Rally racing tips

[Mharwood16]

Hi all!
This is only my second post here,so here it goes!
A friend of mine asked me to come put to one of his rally car races in colorado and shoot him and the other racers next month. As this is my first time shooting something like this(I normally shoot wildlife and landscapes) I need some help from everyone on CR. First. Do I typically need a press pass for something like this?
And second what gear recommendations do you have for me? I'll be shooting with a 7d and 50d a 70-200 on the 7d and the Sigma 50mm on the 50d. Any suggestions are most welcome!
Thanks everyone!

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Mharwood.
If you must stand on the outside of a turn, keep both eyes open, one through the viewfinder, the other on the lookout for the car that is not going to go round the turn and be ready to run! Be aware that on a gravel stage there can be some very large stones launched at you and your gear.
Also I recall an interview with a driver about people on the road, his reply was something along the lines of I see trees standing in the road, if I saw people I would have to slow down!
Be safe, no photo is worth you getting hurt or worse! Have fun.

Cheers Graham.

Hi all!
This is only my second post here,so here it goes!
A friend of mine asked me to come put to one of his rally car races in colorado and shoot him and the other racers next month. As this is my first time shooting something like this(I normally shoot wildlife and landscapes) I need some help from everyone on CR. First. Do I typically need a press pass for something like this?
And second what gear recommendations do you have for me? I'll be shooting with a 7d and 50d a 70-200 on the 7d and the Sigma 50mm on the 50d. Any suggestions are most welcome!
Thanks everyone!

 

[Mharwood16]

Hi again
Ya I agree about the safety. If you die getting a shot than you can never appreciate it!
But thanks for the advise what do you think about the gear? Do you think I'll need something wider than 50mm? My next closest good wide lens is the 10-22. I could easily get my hands on a 17-40 though...
Thanks for the help!

 

[Roo]

I haven't shot a rally before but the approach I would take would be to get a map of the course, a copy of his navigator's pace notes and then go and scout the course to check the best locations to shoot from. The reason I would do that is because you really can't change shooting position mid stage. When checking the notes and scouting the course look for jumps, water splashes, some slow corners, high speed places where you could get panning shots. The cars go off at set intervals so you should have time between cars to check your shots and adjust your settings if necessary. For the reason Graham said, I would actually choose to shoot from the inside of a corner as per the shot in the link and your gear is also less likely to be sprayed with gunk.

Your set up should be fine but I would take the 10-22 along as well. Ohh... and don't forget to share your results ;D

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=776.msg77937#msg77937

 

[Mharwood16]

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Mharwood.
I should have mentioned the closest I have come to shooting a rally is the rally stage at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, limited access to the course.
10-22 might have limited posibilities for use, I shot mine with the kit 17-85, from memory in the middle to tele end so a 17-40 might be more use but may not be long enough?
If your friend can let you see pace notes that would be good, re jumps, try to get far enough ahead of the jump to see some road after they land, some botched landings are more spectacular than the flight! Water splashes, remember what goes up must come down, is wet cold and not good for cameras! ;D
I posted one of mine, not a great shot, to show what you might expect with which lens, I tried some panning, everything fuzzy, so unless you know you can do it either don't do it in anger first, if you can go somewhere and practice taking panned shots of cars without getting shot at I would do that! ;D Do they shoot first ask questions later in Colorado?


IMG_0578 by Valvebounce25, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS 40D
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/6.3
Focal Length 85 mm
ISO Speed 400
Exposure Bias 0 EV

Cheers Graham.

Hi again
Ya I agree about the safety. If you die getting a shot than you can never appreciate it!
But thanks for the advise what do you think about the gear? Do you think I'll need something wider than 50mm? My next closest good wide lens is the 10-22. I could easily get my hands on a 17-40 though...
Thanks for the help!

 

[TheJock]

The kit you have sounds ample, the 10-22 will offer unique wide perspectives on areas with significant background interest, never rule that out!
Your 50mm f1.4 will offer great background blur if your just off the side of the track and the 70-200 is a must for almost all situations.
Safety is key as Graham said, just remember that if a car losses control and is heading towards you, there’s no point trying to outrun a car in the same direction its travelling, run at 90 degrees to get into a safe position faster, common sense stuff really but in my marshalling experience you can never rule out how un-common common sense is in otherwise well trained people (LOL).
Another good vantage point is lower than the track surface in ditches; again make sure they’re not in the line of potential out of control cars (consider the effects of centrifugal forces on cars to determine if you’re in a “safer” zone as there are no debris fences on Rallies), these ditches can offer “airborne” shots if you find a good location, ask other photographers or regular fans of the event on the day, they can reveal the good locations, this is when it’s best to have a map so you can ask them to point the area out.
If you’re paying an entry fee then there probably won’t be any problems with you taking your gear, but if you’re looking for more specific/special access or privileges then you’d best get someone from the teams you know to arrange this for you well in advance of the event. Stay safe and have fun, and don’t forget to post some pictures, Rallies are awesome!!!