Car Racing Photography Tips by John Chua of AdPhoto
Top commercial photographer John Chua of AdPhoto shares with us some valuable tips in shooting a car race. Just in time for those who would want to join the On The Spot Photography Contest on Race Day 2007
Tips on Photographing a Car Race
By John K. Chua/Adphoto
1. Prepare your equipment
a. Charge your battery.
b. Clear and reformat your memory cards.
c. Make sure that your Sensor is clean.
d. Charge your media storage or bring extra batteries.
e. Get the right lens: wide, zoom and telephoto lenses.
f. Shoot raw, if possible.
2. Prepare yourself
a. To avoid heatstroke, dress properly – wear a long-sleeved shirt, and bring a hat.
b. Use sunblock.
c. Bring drinking water, powerbars.
3. Visualize
a. Read photo magazines or watch videos that feature cars and car races
b. Prepare for the unexpected.
c. Learn about the event. Inquire about the program (most of your time will be spent waiting for them to start).
4. Plan to do a photo essay so you can tell a story with your pictures, instead of just taking snap shots. Take pictures of:
a. Before and after the race
b. Preparations of drivers, cars, assistants
c. Actual race
d. Winners and losers
e. Beauty shots of car and model
f. Close up of parts and model
g. Crowd, and single out some spectators
5. Other tips:
a. Make friends with participants – you might get a chance to ride.
b. Make friends with fellow photographers – you might get some tips.
c. While shooting, look for possible gridlock. Expect to shoot some close fight.
d. Find out who is favored to win.
e. Seek out the most unique drivers: oldest, youngest, prettiest…
f. If you got a good shot, get the subject’s email address. Share your photos.
6. After the shoot:
a. Download your CF cards to computer but do not erase your CF images.
b. If possible, have duplicate folder on external drive.
c. View your images and edit them first before developing.
d. Save as in a different folder.
e. Do not touch (retouch) your original file.
f. From selected raw files, choose best shots.
g. After that, review your original folder for additional images that you might have overlooked.
h. Keep CF images until you are fully satisfied that you’ve saved them all and you are ready to start a new project.
