Best Euro GP to attend with focus on photography

[Phil]

Thanks mep, that is really helpful. I guess you are right about the finding that one perspective and then things get to get boring.

The reason why i was thinking of going aith general admission tickets is because i thought i could move around more freely than being confined to a specific seat in a grand stand. This was somewhat of a challenge when i was at Spa. I was lucky to get some good shots (the two i linked in the OT) before the race started when the cars were driving to the grid.

The fence was also less of a problem, since i was up close and with the movement, it’s blurred to the point it’s nearly invisible (i think you can see it slightly in the Ferrari shot though). Using a slower shutter speed would mask the fence even more.

Of course i presume it depends on the fence. At Spa at the grandstand i was staying, i guess i was lucky that the fence was very unobtrusive (for photography anyway). Wouldnt know if it’s similar at other venues or race locations though...

You are definitely right about the people though. And moving around with a very limited time frame. There are only 3 practice sessions, qualifying and the race. During the event, moving around would be quite difficult.

Perhaps i should really be considering at least gaining more experience (and doing scouting) at other events first before i do the F1 event...

Speaking of which, i may be attending a track day at Anneau du Rhin soon, not as a participant in my car, but just as a visitor. Will use it for warm up and practice ultra slow shutter speeds.

[JordanFiveOh]

Thanks Jordan, that information is very helpful. Those shots are very nice too, thanks for sharing. What focal length were you using?

I think you are right about Spa, it’s probably the best of those that i listed due to the immense size and variety. I think most places are accessible too around the track if you are willing to walk the distance.

If i were to go again, i would probably find a place around the Kemmel Straight. Or maybe on the other side towards Blanchimont.

Still inclined to go to Monza though since i’ve never been and it’s by far the closest and most convinient one to get to for me. I am thinking/hoping there are some good locations where the cars are at high speed with the forest/dark backdrop. Would have to check the map.

Thanks for the tip on the monopod and ND filter. I am thinking probably something like an 3-stop (nd8) should suffice?

Sorry for the late response.

My photos were between 186mm (Bottas shot with the star) and then 300-400mm for the others.

I shoot a Canon 5DIV and was using a Canon 100-400 L II for those.

A 2 or 3 stop filter would work fine. Alternatively, a circular polarizer would work and probably give you better color and contrast.

I love watching races at COTA but I am tired of shooting photos there!!! I’d love to get to a European race someday.

[Nathanael F1]

I've never been to a GP so I can't really say, but as far as photography in general...
My concern would be your lenses (the D800 is still great even though it's been replaced twice and despite the fps only being 4 (?) which could be problematic, but not the end of the world, especially if you do panning). I feel like 105mm won't be enough to fill the frame and I haven't personally used the 105mm Micro, but is the AF speed and accuracy good enough? I thought most micro/macro lenses are a bit slower to focus. Perhaps you could rent the Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 or one of the Tamron/Sigma 150-600mm lenses.

[Phil]

Hello everyone.

It's been a while since I started this topic in March. Meanwhile, I've visited some trackdays and the E-Prix (Formula-E) event in Zurich and was able to put theory to the test. My current consensus is that I prefer shooting with wider-angle lenses rather than all up and close. And ultra slow shutter speeds are definitely great to create stylised shots and compositions. Most of the following shots are around 1/10 to 1/50 @ 35 or 50mm focal length. ND filter (ND8 - ND32) is a definite must to get the exposure that long on a sunny day.

Here are some images I took (images are clickable and link to high-quality versions on my website with full disclosure of camera, lens, aperture, focal-length, shutter speed and ISO):

Trackday at Anneau du Rhin, France






E-Prix Formula E in Zurich, Switzerland






I might be attending Spa next week (only Friday session) and might try to get some shots from the two practice sessions!

[BassVirolla]

Some time ago I spent a morning in Montmeló to take some pics during the winter testing. It was a VERY sunny day. How do you deal with slow shutter speeds to avoid burned backgrounds in such circumstances? I tried with high ISO and high F (F22 - 32) but this gives away the depth of the picture... I'm very newbie and amateur but I want to keep learning.

[flynfrog]

Open up the aperture. Higher aperture number smaller hole less light slower shutter. It will also give less depth of field.

