Formula 1 - Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

[maczippy]

Hey Peepster friends!

My wife and I went to the Belgian F1 GP at Spa a couple of weeks ago and we returned earlier this week and I figured some of you might like to see a few shots...

We also visited Brugge and ended with my Sisters wedding in my home town of Bath in the UK and so once I catch up I'll post some architecture stuff for you all (and a door.... :thumb )

http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/dc_spafri1_dgrin.jpg
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http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/pizzonia_spasat1_dgrin.jpg
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http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/rb_spassat1_dgrin.jpg
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http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/sato_spasat1_dgrin.jpg

All Canon 1D, 300 f2.8, ISO320 in the pouring rain....

...I'll post a few more later on....

Andrew :)

[tmlphoto]

Very cool shots as usual. I especially like the 2nd one. The framing is great, and the water flying off the tires really adds oomph.

[digismile]

Absolutely GREAT shots! And the colours just pop! Look forward to seeing more.


Brad

[mercphoto]

Thanks so much for sharing these! Not only are they fantastic shots, I'm learning a lot about composition and framing of car shots.

[lynnesite]

Very cool shots as usual. I especially like the 2nd one. The framing is great, and the water flying off the tires really adds oomph.

Me, too, Thomas, I liked the feeling of speed in the second one...closest I'll ever get to it no doubt. Andrew, which lens did you use, your new prime?

Lynne

[maczippy]

Thanks so much for sharing these! Not only are they fantastic shots, I'm learning a lot about composition and framing of car shots.

Hey man...

If you *ever* need any help you can always email me on/off list. I'd love to help...That goes for anyone too..

Andrew :)

[maczippy]

Me, too, Thomas, I liked the feeling of speed in the second one...closest I'll ever get to it no doubt. Andrew, which lens did you use, your new prime?

Lynne

Yes, my newly replaced prime..EF300 f2.8...(my old 300 f2.8 wasn't fixable...)

Andrew :)

[maczippy]

A few more...

http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/dc_spassat2_dgrin.jpg
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http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/schumi_spasat2_dgrin.jpg <<Eau Rouge is SO STEEP....This is something to see happen
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http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/alonso_spasun1_dgrin.jpg

Andrew :)

[dugmar]

Super shots!

The greatest corner in F1. I'm glad Spa is back on the schedule!


Doug

[maczippy]

Few more...

http://whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/minardi_spasat1_dgrin.jpg
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http://whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/dc_spassat1_dgrin.jpg
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http://whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/webber_spasun1_dgrin.jpg

Andrew :)

[dugmar]

The green on the Jag really looks so much different compared to TV. I remember this from Montreal. Same with Jordan Yellow and Ferrari Red. Much different in person.

Doug

Edited, I spelled Ferrari wrong. :doh

[gubbs]

Fantastic shots Andrew, particularly like the dramatic angle shots, they really convey the speed.

Are you going to put up some of your Bath (city of :D) shots??

[wxwax]

Love this image. :thumb Looks like you made a lot of these shots during Saturday's qualifiying? Don't think it rained on race day, right? Nice work, sir. Did you have extenders on that 300? And I see a slight British bias in your choice of subjects! :evil

http://www.whimwham.com/dgrin/spa/pizzonia_spasat1_dgrin.jpg

[maczippy]

Bias?

Actually I lean towards being a Ferrari fan actually. Always have been every since Mike Hawthorn (I think it was) but I cover all the cars. It's just what I've had time to go through right now..

No TC's used on the Blanchimont shots, just a straight 300 f2.8. You're virtually on top the cars at this location and can actually feel the noise/shock wave as the cars pass....

I only used a TC once and that was for some shots at Eau Rouge...

Yes...we'll have some Bath and Brugge shots too...!

Andrew :)

[gubbs]

Bias?

we'll have some Bath and Brugge shots too...!

Andrew :) Post them,

I love Bath , so nearly got married at a farmhouse hotel there but
it was sold and converted to time shares :cry .. what a tragedy!!

Had a couple of very good nights in brugge too (under estimated city imo) before I started taking pictures, SO PUT EM UP!!! :thumb

[gubbs]

Don't you just love the way that every micromm is used in F1, the detail in your pictues demonstates this & is awsome. When I'm sitting there on Saturday lunchtimes and Sunday afternoons I'm regularly told F1 is boring... no overtaking... predictable...etc ...etc....

your pictures say otherwise:bow


Personally I love it

Thanks Andrew

[R&R]

That second shot from the original is perfect. I like all the colors on the other ones as well but my favorite is the second.

