Gold Coast Photos

[Crash Test]

Here is a small selection from my Saturday rolls of film. Any requests?


Helio exiting the Fosters Chicane during Qualifying
(notice the low downforce wing settings...)


Christian during morning practice.


Good old Paul


A little blurry, but Servia all crossed
in the wet.....


....compared to him going in the right direction.


Bg Mo Gugelmin exits the Fosters chicane, a little blurry with the fence, but you get that...


Ahhh, the Gold Coast

[Jay]

Nice shots. It is always difficult to find a good vantage point without a fence in your way.

Take any photos of cars on the straights? They are my favorite. A close up of the car in perfect focus with the background a blur. I should post some of mine from toronto. I had a few good ones of Helio.

[Liz]

Ab\ny pix of Gil before he smacked up?

[Crash Test]

I was telling this to a freind off the topic last night. A photo pass on the Gold Coast would be an absolute blessing. Down there, there are only limited holes in the fences for photos, and a few holes for TV cameras. Other than that there are the gaps where drivers can jump through the mesh, but this are getting smaller by the year, and the entry points for emergency vehicles.

Basically when you're a pro, you get dibs on the photographers holes. The public just have to hope that no one is there, they are leaning down or are over to the side. Also there are many photographers holes which are out of the way, like in front of grandstands, or in front of avertising boards, so the public don't have access to them anyways.

A few years I have sat in grandstands, and you've just got to hope you are in the top row, or else you are not in with a chance at getting a shot without the fence in the bottom of frame.

Helio's and Mauricio's pics were taken through a flag marshals hole in the fence, not very big, and the cars were going too fast to get dead centre. The picture of Nakano/Bright down the bottom was taken through a hole which is left open local traffic has to get up that particular track at nights and before/after the meeting.

The ones at the Worldcom Chicane were taken between photographers at wall line. I've got a stack of pics which have their shoulders just in frame...aaarrgggg

Basically it is hard to get a good shoton the straights, even when you pan and have the cars in focus. Down on the GC, the upright poles supporting the catch fencing are almightily thick, and you can't really avoid them (you can see them in the backgrounds of the shots)...

I'm a little disappointed in the scan quality, the monitor at home is stuffed (16 colours minus all red)..

I'll get my Sunday pictures this afternoon (hopefully) and I'll see what I can get from those

[Crash Test]

GIL!

Saturday Practice


Sunday warm up


Mikey and Christian


Blurry Mikey on the way back from the BBQ...


Roberto

More to come?

[elephino]

Tomorrow tomorrow, it's only a day away till I get my films processed.

[Liz]

Very nice indeed! What kind of camera do you have and what lenses do you use? I am getting a new camera for next year (Murph is helping me with advice) and I want to know what people find to be the most useful and easiest to use of cameras that will still take good photos.

You can buy a photographer's pass in Toronto but they are expensive. Once I learn how to take good photos I am going to spring for one.

[Crash Test]

I have an old Nikon F50 (cheapest Nikon AF) with a Tamron 80-210 zoom and Tamron 2x converter. I've had to get the converter for motorsport pics, but it has murdered the AF. It also killed the shutter speed, as i only ever used 100ASA, but that has been overcome by using 400ASA, besides, it is cheaper these days.

To be honest, most camera companies make good cameras, and it depends who you talk to as to what they recomend. I like the Nikon for their quality, and because that is what i was told by some enthusiast friends of mine. The only brand i was told to steer clear of was the new generation of Pentax's...

[Neil C]

Great stuff Crash. Thanks for sharing.

[bella]

classy pics, crash! very well taken. you have a worshippable camera and lens set. i love the shot of big mo. and the lighting in moreno's shot is perfect. dead classy. what shutter speeds do you have it on? (stupid - i guess it's quite quick)

nice one!

[Crash Test]

I guess for the Champ Cars down on the GC I'd be using 350th to 500th of a second, or a little bit quicker depending on the light. I guess the Sunday pics would be around 350th of a sec beacuse it isfairly shaddowy. Usually at a permanant circuit where you can do some panning, I would probably be inlcined to do 125-150th of a sec.

[Crash Test]

Actually I'm just having a look at the photos now and there seem to be the following wing settings on the cars:

Penske cars- Low front and low back
Newman Hass- Low front and high back
Moreno- High front and high back
Tracy- Low front and high back

Hmmmm....thats nearly all of the combinations...

Might post some more when I get home...

[Liz]

Did you get any pictures of crashes?

[Crash Test]

The only pics of got of Cart prangs were simply people going down the escape road and coming out in the wrong direction, hardly exciting. There was a pile up in front of us in the Nations Cup race, and I've got a pic of a bashed up Viper. Other than that just bashed up cars going to the pits. Also got a very blurry pic of Gil with his wheel hanging off -not worth posting.

After looking at the pics, I've got this list of wing settings:
Front / Rear
Newman Hass H L
Patrick H L
Mo Nunn H H
Coyne (Swift) H H
Penske L L
Coyne (Lola) M L
Bettenhausen M L
Della Penna L H
Players L H
TCGR L H
Kool Green L H
Pac West L H
Walker L H
PPI M M
Rahal M H

L=low
H=high
M=medium

I know this probably belongs in the Tech forum...but it is still interesting...

[Crash Test]

Ah stuff it, here are a few more


Brighty!


Big Mo again


Tracy again, this time exiting the first chicane

[Crash Test]

Ah fooey, that'll teach me to cut and paste