[Phil]

You use a ND filter (Neutral Density Filter). It’s effectively a piece of glass that limits the amount of light going through. Imagine sunglasses for your lens.

1 stop is always half or double the light.

An;
ND8 = 3 stops
ND16 = 4 stops
ND32 = 5 stops
ND64 = 6 stops
ND128 = 7 stops
ND256 = 8 stops
ND512 = 9 stops
ND1000/1024 = 10 stops

So lets say, you are using f/5.6 at a shutter speed of 1/320s. If you then use an ND32 filter (5 stops), you will end up with an exposure of...

1/160 = 1 stop
1/80 = 2 stops
1/40 = 3 stops
1/20 = 4 stops
1/10 = 5 stops

So 1/10s with an ND32 filter at the same exposure.

[flynfrog]

What Phil said. I thought you were asking how to not have blurry backgrounds.

[BassVirolla]

You use a ND filter (Neutral Density Filter). It’s effectively a piece of glass that limits the amount of light going through. Imagine sunglasses for your lens.

1 stop is always half or double the light.

An;
ND8 = 3 stops
ND16 = 4 stops
ND32 = 5 stops
ND64 = 6 stops
ND128 = 7 stops
ND256 = 8 stops
ND512 = 9 stops
ND1000/1024 = 10 stops

So lets say, you are using f/5.6 at a shutter speed of 1/320s. If you then use an ND32 filter (5 stops), you will end up with an exposure of...

1/160 = 1 stop
1/80 = 2 stops
1/40 = 3 stops
1/20 = 4 stops
1/10 = 5 stops

So 1/10s with an ND32 filter at the same exposure.

Thank you very much. I don't know anything about filters, and this could be a good start.

[Phil]

Small teaser from Friday FP1 & FP2



Cheers Phil


PS: Spa was an amazing experience. Incredible spots for great unobstructed photography. 32 hours of effort with little to no sleep and including drive from and back to Zurich for two sessions of photography, but it was worth it.

[Phil]

So, after recovering from the crazy drive to Belgium, here are a selection of a few of the better shots from Friday. If anyone wonders why Hamilton seems to be on most of the pics - being a LH44 supporter, I am a bit biased and I think the Mercedes has a fantastic looking car. Unfortunately though, not quite the easiest to shoot - as the metallic livery is quite reflective. Luckily, the weather at Spa on Friday was rather cloudy, so the light conditions were perfect; no direct sunlight and I didn't have to use the neutral-density-filters to get under the 1/100s range. The PL-filter (Polarizing Filter) was quite adequate and proved to be excellent in making the colors that bit more vibrant.

Overall, I am very, very pleased with the results. Spa is an excellent choice for capturing the cars - the General-Admission Bronze tickets (€59 for Friday bought track-side) offer good access to the track and there are heaps of places to get close to the track. There are even spots that offer an unobstructed view.

I ended up walking the entire track to find the best spots; the Kemmel straight was the one I had originally planned to use, but then didn't like the "backdrop" (even at ultra slow shutter speeds, it doesn't offer much for pleasing shots IMO). I then found the spot just ahead of Pouhon: You're on the hill, the fence is lower and not within view, so it was perfect to capture the cars at speed heading into Pouhon. I also tried some spots before the Bus-Stop-Chicane but you're rather high up looking down, so I decided to back track to Eau-Rouge and Raidillon, where there are "windows" in the fence that allow unobstructed view to the track. That spot was also brilliant, as the track has these red/yellow curbs and the barriers which make for a nice backdrop, especially at slow shutter-speeds.

Because you are rather close to the track, even the 35mm can be used. Overall, most of my shots were done using the 50mm with a shutter-time around 1/60s to 1/100s. I tried slowing down the shutter-speed to 1/10s and 1/20s but it's extremely difficult to get the cars reasonably sharp. The dilemma being; Is it better to go ultra-slow for that perhaps 500th chance to hit the lottery with a perfect sharp shot or better to find a good middle ground, e.g. 1/60th-1/80th and walk away with 10% usable shots? I opted for the latter and am quite happy. Perhaps if I'd visit more F1 races, I would probably go super stylish and slow, but give this is the first time in 7 years that I visited an F1 race, it was important to me to make it a worthwhile visit. Even so, capturing these cars at >200kmh even at 50mm focal length at sub 1/100s shutter times is no easy accomplishment. Most shots are still hit and miss, but with a bit of practice, you get the hang of it. For those of you who might try to attempt the same; Use manual focus and pre-focus on the surface (or use back-button-focusing in conjunction with continuous focusing [AF-C on Nikon]), use manual-mode for consistent shots. Don't over-expose, better to be too dark than too bright (blown out areas can't be recovered), and always, always shoot RAW.

