Motorsports Photography 101 – Round 2

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Please read this announcement before submitting your RSVP:

The Day’s Plan

1. The attendance limit will be 20 people. Competition starts at 9:00 AM and continues until 4:00 to 5:00 PM.

2. We’ll meet in the inner circle parking area on the North East side of Qualcomm stadium at 8:30 AM near stadium entry Gate P. Parking and admission is free, but you will be required to sign a waiver and be given a wristband that must be worn and visible.

3. Sunday will see all the cars get 3 runs in the morning which is an indexed qualifying session for the Challenge later in the day. The afternoon consists of the Challenge competition and trophy presentations. This format is different than the last Motorsports Photography 101 meetup.

4. After some quick safety rules review, we’ll head out to several locations outside the course boundaries. Never enter the course area without authorization! Larry Houghton, or an assigned SCCA representative, will be available to take a few folks out onto the course during the day. The time on course may be limited depending on the participation levels. For safety reasons, photographers on course, even very experienced ones, are required to have a spotter at all times.

5. This is a national level event that is structured a little different from the standard events. There should be approximately 120 – 140 drivers at the event.

6. A mobile food truck will be available throughout the day for drinks and light food options.

7. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Even in the pit area or the pre-grid, cars move unexpectedly and there are often tripping hazards on the ground.

8. Please do not touch the cars without permission. However, please feel free to talk to the drivers or anyone in the pit area. There are always some interesting cars and people and most everyone is very friendly.

9. Ask lots of questions about the cars, the competition, photography or whatever.

10. Have fun and shoot lots of photos! If you like shooting motorsports at this entry level, consider trying more serious levels of competition and different styles. (Drag racing, Karting, road racing (wheel-to-wheel), rally or rally cross, Formula 1, motorcycles, off road, etc.) Again, ask for guidance on other venues and racing options.

What Is Autocross?

1. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has an entry level competition for drivers called Solo. This is their name for what is known as autocross. These are single car timed precision driving events (not wheel-to-wheel races) where a course consisting mainly of corners and short straightaways is set up using orange traffic cones. Every event has a different course layout. The drivers may walk the course before their runs, but there are no practice runs allowed. Each driver is usually allowed three or four runs and the goal is to drive in the quickest time possible. Scoring is done on your fastest run. If you hit a cone, two seconds is added to your time. This effectively negates your time as most classes are decided by tenths of a second.

2. In SCCA Solo, there are 10 “Street” classes (basically factory stock with limited changes), 5 “Street Touring” classes (limited suspension and wheel changes and

external engine modifications, i.e., chip, air filter, etc.), 7 “Street Prepared” classes (many more significant suspension, interior, bodywork, fuel control [carburetors/fuel injection], any wheel and DOT tire size, etc.), 5 “Prepared” classes (a production based car converted to a full out race car with a very wide-open amount of changes including major engine work, gutting, welding and cutting, slick race tires, etc.) and 6 “Modified” classes (purpose built race cars on slick race tires.). There are also adult and child Kart classes as well as a few “Classic American Muscle” car classes. Every class has an optional and corresponding “Ladies” class available. The rule book is 337 pages. 

3. The plethora of classes is to more evenly distribute the varying performance capabilities of the large variety of cars into more competitive groups.

What to Bring for Autocross Photography

1. DSLR camera body, APS-C sensor is preferred for extra reach. Mirrorless cameras may be an option, but usually not ideal.

2. Close range zoom lens (24-70mm, 18-55mm, etc.) for shots in the pits or overall views.

3. Long range telephoto zoom lens (70-200mm minimum, 80/100-400mm, 150-600mm, etc.) for action shots. Fast glass is not required as you’ll be shooting in daylight.

4. Extra batteries and memory cards. You’ll be shooting in continuous mode and capturing a lot of shots. Possibly bring a circular polarizer for shooting in the pits.

5. Closed toed walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, water, wind breaker or light jacket.

6. Do not bring a tripod or monopod unless you have a monster, fixed focal length, fast lens. (a 400mm, 500mm or 600mm fixed focal length lens is not necessarily recommended for autocross shooting) They will only interfere with panning and get in your way.

7. A small camera bag or backpack. You’ll be doing a lot of walking and there is no need to bring all your gear, you will probably not need any of it.

Tips on Autocross Photography

1. Use a long telephoto zoom lens. 70-200mm is the minimum and usually not long enough from the course perimeter. APS-C sensor bodies are preferred to help with reach.

2. Try to shoot with the sun at your back or side to minimize reflections.

3. Shoot using continuous shutter bursts as fast as possible. Use AI Servo AF on Canon or AF-C on Nikon for all action shots.

4. For stop action shooting, set ISO to 320 – 400. Higher values will only be needed if it’s very cloudy, raining or dark. Shoot in Av/A at f/5.6 or Tv/S at 1/1000 or faster for best results. Head on or 3/4 shots are best so the car doesn’t look parked.

5. Try to use a shallow depth of field (f/5.6-6.3) to minimize background distractions and highlight the cars.

6. For panning shooting, set ISO to 100, shoot in Tv/S and start with 1/125 – 1/160. As you become more practiced, drop the shutter speed to 1/80 – 1/100. Focus on a specific spot on the car throughout the pan. The best success will be with the car’s direction perpendicular to your shot. 3/4 views are more difficult and will result in part of the car being more out of focus the slower the shutter speed (physics is not always our friend).

7. Photographing motorsports is difficult even for the best photographers. You are going to get bad panning shots. Do not worry about every shot being perfect. It will not happen.

8. Back button focus is preferred for any motorsports shooting.

9. If your camera has custom shooting modes, (C1, C2 on Canon or U1, U2 on Nikon) set up one for your baseline stop action shooting and another for the baseline panning. This makes it very quick to switch modes on a fast moving car.

10. Try to shoot low occasionally as the perspective allows views of lifting wheels and suspension changes that add to the sense of action and speed. If it is hot, beware of heat waves off the pavement that will degrade the image quality.

11. Watch the cars and memorize the track layout. You can usually see specific locations (bumps, dips, heavy braking areas, tight corners leading to a straight, etc.) that are better than others for unusual shots.

12. Try to avoid Chimping (looking at the LCD after taking a photo). Check the monitor only occasionally when you change modes or locations. Concentrate on the fast action.

13. Be safe and aware of an escape route. Motorsports can be dangerous in general and especially to photographers whose attention may be elsewhere. In the event of a pending accident or an out of control car, run perpendicular to the cars path and/or in the opposite direction of the cars travel, if possible. You cannot out run a speeding car!

14. Do not sit on the K-Rail (Jersey Barriers).

15. Autocross speeds will normally be 70 MPH or lower, except for the fully modified racecars.

16. In preparation for the day’s shooting, practice panning on a nearby local street with a 45 – 50 MPH speed limit.

Please Note: By submitting a YES RSVP and participating in any PPS event, you agree that PPS, Organizers, and Event Hosts are NOT responsible for your safety or for any injury or damage to your person or your property, or that of your guest(s).You agree that you have read the instructions of the announcement and that you and your guest(s) are assuming all risks of participating in the event.