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What a drag... (racing that is)

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RATPhoto

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I went down to the local track today and gave the 300d a workout.

Here are just a few of my efforts. See the racing part of my gallery for more. For what it is worth, I think the focus on the camera followed very nicely and I wasn't in sports mode for a single shot.

For those who prefer nature, I also posted some bird shots I took today.









--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/

The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my profile for my equipment
 
Nice pics. I especially like the last one. Nice sense of speed.

What lens and settings were you using ?
 
zzed said:
Nice pics. I especially like the last one. Nice sense of speed.

What lens and settings were you using ?
Click to expand...
I used my 70-200 F4L. For the cars I tended to be on the 70ish side of things and with the bikes more like 100mm to 150mm. I started the day at 100 ISO and ended up at night at 800. Shutter speeds were typically around 1/100th to 1/200th of a second so that I could pan and get the sense of speed. Aperture was started at around f8 during the day and ended at f4 during the night.

As an example the last shot of the Suzuki you liked was at ISO 800 and F4. Shutter speed was 1/100th of a second. Focal length was 104mm.

The motorcycles in particular were rockets. They were turning times in the 8 second range, similar to the best dragsters. They were around 170mph at the finish line (1/4 mile).

--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/

The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my profile for my equipment
 
great pics of the bikes and all.

would love to have seen the classic 57 plymouth fury (christine) drag car but guess she wasnt there.
RATPhoto said:
I went down to the local track today and gave the 300d a workout.

Here are just a few of my efforts. See the racing part of my
gallery for more. For what it is worth, I think the focus on the
camera followed very nicely and I wasn't in sports mode for a
single shot.

For those who prefer nature, I also posted some bird shots I took
today.
Click to expand...
RATPhoto said:
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/
The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my
profile for my equipment
Click to expand...
 
Nice shots. What was your technique for following the action? Did you half-press on the car/bike and wait for AI Servo to kick in OR did you just fully press the shutter when you were ready to capture the shot?

Travis
 
Nice photos!

I take mostly sport photos, and don't use the sport mode either. My subjects are a bit slower moving than the rockets you're following (Pop Warner football vs 'Busas etc, lol).

I'm very happy with the Reb thus far after covering 16 games. Need a bigger hard drive though... lol, again.

A question for you-- how do you embed (c) and your name in the photos? I have PS2 and haven't figured that out.

Very nice gallery!
Tony

PS I ride, and abolutely agree with your comments here:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/slides/IMG_031004_0028.html
Bikes are improving (truly improving) every year!
RATPhoto said:
I went down to the local track today and gave the 300d a workout.

Here are just a few of my efforts. See the racing part of my
gallery for more. For what it is worth, I think the focus on the
camera followed very nicely and I wasn't in sports mode for a
single shot.
Click to expand...
 
Travis said:
Nice shots. What was your technique for following the action? Did
you half-press on the car/bike and wait for AI Servo to kick in OR
did you just fully press the shutter when you were ready to capture
the shot?

Travis
Click to expand...
I shot as I usually do in aperture priority mode. I would focus on the car or bike at the start by half pressing the shutter. I would then follow the action and complete the press when I felt appropriate. The cars and bikes are loud enough and the focus is quiet enough I wasn't really conscious of the focus kicking in and following. I just trusted it to do its job and it did (quite well in my opinion).

I tried using multi-point and single point focus. Both seemed to work about equally well.

--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/

The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my profile for my equipment
 
Anthony Gray said:
Nice photos!

I take mostly sport photos, and don't use the sport mode either.
My subjects are a bit slower moving than the rockets you're
following (Pop Warner football vs 'Busas etc, lol).

I'm very happy with the Reb thus far after covering 16 games. Need
a bigger hard drive though... lol, again.

A question for you-- how do you embed (c) and your name in the
photos? I have PS2 and haven't figured that out.

Very nice gallery!
Tony

PS I ride, and abolutely agree with your comments here:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/slides/IMG_031004_0028.html
Bikes are improving (truly improving) every year!
Click to expand...
I hear you on the hard drive. I'm burning through space. I'm also getting pickier about what I save. I tend to be a pack rat even with photos I know I'll never use. The CD burner is getting a workout too.

For embedding the name, here are the steps I use. Your editor may be a little different but hopefully the idea carries over. I use photoshop.

