Discussion
I am in the minority - I think- who no longer takes a camera to race meetings. Why ? Firstly , I have hundreds of prints which I rarely look at. Secondly , since going digital I find I cannot be arsed to take pictures unless to illustrate something I'm writing. If I want to look at pictures or videos of racing there are literally illions I can access via interweb.
But the biggest reason is this - every race meeting I attend I find I am surrounded by people who take what seems to be several pictures of every car on every lap and in the wait for the next lap study the pictures they have taken. All fine and good except this- if you watch every race via a viewfinder or screen you aren't watching at all- you're watching a tiny image of the real 3d one just feet away from you. No criticism - but I do wonder if taking pictures at the expense of watching - properly- dilutes the experience.
But the biggest reason is this - every race meeting I attend I find I am surrounded by people who take what seems to be several pictures of every car on every lap and in the wait for the next lap study the pictures they have taken. All fine and good except this- if you watch every race via a viewfinder or screen you aren't watching at all- you're watching a tiny image of the real 3d one just feet away from you. No criticism - but I do wonder if taking pictures at the expense of watching - properly- dilutes the experience.
I think its the same with any sport - if you're shooting it, you're not really watching and enjoying it. I've covered ice hockey, motocross, circuit racing and footy up to Premiership level and it can be a very demanding job. I tend to be pretty selective with what I'm shooting and don't take a machine-gun approach coz I know it just means more work later. I also avoid any post-processing if possible.
I cover my own series but have yet to work out how to take photos of myself while racing!
I cover my own series but have yet to work out how to take photos of myself while racing!
Ah the eternal paradox!
I like writing about cars; I like photographing cars. I tend to try and get banker shots of each car at some point over the course of the race. Often by taking several, in conjunction with note-taking, it is possible to reasonably well chronicle a race from the trackside. I much prefer being out there than stood in the media centre. You get a feel for proceedings.
I am enjoying building a serious photo archive to complement my programme, book and magazine collections in order to achieve a useful research library across multiple media. I have made my missus promise that my collection will be well cared-for in the event of my unexpected demise, despite the fact it is in its infancy.
Saying that, sometimes, I don't bother with the reporting nonsense and just settle back to enjoy a proper motor race. I can't understand those folk who come away with 3,000 photos of a single day at a meeting. Lunacy!
I like writing about cars; I like photographing cars. I tend to try and get banker shots of each car at some point over the course of the race. Often by taking several, in conjunction with note-taking, it is possible to reasonably well chronicle a race from the trackside. I much prefer being out there than stood in the media centre. You get a feel for proceedings.
I am enjoying building a serious photo archive to complement my programme, book and magazine collections in order to achieve a useful research library across multiple media. I have made my missus promise that my collection will be well cared-for in the event of my unexpected demise, despite the fact it is in its infancy.
Saying that, sometimes, I don't bother with the reporting nonsense and just settle back to enjoy a proper motor race. I can't understand those folk who come away with 3,000 photos of a single day at a meeting. Lunacy!
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