Motorsport Photography – Secrets To That Perfect Picture

You must know the feeling. You’ve bought countless numbers of motorcycle magazines and admired the amazing race photos of crazy fast machines battling it out for that last inch on the race track. You psyche yourself up so that the next time you go to a race you’ll be ready and able to capture pictures just like in the magazines. You are now officially interested in motorsport photography and ready to rock and roll. How is this really accomplished?

1) Owning a DSLR Is A Must

Usually one would say it takes pure talent and the equipment can only play a minor role for many types of photography that is out there, motorsports is one of the rare exceptions where you need special equipment. A good example of this would be when an aspiring photographer with an average skill level with a point and shoot can capture a beautiful landscape image while a relative newbie could totally botch it up with a state of the art DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). With motorcycles traveling at speeds of over 200mph, all the skills in the world could not capture that: You need a DSLR. More specifically it’s the outright speed and control a DSLR offers.

Main features that are important is a high frames per second shooting mode, high-speed auto focus and the near absence of shutter lag. The faster the above the better however even an entry-level DSLR can do the trick these days. A higher end, faster DSLR will just make your life easier. As for owning lenses, obviously the longer zoom range will give you more options but having a short lens doesn’t mean that everything is hopeless. Work with what you have, and don’t spend time dreaming about what you don’t have.

3) Knowing The Track Layout

Unless you’ve been to the track numerous times, it’s important to explore the track as best as you can to scope out acceptable potential spots to shoot from. If you have never been to a racetrack at all you will see it’s simple to get caught off guard by the sheer size of the track premises. What you will soon learn is that going from one side of the track to the other can easily be a 20 minute walk or more.

When it’s actually time to shoot the race, you want to know the exact locations you’ll go after you’ve finished capturing all the pictures you wanted at a particular spot. By not being prepared you’ll most likely end up getting stuck in the same position the entire time or worse, miss numerous laps (possibly even the rest of the race) by walking around looking for another suitable spot to shoot from. Race weekends usually include practice sessions for the racers. Make it a point to use these as your practice sessions too.

3) Really Understanding The Sport

Having a good understanding of the sport is not necessary to take great motorsports shots but it can at least decrease the learning curve a bit and allow you to quickly move up the ranks to being a motorsport photographer. For example take a look at motorcycle racing. Are you looking to get a picture of racers dragging their knees? It’s best to position yourself at tight, relatively high speed corners to get a good one.

How about a rider tucked in low behind the windscreen? Keep away from the braking zones as this is where racers need to sit upright to prepare for corner entry. Need to capture a stand-up wheelie shot? No one will be attempting any celebratory antics during a race, so wait patiently until the end.

Although the above three tips may give you a head start of sorts, what they can’t replace is practice and an inevitable amount of trial and error. The very first time you attempt this may be accompanied by a rude awakening but once you get used to the speed of your subjects and the capabilities of your equipment all will come together. Most of all, have fun!