Shooting boat race any tips?

OK, there's a local dragon boat race happening this weekend. I will be bringing a 300mm USM tele and a kit lens for WA only. I like to know what are some of the tips for capturing the race event. I'm most likely be on the docks.

thanks!

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http://iciclelanding.com/alwinlai

1/ Don't fall in. (I'm serious. It's really easy when looking through a lens to take a step or two to frame better. And then one mpore step or two and you're soaking wet.)

2/ Watch the exposure. As you zoom in and out, you'll get more or less sky into the shots, and this will probably change the exp[osure setting on the camera. So, althogh the light hitting the boats does not change, your exposures wil be lighter and darker. The way to beat this is to use manual exposure.

3/ Long lenses mean tripods. A 300 mm lens is long on a regular camera, on a Rebel, it's really long. Monopods, or leaning on a fence, work well, too.

4/ Polarizer if there are big fluffy clouds.

5/ Pay attention to backlight. With sailboats if is often a good thing. With dragon boats, you might want to move.

BAK

BAK said:

1/ Don't fall in. (I'm serious. It's really easy when looking
through a lens to take a step or two to frame better. And then one
mpore step or two and you're soaking wet.)

Click to expand...

hahaha... good one! There are railings in the area.

BAK said:

3/ Long lenses mean tripods. A 300 mm lens is long on a regular
camera, on a Rebel, it's really long. Monopods, or leaning on a
fence, work well, too.

Click to expand...

Interesting. Since I would prolly be panning and also use high shutter speed, do I still need tripod? I'm hoping to not bring mine so that I can stay mobile.

BTW what do you mean by manual exposure? Like not lock the exposure but use the 'real time exposure' upon taking the shot?

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http://iciclelanding.com/alwinlai

Ball head tripods are good for this kind of stuff. You leave the head sort of loose, but the camera will not go ip and down, because of the tripod, and will be a lot steadier from side to side.

There are also pistol-grip style tripod heads, where you can squeeze the grip so it is easy to pan the camera, and then you let go of the grip and the position locks.

MANUAL EXPOSURE -- that's what the M on the top of the camera is all about. You point the camera in the right direction to get a proper exposure reading, and then you rotate the wheel on the front of the camera, sometimes holding in a button on the back of the camera, until you have the "needle" centered on the scale at the bottom of the viewfinder.

BAK