Le Mans 2007 - Photo Tips?

[rejones2004]

Last year was my first time at Le Mans and was a truly memorable experience. Thanks to everyone for their help and advice prior - much needed for a newbie!

Took some not bad photos last time but this year I really want to crack panning so am after some failsafe advice from you experts out there! I'm using a 30D, so any tips on best settings much appreciated.

Would also love to see any examples of your pics to give me inspiration.

See you out there!!!!

-rej

[Aysedasi]

Hi, I fall a long way short of having any sort of expertise, although I do like taking photos at Le Mans and have been doing so for 21 years.

If you put my Tenths name into Google, you'll find my website. (Forum rules prevent me from directly 'advertising' it here.....)

[spectre200]

No 'failsafe' advice, but - I use a fixed shutter speed between 320 and 250, adjust the exposure compensation to around-0.6 if it's really bright, and take loads of pictures so you can weed out the failures.

I've not got a DSLR, so I use manual focus to avoid 'hunting', then, when panning, I try and fix the car in the viewfinder early, follow it to the point I pre-focused on , then gently press the shutter as it passes.

Also, when shooting through the fence at night, turn the flash off or you get nice pictures of fences! (I love headlight/tail light streaks, by the way.)

[MikeHoyer]

I've got a gallery of 2006 stuff from the spectator areas to show you can get some interesting stuff from behind the fence. I'll reupload it so you can have a look. To be honest I could do better now, but it's not bad.

My advice is - Le Mans isn't great for the spectator for car shots. There's hardly any decent spots, and plenty of people know about them, so they get crowded. Try and think outside the box, do something a bit different, not just cars through a fence.

Good luck!

[olly83]

I find that for panning it is worth heading up to the Dunlop Chicane just when the sun is getting low. you get a nice golden light hitting the cars and you can normally hop over the railing and get nice and close to the fence. I often stay there a while shooting loads of pics (the beauty of digi!)

With a slow enough shutter you can get rid of the fence, and the blurred spectators make for an interesting backdrop. This is one of my faves from last year http://oliver-wylie.fotopic.net/p36504163.html

Other suggestions, take a trip in the ferris wheel, take loads of pics and as MikeHoyer said, think outside of the box!

I might even see you at the Dunlop bridge (I'm the one with the yellow tw**s sticker on my lens hood!)

[MikeHoyer]

Yeah when it starts getting dark, you can shoot wide open which can often blur out the fence when you're close enough. But I wouldn't spend hours with your nose to fence, maybe try shooting the "event" in general.

[olly83]

Yeah, definately. It's nice to get some clean car shots, but the pictures that I am most fond of are almost always the atmosphere shots.

[rejones2004]

Thanks for all the advice so far everyone, and some great shots Aysedasi and Olly. If anyone's interested my best pics from last year are at http://www.yacc.co.uk/~rej/LM2006 and yep, I agree, you need to think out of the box as sometimes that darn fence just gets in the way! Any comments/criticisms welcome. You'll see that I probably used too high a shutter speed for my panning attempts as the background isn't blurred out enough for my liking, but hey, I'd only had the camera for a week so not too bad I guess

Must admit, we spent a lot of time at Saint Saturnin on the friday- highly recommended if anyone hasn't been before- complete car fest, well worth the visit. However, we missed the pit lane walk and driver's parade, so plan to cut it a bit shorter this year to catch these other extravagansers- also meant I filled my memory up too- extra cards this year to make sure I don't run out of space!

Any advice on the best way to get to the driver's parade from the track? I'm assuming walking is the best option, judging by the traffic last year. How long does it take and what's the best route?

Is anyone going down on the thursday am shuttle?

I'll look out for your sticker olly, think I'll head back to the dunlop area again, and will be using a longer lens this year- just don't know why I didn't last year, lugging it around all weekend and hardly using it. I don't know!

Have fun everyone and maybe see you over there, amongst the other 250K people!!! Can't wait now, only a week to go

-rej

[badgerbaiter]

best way to get above the fences and the crowds is on the ferris wheel.. all depends where they put it this year, though.

i'm going on the eurostar and tgv again this year. free camping if you go on the train too camp where you like!

[Groupc]

An excllent vantage point to get head on, 3/4 or pan shots (all unobscured by fencing as you're above it) is the grand stand at the Ford chicane. All booked for the race but first come first served for qualifying. If you arrive an hour before the 7pm session starts you can pretty much shoot from where you like. Same applies for the stand at the Dunlop Chicane.

Also, if you trek out to Mulsanne corner - don't believe Just Tickets, you CAN drive there - there is a raised spectator bank. If you walk along it with the track on your left, you will reach a point where you are above the fencing and you can get the same shots I listed above.

Another very well known spot is half way around the outside of the esses, it's quite cramped and you'll be on tip toe on a steep sandy slope (with a soft landing of broken Kronenberg bottles at the bottom) and there's only room for 2 or 3 at a time, but worthwhile shots can be achieved here also.

The lengths we go to, to get some decent shots !!

Enjoy it.

[MikeHoyer]

Aside from that, there's a spot on the inside of the Esses where you can get a pan shot without fence, again cramped. Also the inside of Tetre Rouge did have a small area where you could get pan shots - Again it got crowded.

I like your general event shots though, much more interesting.

[bernard b]

Originally Posted by Groupc

An excllent vantage point to get head on, 3/4 or pan shots (all unobscured by fencing as you're above it) is the grand stand at the Ford chicane.

as an illustration, you can get shots like these from there :
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...=1&key=6&hit=1
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...2&key=39&hit=1
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...1&key=12&hit=1

Originally Posted by Groupc

Also, if you trek out to Mulsanne corner - don't believe Just Tickets, you CAN drive there - there is a raised spectator bank. If you walk along it with the track on your left, you will reach a point where you are above the fencing and you can get the same shots I listed above.

early morning in 2005
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...2&key=33&hit=1
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...2&key=48&hit=1

Originally Posted by Groupc

Another very well known spot is half way around the outside of the esses, it's quite cramped and you'll be on tip toe on a steep sandy slope (with a soft landing of broken Kronenberg bottles at the bottom) and there's only room for 2 or 3 at a time, but worthwhile shots can be achieved here also.

test day :
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...1&key=13&hit=1

Originally Posted by MikeHoyer

Aside from that, there's a spot on the inside of the Esses where you can get a pan shot without fence, again cramped...

these places are often overcrowded with photographers
http://www.zoom-24.com/index.php?opt...2&key=37&hit=1

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Groupc

Also, if you trek out to Mulsanne corner - don't believe Just Tickets, you CAN drive there -

Are they saying you can't?

You can also drive out to Arnage and Indianapolis where there is a small piece of fence right down in the corner at Arnage where you may be able to shoot between the mesh. Be prepared to fight with many others for the privilege though.....