Northwest 200 Practice Photos

[MREGAN]

Just a couple I will go through the rest later. Wrecked

1#
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/NW200.jpg

2#
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/TazSuzuki.jpg

3#
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/NW200Practice.jpg

[JAC]

Magic Roundabout? Was just down the road at University Corner. Great night for it

[chris_the_sham]

station road

[suspectmonkey]

Some nice photos there, seems you are getting to grips with the panning. Looked like fairly tricky shooting conditions as well with a bright, low sun. Only thing I would say would be to try and keep the rider sharp, camera is focusing on the main subject in the frame (the bike) and its leaving the rider out of focus. You could try going for a smaller aperture, or set a specific focus point on the camera and keep it over the rider (easier said than done!). Sorry for the critique by the way, couldnt resist ;)

I should be down from Friday night and staying for the weekend. Will be around the University Corner/Magic Roundabout section as I'm staying nearby. Can't wait!

[MREGAN]

This was the roundabout at the end of mill road leading onto station road as correctly said by sham. The rider in pic 3 is the guy that crashed just down the road. John Anderton think he is. Hope he recovers.

Suspect Thanks for your critique its always useful. I noticed I wasnt getting as sharpe a picture as I would have liked and maybe more focus on the rider is what I need. I was shooting in Tv going between 1/100 - 1/250 sometimes lower but I was a fair wee bit away and they are full zoom shots. The 300d isnt the best dslr and tv mode was advized to me to be the best to use. What mode would you shoot in? I take it you use a canon?

[MREGAN]

Here is a pretty sharpe one I just found. Like the sun on his back.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/IMG_7641.jpg

[MREGAN]

Few more o.k. shots although the sandbags etc are a little distracting I think.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/IMG_7584.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/IMG_7529.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/IMG_7549.jpg

[trailfox]

Thats a better one (in opst before), nice and sharp although maybe a little underrexposed?
If your having probs with your depth of field it can be tricky trying to get a great amount from a telephoto anyway. Maybe try and stick it somewere around f/11-16 and experiment with even slower shutters. < 1/50th can be useful for practising and can create some interesting background content, although itll be trickier keeping the subject sharp :-) Ninja2 is really good at his sport shootinig.
*sigh* alas, I dont know wether Ill be getting up there or not :(

edit: sandbags? *cough*clone tool*cough*

[G-kenny]

are you putting these through any kind of PS? a quick go in work here in ten secs, Unsharpen mask-levels-curves-save
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r305/MREGAN80/NW200/IMG_7641.jpg
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9404/img7641.jpg
Infact maybe a tad oversharped

[MREGAN]

Nothing yet they are just out of the camera. The first three I changed a bit of colour to brighten them. That one your at was straight from the camera. I cant see what you done as its blocked in work but will have a wee look when I get home. Cheers


edit: sandbags? *cough*clone tool*cough*
Aye maybe when I get a bit of time.

[philly]

A couple I took last night near Magherabuoy,

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii168/Phillysales/DSC01552.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii168/Phillysales/DSC01558.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii168/Phillysales/DSC01518.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii168/Phillysales/DSC01503.jpg

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii168/Phillysales/DSC01583.jpg

[MREGAN]

G-kenny Like what you did with that photo. Really livens it up a bit.

Philly some great shots there. (Maybe a bit to much noise) Thats a fast bit of the circuit nice head on shots.

[suspectmonkey]

I was shooting in Tv going between 1/100 - 1/250 sometimes lower but I was a fair wee bit away and they are full zoom shots. The 300d isnt the best dslr and tv mode was advized to me to be the best to use. What mode would you shoot in? I take it you use a canon?

I'd normally shoot motorsports in TV mode as well (Canon user), allows you to keep your shutter speed fixed so you know where you stand when panning and let the camera choose the aperture to expose correctly. If you want to bag most of your shots sharp then you can work around 1/250+ mark, not sure what ISO you are shooting at but you can always use a higher ISO if needs be to let you use the faster shutter speeds. Working around 1/80 - 1/100 I find that the percentage of shots that are "keepers" are much lower. I find it challenging shooting at slower shutter speeds than this because you have to be super smooth at panning and any change of position from the rider can result in an out of focus shot. If you are after fewer shots but want that beautiful background blur then slower shutter speeds is the way to go. If you want to grab shots of your favourite riders every lap then go for 1/200+.

Good to see some photos up, North West seems to get harder and harder each year to take good photos at given the huge crowds and ever increasing safety measures (being behind catchment fences at a road race makes me cry!).

[MREGAN]

I am going to have another mess about tonight with settings then see if there is something I can use for race day. Come on 3pm till I get up that road :D

BTW: Coverage is live on www.bbc.co.uk/nw200
Also from 3pm the Last three races on saturday are live via the red button on BBC1 or BBC2

[trailfox]

hmm.. you think I could get away with sticking the 20d on the tripod and just fire away at the TV coverage? :-) might work..

[suspectmonkey]

The coverage on the BBC NW200 website is pretty good, I watched the Tuesday night practice on it and plan to do the same tonight. Steve Parrish and Philip McCallen make a great commentating duo for the bikes. Will have to remember to set the good old VCR for Saturday so I can watch it properly when get back from Coleraine :)

[MREGAN]

Can you record directly from the red button? VCR!!! Memories :D

[monty]

who's gonna be there tomorrow then?
I will, probably be up round juniper hill or that direction.. I shall be quite easily spotted(actually, it depends*) because of my masterpiece of a D.I.Y raincover on my camera! :D
Made out of a M&S bag cut into strips, a few elastic bands and a pissload of sellotape, I now have an awesome rainmac for the camera :D

*M&S bag wasn't picked for any old reason, it's quite a natury/wildlife colour.. so you might not even see me i'll be blended in so well with the grass! :D