Le Mans Picture Thread

[Aysedasi]

Great stuff as always Ker. Anyone would think you do this for a living.......

[Coach Ep]

Funny how it makes the Porsche look like it's going counter direction under the Dunlop bridge! (unless the car is spun around and is truly facing counter!)

[kdr]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Great stuff as always Ker. Anyone would think you do this for a living.......

It's a labour of love, or something!

[kdr]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Funny how it makes the Porsche look like it's going counter direction under the Dunlop bridge! (unless the car is spun around and is truly facing counter!)

I did see that a couple of times on Saturday night when the rain and spinning started! But this is taken earlier at the bottom of the hill in the Esses looking up, so definitely going the right way!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by RL17

Like the picture with the Peugeot leading a Toyota

Me too! And not because I am French…

[Aysedasi]

It may just have been me, but I found the Peugeot very 'photo-friendly'. Particularly in the dark when the lighting set up really seemed to work. The shame of it is that my photos have turned out to be pretty poor this year.

[kdr]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

It may just have been me, but I found the Peugeot very 'photo-friendly'. Particularly in the dark when the lighting set up really seemed to work. The shame of it is that my photos have turned out to be pretty poor this year.

Yep, it definitely stood out, the rear of the car especially. I struggled again with the Toyota, never seem to get much on them, but have Cadillacs coming out my ears!

[S griffin]

Well the Peugeots are unique. Anyway enjoying the pictures, you can really see the buzz from this event in them

[Peter Mallett]

Moved to Motorsport Art and Photography. Lot's of oppoertunity to discuss the pictures and how they were taken and equipment used. Hopefully others, who were not there will also join in.

[Peter Mallett]

I took a look at some more of my pics and the focal length used etc. It seems that I was using between 100 and 135mm at Tetre Rouge for those panning shots and 400mm elsewhere. Last year I went to Indianapolis and Arnage where I used 215 - 235mm at the former and 400mm for the shots exiting the latter (heading towards Porsche curves). As for ISO I was using anything from 1600 to 8000 in the darkness and rain this year. Last year I maxed at 2500. Daylight ranged from 200 to 400.

[Aysedasi]

Interesting. I'd say that my focal lengths in those various places were much the same. I guess getting the car fully in the frame generally accounts for the similarities. As to ISOs, I really hammered mine up to the max or near to it to get enough light. In the daylight, yes, generally 200-400.

I constantly disappoint myself with my Le Mans photos - have done for years. There are times when I look back and think that the photos I took with a relatively cheap Minolta with a very cheap 100-210mm were better than many of my more recent efforts. I probably have the wrong mindset. Back in the 'film' days, every shot was carefully taken as it cost a lot of money for D&P of rubbish reels. These days you can blast off dozens of shots in a second or two and thinking/composing goes out of the window. I work on something like a 1:25 moderately decent shot success rate. On a trip to Le Mans, I reckon on getting half a dozen really good shots - if I'm lucky.

Having said that, I'd love to have a few minutes access to some of the places the pros like Ker get to shoot from. There are severe limitations for the amateur photographer at Le Mans which for me, result in lots of similar shots from the same places taken year on year. Every time I go I think I must try and be more creative, but it seems to just go out of the window. Part of that is that at numerous times during the race I'm really tired having had no sleep so taking photos is my way of staying awake - it doesn't necessarily make for good shots!

Do you use a tripod Peter? Every year I take mine and it sits in the boot because I just can't face lugging it aound - it's probably 10 years since I used it.....

[Peter Mallett]

You and I both hump a fairly heavy 100-400 lens around, but a 70-200 and a 300mm telephoto might actually be a better combination.

[Aysedasi]

Yeah, it's a thought for sure. I did use my 18-135 in a few places, simply to avoid holding the weight of the big fella.

[S griffin]

They've made cameras lighter, but not tripods it seems....

[dwh43scale]

Le Mans has few really nice locations for non accredited snappers and that (along with three more big motorsport weekends at Spa, Ypres and Spa to follow), meant I went with an entry level DSLR and kit lenses - essentially as a tourist snapper.