I also used the 105mm which is actually a macro-lens, but was excellent for the few shots I used it. Using it wide-open gave most shots a nice vignetting and super sharp in the center. For the areas that I chose for my shots though, it was a bit too close. Good for ultra-fast shutter speeds (1/2000s) as the cars were approaching Raidillon, but too close for the capturing them driving by.

So here are the shots - again, they are clickable for a high-res version. If you are viewing these on a mobile-device, if you click on them, you can get the fullscreen-view if you press the center of the image.

Before Pouhon with AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED with Hoya PL-Filter


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G ED @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/40s, f/10 | PL

Before Pouhon with AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G with Hoya PL-Filter


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/60s, f/7.1 | PL


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/40s, f/13 | PL


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/60s, f/5 | PL


After Raidillon with the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G with Hoya PL-Filter


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/80s, f/6.3 | PL


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/80s, f/6.3 | PL


NIKON D800 + AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G @ 50mm, ISO 100, 1/100s, f/5.6 | PL


After Raidillon with the AF-S VR MICRO-NIKKOR 105mm (No filter):


NIKON D800 + AF-S VR MICRO-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/250s, f/7.1


NIKON D800 + AF-S VR MICRO-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED @ 105mm, ISO 100, 1/1250s, f/2.8


I chose these pictures because they are among my favorites. Especially the shots of the Torro Rosso were aced and it's such a nice looking car too. I also have some great shot of the Haas, McLaren, Ferrari and Red-Bull.

Also for the record, these shots are not-cropped (except vertically to get to a 16:10 format). They are what they are, using a full-frame DSLR (so 50mm = 50mm).

Cheers Phil

[BassVirolla]

Very useful info and great pics! Thanks! It's very apreciated the details in configuration for every take.

[Danlizzyman]

Thanks for sharing Phil! The pics and write up are great! I attended Spa at the weekend myself for the same reasons, and what a weekend it was! It was my fourth GP, and by far the most enjoyable, the experience was greatly enhanced by having a camera with me.

The track is majestic, I can't say enough about it, I would encourage anyone to visit Spa in person, it is a magnificent circuit to watch F1 cars. With so many elevation changes, hills, and embankments trackside there are some amazing vantage points, many offering unobstructed views of the tarmac. Watching Q2 from the approach to Pouhon was amazing, it almost tricks your brain to witness the top guys go through there as all logic suggests that it shouldn't be possible to corner at that speed, it was exhilarating.

I walked 12km in total on Friday and covered most of the circuit, I'm sure we must have passed each other at some point Phil! I found the slow shutter shots extremely difficult to capture, maybe 1 in 10 came out well, but to my mind I was doing the same thing each time so I could never judge why some worked and others didn't, which meant I could never replicate the good shots! I guess as I was there all three days I had more time to mess around and keep plugging away with the slow shutter stuff, so I did come away with some decent ones, although I kept the shutter speed fast on Sunday to make sure I didn't miss any crucial action.

[Phil]

Hey Danlizzyman,

Cool, sounds like we really must have passed each other. Yeah, I find slow shutter speeds are quite unpredictable too. Amazingly though, the more you keep at it, the better it gets. I found the best way (for me) was to not have my eye glued at the view-finder, but gave a bit of distance and simply concentrated on the movement.

Anyway, looks like I will not be heading to Monza. I was considering it, as it's rather quite close (about 3.5 hour drive) and I think the Friday tickets give you access to most grand-stands, but unfortunately work has me covered for tomorrow.

Oh one more think; Despite my original feelings about the Halo, I rather quite like it on my shots. I think the side profile is quite nice with it. Didn't feel brave enough to post this in the Halo topic though.

[BassVirolla]

Sorry for being resuscitating this thread, but I have to ask:

Is someone in the forum going to preseason tests to take some photos?

I live quite near (40km or so) and I'll go a day, possibly two, in the second week.