You’ve likely tried to photograph a race car at the track if you are a fan. It’s not always as simple as it seems. Even the most skilled photographers and cameras are challenged by the high-speed nature of motorsport photography. To take your motorsport photos to the next level, you need to have a unique skill set.
You can take a picture of a car at track, but you can add any of these elements to your photos to make them more special. Keep these three elements in mind when you’re at a track to shoot motorsport: speed and action, as well as emotion.
You’ve likely tried to photograph a race car at the track if you are a fan. It’s not always as simple as it seems. Even the most skilled photographers and cameras are challenged by the high-speed nature of motorsport photography. To take your motorsport photos to the next level, you need to have a unique skill set.
You can take a picture of a car at track, but you can add any of these elements to your photos to make them more special. Keep these three elements in mind when you’re at a track to shoot motorsport: speed and action, as well as emotion.
2 Action
It is great to get a photo of just one car at the track. The action moments of the race are what make the race memorable.
You should be alert for situations when more than one car is jostling for position. This is usually in the first laps of a race. Your photographic story will be more defined if you include shots of race leaders competing for the lead.
You will need to be at one of the slower corners to capture these moments. One that encourages passing. You will need to know the place. Every track is unique.
Emotion
Like all sports, motorsport has its highs and lows. This is evident in the emotions that you will see on the racetrack.
You will need to capture the drivers, fans, and teams celebrating the victory in order to complete your photographic story. This could be a driver waving to the crowd after he crosses the checkered flag, or it could just be a driver celebrating victory.
The highs are great, but the lows tell a different part of the story. It could be between two rivals. This could be a driver escaping from his car that is broken down. All of these stories tell the story about the race.
It takes some luck to capture emotion in motorsport. These shots are so rewarding.
These emotional moments are difficult to photograph. To capture a driver performing a burnout, slow down the shutter speed. But not too much that the car blurs. I would suggest 1/250th.