There were less keepers or images from places where I would normally use the 300 or 500 prime with the "big" camera, but I still like the set as a memento of the centenary weekend. We aren't having to pay the mortgage with our work so that's what the images should be - memories that we can share with others.

Still found the odd new angle - reflections in the windows above T17 (from T34) and through the gate looking towards Ford at Karting. Oh, and managed to squeeze in to get the Ferrari under the podium ...

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by S griffin

They've made cameras lighter, but not tripods it seems....

It's not the weight as such, it's just the awkwardness of carrying the thing around.....

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by dwh43scale

Still found the odd new angle - reflections in the windows above T17 (from T34) ...

Amusingly, we got these the other way around..... It's a shot I've taken quite a few times over the years....

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Do you use a tripod Peter? Every year I take mine and it sits in the boot because I just can't face lugging it aound - it's probably 10 years since I used it.....

Apologies, I missed this. I don't use a tripod, although I have a good one. I do sometimes use a monopod but I find it restrictive when panning so I left it in the car this time.

Was reading an article yesterday which mentioned the plane trees at Tertre Rouge and how they'd been witness to every race since day one. A little dramatic maybe but I realised I'd been photographing them during the night/mornings. (The "NR" means I used noise reduction to clean the picture. Again taken at ISO 8000). As an aside, I learned that plane trees can live for up to 4000 years!

[Aysedasi]

Yes, a familiar shot from the end of the banking at Tertre Rouge. I didn't get over there this year. I feel the same about the monopod use but I think I'll give both that and the tripod a run out next year.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by dwh43scale

Le Mans has few really nice locations for non accredited snappers .............

....................................................

Still found the odd new angle - reflections in the windows above T17 (from T34) and through the gate looking towards Ford at Karting. Oh, and managed to squeeze in to get the Ferrari under the podium ...

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Amusingly, we got these the other way around..... It's a shot I've taken quite a few times over the years....

As spectators, we are unlikely to get "that special shot" but it's still fun trying. Also digital allows us to experiment without the expense of film, where each picture had to count.

Agreed, this is all about memories of the event and being able to share the experience. I think next year, I'll try to involve the people a bit more.

[Aysedasi]

I say that every year Peter, but somehow it goes out of the window when the cars head out on track.... Perhaps I ought to just use my mobile in future....

[rx555]

I posted this in the other thread because somebody asked, but I changed from the 80D to the Canon R7 this year and changed from the EF 75-300 Mk I to the Mk II. I had some focus issues sometimes with the old setup. The R7 is better in that regard as is this lens. Still can't quite pull the trigger on an L series lens.
I don't find I use more than about 200mm of the zoom most of the time as you aren't that far away from the track. My buddy, who's the real photographer of our group, carried his 600mm zoom around all weekend but barely used it. He also used a monopod to pan with in low light for the first time and liked it. I don't have one.
I, too, experimented quite a bit because you can. Found that full manual was the best option to get any results just before nightfall. You'd think with all the settings on these new things, you wouldn't need manual.
Last time we found a nice spot around the Dunlop curve area where you could shoot above the fence but we never got there this year. Most of mine were taken from behind fences other than practice day in the grandstands.
I always think I'm done shooting for the day with so many already taken, but then you always find a new vantage point that might make for something. Plus I find it keeps me occupied.
I'm somewhat spoiled by Daytona as there are many more spots to shoot from there. Road America is my all time favorite place to shoot but they keep adding more fences

[Peter Mallett]

I still have one of my 7Ds but rarely use it these days. My 1DX iii does far more than I could ever use but comes with a price in that it is quite heavy. Add to that I still use a 100-400 L 4.5-5.6 "Mk 1" which adds to that weight. I have a F4L 70-200 but rarely use it because I can run from 100mm with the bigger lens. The downside is that I don't have a large aperture to play with. My F2.8 25-70 zoom, covers most things static so I'm pondering selling the 100-400 and investing in an F2.8 L III 70-200 zoom. It does mean that places like Silverstone, where you have to shoot from the next county, would be difficult. Ultimately I guess I could buy a used 300 F2.8 tele, preferably a series II (series III are too expensive atm), for Le Mans next year.

[Gerard C]

If only plane trees of Tertre Rouge could speak or take pics! Imagine that?