing - good spot!

For anyone reading this who's never tried it, seriously go out there and see what its all about - I doubt you could find any sport more dramatic and photogenic than this - and it doesn't need to be the world class stuff, local club race meets are just as exciting as photographic subjects.

Oh and its cheap to get into!
 
I am really excited to see what results i can produce now. If i do get hooked like you say, then i wont have far to travel to get to my nearest track as its only about 5 miles away.
 
Don't forget to show us how you get on, happy to help with some friendly advice

Oh and really lastly, don't be glued to one spot, move around and get some variety :D
 
Best thing is just watch em for 5 mins, you'll grow to love the dirt & wet...lol

If you go trackside, just be aware at all times, everyone gets it wrong sometimes.. stay safe.
 
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