1) I have my name typed into a separate layer with a transparent background. The name is embossed (important). I actually made this once and then saved it to a file. That way I just can copy it into each new picture.

2) I copy the embossed name into my picture I am working on as a separate layer and move it to where I want it.

3) I change the blending mode for that layer to hard light.

4) I flatten the image and then save.

I always do these things as the very last step of processing (even after sharpening).

--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/

The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my profile for my equipment
 
RATPhoto said:
I shot as I usually do in aperture priority mode. I would focus on
the car or bike at the start by half pressing the shutter. I would
then follow the action and complete the press when I felt
appropriate.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't the focus be off if you half-pressed and took the shot a bit later when the car/bike is a different distance from the camera than when you first half-pressed the shutter? If the distance didn't change or if the the subject is still within the depth of field, then I understand how that method would still work. But if you half-press and the camera does not change to AI Servo mode, then the focus is locked at the point where you half-pressed and could result in OOF subjects if they change distance to the camera. I'm not criticizing, just curious if that makes sense?

When I was shooting hockey photos a couple of days ago, for example, I had to either fully press the shutter when I wanted to capture the action or half-press and wait for Servo to kick in to follow the action. If I half-pressed and followed the player but the camera didn't change to Servo, the focus will still locked at the point I half-pressed and some shots were OOF.

Thanks,
Travis
 
RATPhoto said:
For embedding the name, here are the steps I use. Your editor may
be a little different but hopefully the idea carries over. I use
photoshop.
Click to expand...
Isn't there a way to do this to a Batch of photos automatically? Opening every photo and copying this layer and resaving seems a bit tedious if you have quite a few photos to post for sharing on the net. Just wondering if there is a quick way to do it?

Thanks,
Travis
 
Travis said:
Travis said:
I shot as I usually do in aperture priority mode. I would focus on
the car or bike at the start by half pressing the shutter. I would
then follow the action and complete the press when I felt
appropriate.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't the focus be off if you half-pressed and took the shot a
bit later when the car/bike is a different distance from the camera
than when you first half-pressed the shutter? If the distance
didn't change or if the the subject is still within the depth of
field, then I understand how that method would still work. But if
you half-press and the camera does not change to AI Servo mode,
then the focus is locked at the point where you half-pressed and
could result in OOF subjects if they change distance to the camera.
I'm not criticizing, just curious if that makes sense?

When I was shooting hockey photos a couple of days ago, for
example, I had to either fully press the shutter when I wanted to
capture the action or half-press and wait for Servo to kick in to
follow the action. If I half-pressed and followed the player but
the camera didn't change to Servo, the focus will still locked at
the point I half-pressed and some shots were OOF.

Thanks,
Travis
Click to expand...
Yep it needs to kick in and it did. DOF at the F4 I was shooting at once it got dark is way too small. In fact, If both cars are in view in a picture, only one of them is going to be really in focus. DOF is too small to cover both lanes.

So it is clear it did kick in. The noise was so loud I really wasn't aware of it doing so but it clearly did. Believe me, all I had time to think about was panning to follow the car or bike.

When they were at their starting position I would say they were roughly at a 45 degree angle from me in the stands. Where I would actually trigger the shutter depended on the action but was often near straight in front of my position. So the distance changed drastically and very rapidly.

The change over in focus worked great and seamlessly. I just didn't have to worry about it and wasn't even really aware of it happening. But I knew from my shots it was happening.

--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/

The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my profile for my equipment
 
Travis said:
Travis said:
For embedding the name, here are the steps I use. Your editor may
be a little different but hopefully the idea carries over. I use
photoshop.
Click to expand...
Isn't there a way to do this to a Batch of photos automatically?
Opening every photo and copying this layer and resaving seems a bit
tedious if you have quite a few photos to post for sharing on the
net. Just wondering if there is a quick way to do it?

Thanks,
Travis
Click to expand...
Sure it would be easy to batch. But these steps take me very little time per photo. Literally every photo on my site gets a certain amount of preprocessing and the couple extra seconds to do this are nothing. The bulk of my time is spent adjusting levels and curves which I do custom for each and every shot (for better or for worse).