Rich

[R&R]

What kind of a shutter speed did it take to get those shots. They are so clear and you captured the action perfectly. On top of that how did you know which shutter speed to use. Is there some rule of thumb or secret.

Rich

[mercphoto]

On top of that how did you know which shutter speed to use. Is there some rule of thumb or secret.

I didn't take those photos, but there are rules of thumb to follow for motorsports. The goal is, you need to imply motion in the still image. You can do this through wheel blur, background motion blur, or both. (And motion background blur is not the same as big-aperture blur, which is blurry in two directions. Motion blur is blurry in one direction). This is different than stick-and-ball which requires very fast shutters and stop-action.

To get that blur and still have a crisp car you need to pan with the car. Follow the car for a bit, press the shutter and keep going. When the mirror slaps back down you should still see the car in the center of the viewfinder. Otherwise you did not track the car well.

Shooting this way at 1/300 is relatively easy to learn with a day's practice. Slower speeds get harder, but I've seen people do 1/100 and less with great results. I'm not that good. :(

If you shoot with a very fast shutter the problem is you can't tell that the car isn't simply sitting still, parked, motionless, and the shot is boring. The only exception to this is if you can get a close crop where you no longer see the tires. Then a fast shutter can make for a very crisp image, such as of the driver's face. But get a frozen-still tire in that image and the effect is ruined.

[maczippy]

What kind of a shutter speed did it take to get those shots. They are so clear and you captured the action perfectly. On top of that how did you know which shutter speed to use. Is there some rule of thumb or secret.

Rich

Hi Rich...

I've been out of the loop here for a whiles (I'll post a little news about our dog in the portraits forum about that) but what Bill says above is essentially good advice.

It does take a lot of practice but is an excellent technique to get your hands around because it helps to "tell the story" being speed.

I will try and post some equine motion blur shots most of which are shot between 1/60 and 1/80 which is useful if you want to try and "hide" lousy backgrounds such as pipe corrals for example..

Now to share some ALMS images...

My apologies to you Rich for not answering your questions quickly.

People can always contact me off list if they have a questions too!

Andrew :)

[maczippy]

I'm just about to update my site and put up full galleries of ALMS, The Historics and F1 Spa and so I thought I'd post a few new and fun ones here:

http://www.whimwham.com/atlasf1/spa2004/fisi_spa_fun_atlas.jpg

http://www.whimwham.com/atlasf1/spa2004/pizzonia_spa_fun_atlas.jpg

http://www.whimwham.com/atlasf1/spa2004/dc_spa_fun_atlas.jpg

http://www.whimwham.com/atlasf1/spa2004/spray_spa_fun_atlas.jpg

Andrew :)

[miketaylor01]

Awesmoe shots as usual. Thanks alot for sharing.

[photocat]

I don't like racing or cars, but these pictures are very attractive. The colors are vibrant, and the movement of the speeding cars is there.
I hope your shots get into a magazine, I worked for a newspaper, and I know our sports editors would have killed for pics like that.
Great shots.

I am a Belgian living in UK, and it is always nice to find out that people visited Belgium. Brugge is lovely, Spa is in the Ardennes, I was sent there every year as a child for group holidays, 500 kids together. I hated it, that is probably why Spa has a bad connotation for me. I hope you liked Brugge. Would like to see some of your shots if you have any from Brugge.

[dugmar]

I am a Belgian living in UK, and it is always nice to find out that people visited Belgium. Brugge is lovely, Spa is in the Ardennes, I was sent there every year as a child for group holidays, 500 kids together. I hated it, that is probably why Spa has a bad connotation for me. I hope you liked Brugge. Would like to see some of your shots if you have any from Brugge.
Wow, you live near one of the greatest race tracks in the world. That place has hosted legends. Both living and dead. There is no better turn in motorsport than Eau Rouge.

[photocat]

Wow, you live near one of the greatest race tracks in the world. That place has hosted legends. Both living and dead. There is no better turn in motorsport than Eau Rouge.

haha, eau rouge is simply called Spa...

[dugmar]

haha, eau rouge is simply called Spa...Perhaps, but Eau Rouge is also the name of corner on the race track at Spa.
Believe me, I know what I am talking about. :)

http://www.spa-francorchamps.be/gfx/track/aerienne1.jpg

[dugmar]

More information on the Eau Rogue corner here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/2217412.stm

[photocat]

[QUOTE=dugmar]Perhaps, but Eau Rouge is also the name of corner on the race track at Spa.
Believe me, I know what I am talking about. :)

O I don't doubt that you know what you are talking about. I just wanted to add that belgians refer to eau rouge simply with "give me a glass of spa"...
I bet you know more about that racetrack then I will ever do... :D