My area of photography is highly specialized, I photograph only car races, specifically Vintage and Historic Sports car races. I'll start with the equipment I use and then try to explain some of the techniques involved.

Equipment:

All my equipment is Canon. I've had the opportunity to try other brands, and for my purposes Canon is best suited. I have a EOS 1D Mk II body with a 10D as backup.

Lenses:

20-35 2.8

I use this one if I'm doing a large group of cars or a presentation and space is limited.

28-70 2.8

My favorite "walking around" lens. Great for setup shots, podiums, and still shots of cars in the paddock.

70-200 2.8

Ideal for panning! It has enough reach that you can do full frame pans at most tracks and even get some nice action shots with multiple cars in the shot.

400 2.8

90% of my work is probably done with this lens. Safety dictates that you be well back from the track and this lens brings the action to you.

I also carry 1.4 and 2x extenders for those areas where the fencing and barricades keep you well back, but you still have to get the shot.

Tripod:

Most of the time a tripod is too restrictive for track work so I use it primarily for two purposes: a group shot of cars or people when I want the framing to be precise or if it is raining I clamp a large umbrella to the center post to keep the camera dry and keep shooting.

Monopod:

Absolutely essential! The big lens and camera weight approximately 20 pounds. There is no way you can use them all day without support. Clamps have been known to break or screws fall out so I take two monopods with me, even with the smaller lenses the monopod helps steady the camera and eliminates the natural tendency to lower the camera somewhat when pushing the shutter release.

Flash:

Used primarily for "fill flash" on people shots, but on the rare occasions I do a night race I use it for pan shots. A word of caution here, use the flash only for pans, never when the car is coming towards you, for obvious safety reasons.

Storage: With my equipment all digital producing large files, image storage becomes critical. I carry six high capacity "CF" cards plus a 40 Gig bulk storage device.

Film:

Don't skimp on quality, stick to the premium brands. After all that is spent on equipment, getting to the track, admission, etc., film is the cheapest part of the equation. When I shot film I used over 600 rolls a year, and believe me the name brands are worth paying extra for. Miscellaneous: You will, of coarse, need a bag to carry all the gear in plus a number of common sense things such as: ear protection (race cars are loud); spare batteries; a hat; sunscreen and water.

Technique:

Whether shooting track & field, football, nature or motor racing a knowledge of the subject is a tremendous asset. Knowing the activity well enough to know where to be when, and with what equipment is all important. Mosport is the closest road racing track to us, so I will focus my comments on it. In addition to being close, Mosport is also one of the best racks in North America for photography, spectators can get reasonably close to the action and there are not the eight foot high chain link fences that surround most of the circuits today. As with all photography, follow the sun. The inside of turn 9 and the outside of turn 10 have lots of action and are great morning shots. Also from the infield, the short chute between turns 9 and 10 provides a great panning opportunity - you are fairly close to the track, and the cars are going relatively slow. Outside corner 5 is the best afternoon shot, a bit of a hike, but well worth it. Again there is lots of action and you can get quite close. The outside of corner three is also a good afternoon shot, but you are further back from the track.

For action shots that show the car being "used" I like to shoot into the apexes or exits of corners. The auto focus on most cameras is now so good I almost never use manual focus and while I use the shutter priority exposure setting, I monitor it closely. I use the slowest shutter speed I feel I can get away with, typically around 1/500. I want the shots to convey a sense of action, not "frozen". Similarly I use the lowest possible ASA setting, usually 100 to retain the greatest quality. If it is dull or raining I'll go as high as 400, but rarely beyond that.

The best spot for pans is on a straight just after the exit of a corner. The cars are accelerating and not going as quickly as in the middle of the straight. I use a slow shutter speed, about 1/60, but you may want to start around 1/200 and work your way down. The image stabilizer in many lenses is a great help here. Pick the car you want to shoot, follow it until it is where you want the shot, then squeeze the shutter release gently, and continue following the car. It takes practice, but it is gratifying when you get it right.

Many of the consumer cameras have a perceptible lag between when the shutter release is pressed and when the shutter actually trips. This can be overcome somewhat, by focusing on the car you want to shoot well before it arrives where you actually want to take the picture, depressing the shutter button halfway to engage the auto focus, follow the car to the desired location and then pushing the shutter home. It takes practice, but it works.

Another, often overlooked aid to getting better pictures, is the use of a lens hood. If you are outdoors on a sunny day and want to see better, you put your hand to your forehead to shield your eyes. The same holds true for your camera, if you lens came with a hood, use it, if it didn't, buy one, it will improve your photography. A fringe benefit is that it will protect the glass in the end of the lens from getting bumped.

I hope this short primer on photography has been informative and will improve the quality of your shots and add to your enjoyment of your trip to the races.

Bob Harrington is a Burlington photographer who is the Canadian Editor of Victory Lane Magazine. He is also the photographer for: the Historic Sportscar Racing Association; the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association; the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada; the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame; and the North American Chapter of the SRRC 2000 Group. His work has appeared in all the Vintage Race publications, numerous hard cover books and publications as diverse as the National Post and Penthouse.