--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/

The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my profile for my equipment
 
I guess I should have gone deeper in the forum and found this thread first. I responded to another thread on action photos, but I'm guessing you guys will appreciate my first shot at using the Rebel. Take a look at:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=6567212

Here are a few more pics. I was very pleased with the quality of the pics for a first time user. I'm sure there are lots of tricks to be learned.

Lyle Greenberg
443 TA/FC
http://www.lylegreenberg.com






RATPhoto said:
Travis said:
RATPhoto said:
For embedding the name, here are the steps I use. Your editor may
be a little different but hopefully the idea carries over. I use
photoshop.
Click to expand...
Isn't there a way to do this to a Batch of photos automatically?
Opening every photo and copying this layer and resaving seems a bit
tedious if you have quite a few photos to post for sharing on the
net. Just wondering if there is a quick way to do it?

Thanks,
Travis
Click to expand...
Sure it would be easy to batch. But these steps take me very little
time per photo. Literally every photo on my site gets a certain
amount of preprocessing and the couple extra seconds to do this are
nothing. The bulk of my time is spent adjusting levels and curves
which I do custom for each and every shot (for better or for worse).

--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/
The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my
profile for my equipment
Click to expand...
 
is that Bud's Creek ?

Keep an eye out for a gray '88 Mustang, Pegasis Racing, NMRA 10081
and grab some pics if you can ;-). That's my brother
RATPhoto said:
I went down to the local track today and gave the 300d a workout.

Here are just a few of my efforts. See the racing part of my
gallery for more. For what it is worth, I think the focus on the
camera followed very nicely and I wasn't in sports mode for a
single shot.

For those who prefer nature, I also posted some bird shots I took
today.









--
For a gallery of 300d pictures, see:
http://ratphoto.home.comcast.net/
The photos in 'Old_Favorites' were taken with other cameras. See my
profile for my equipment
Click to expand...
--
Joe Clemmons
Houston TX USA

Pbase Supporter
(Fuji 602z, Canon A40, Canon S9000, Epson2450)
http://www.pbase.com/joeclemmons
 
cool shots man, im down at budds creek a lot and see those cars and bikes all the time.

I went to your comcast site, the other racing shots look pretty sweet man.

ill be down there sunday, even though i don't like imports, im gonna go to the import/domestic race (world cup( down there.

keep shootin the drags

chris
--
-Chris Simmons-
http://www.pbase.com/cannonfan2000/
 
Well I attended the World Finals at Pomona over the weekend, had a chance to try out the Rebel and lens, I found that the non is lens make it difficult to shoot race cars doing 220+ from where the cheap seats were (1000') although most of my shots we're wof (way outta focus) im sure most of the problems were my stinkin fault ... but all image of things that wernt' moving came out great ? :)

Below is a shot of the billion dollar car show that was on the property



http://www.pbase.com/image/23137838

Here's one of KC Spurlock , I should of waited 1/2 second more as he sacraficed the motor to the fire god's of aluminum ...



http://www.pbase.com/image/23136183/large

Image fix just a bit to sharpen it ...

This is perhaps the biggest blower I've ever seen, prolly a Pro Mod Car ...



http://www.pbase.com/image/23140532

I'd upload more, but I have a sucky dail up account .... enjoy ...

http://www.pbase.com/rickd/canon_300
 
Nice stuff, did you try doing any continuous shooting with the rebel? That shot of Spurlock is good, but like you said a little early. I like to shoot sequences from the stands down track in case anything interesting happens, especially with the fuel cars.

Lucky you, only a few months till the Winter Nats. :)

can't wait to see more from pomona
--
-Chris Simmons-
http://www.pbase.com/cannonfan2000/
 
Yeah I tried continuos shooting, either I was to far behind the cars or some dork would stand up infront of me .... I'll get better seats for the Winternationals and maybe the 300IS lens by then ...

RR
CannonFan2000 said:
Nice stuff, did you try doing any continuous shooting with the
rebel? That shot of Spurlock is good, but like you said a little
early. I like to shoot sequences from the stands down track in
case anything interesting happens, especially with the fuel cars.

Lucky you, only a few months till the Winter Nats. :)

can't wait to see more from pomona
--
-Chris Simmons-
http://www.pbase.com/cannonfan2000/
Click to expand...
--
3 Cameras ...
 
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