Copyright ©2018 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
On Saturday I went to a car show, but discovered the night before that there would be drag racing too, so I spent all my time there photographing the racing, and not the many, many cars that were parked for viewing.
Two of my photography girlfriends in our group decided to join me, and we had so much fun. We were trying the “panning technique”. It’s not a technique I employ often. This technique requires one to slow the shutter down a bit, then track your subject while it’s moving then when it gets to the spot you want it to be gently squeeze the shutter while following your subject through the squeezing/releasing of the shutter. It happens in a nano second. I didn’t think I was doing it very well, but have more keepers than I thought I would.
The idea is to show movement/speed/motion while trying to keep the subject in focus. It takes a bit of practice.
Settings I used were f/10-f/14, and I varied my shutter speed between 1/125s, 1/100s, and 1/80s in the beginning, and ended up using 1/125s and 1/100s the most. I had really good light so kept my ISO at 100.
I liked f/13-f/14 the best for keeping more of the car in focus.
I also wanted to stop the action to show different parts of what was going on. I just raised my Shutter Speed in those instances.
I was using Manual Priority, Auto White Balance, Matrix Metering mode, Single Point Focus, and Single shot shooting mode throughout the shoot.
So, there’s the technical bits, lemme show you some images from the races. “)
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They approach the starting line with attitude, noise, and whole lot of burning rubber. 🙂
These cars are fast! From the start to finish this car did it in 10.962 seconds at 134.44 miles per hour! One dragster later on clocked in over 200 miles per hour! WILD! 🙂
We spent 2 1/2 hours shooting just cars racing up this track. The time flew by! When it was time to head down to the car show to meet the rest of our group we stopped by the pit area for a closer look.
Can you smell the burn? 🙂 Man it was ear drum bursting noise down there!
It was so much fun. I can’t wait to go back.
Nikon Df| Nikkor 24-120mm f/4| SanDisk Digital Film| PS CC 2018
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
Super shots, glad you like the drag racing, it can become addictive though!
I’m going back to photograph the indy qualifier in September, and I added the garage pass so I can get a bit up close and personal too. I’m looking forward to it.
Thank you so much for the visit and lovely comment! Your images are gorgeous! I’m heading back over to your blog to peruse a bit more.
great panning and action Deb!
Thank you so much Cybele! It was a fun morning.
Looks like a lot of fun and what a perfect place to practice panning! Great post Deborah!
It was fun and a great place to practice indeed! 🙂
Thank you so much for the comment!
Great captures. I’ve read about panning, but have never attempted it. I am impressed!! I’ve been to drag car races and I always wish I had ear plugs, but they sure are impressive!
They are aren’t they?
Thanks so much Amy! I have no doubt you’ll master panning when you want to do it. 🙂
You have a wide variety of interests Deborah! The different speeds and smoke add to the atmosphere – great you had fun! Can’t remember if I commented on the orange poppy in your post below, but I like them just as much as the red ones!
Thank you so much Jesh!
You are so talented Deborah! I love the first two pictures especially. Sounds like a fun time.
It was a smokin good time! 🙂 Thank you so much Antonia!
Excellent shots Deborah. A technique I’d like to try, appreciate the info!
Thank you so much Belinda! Birding would be a good place to practice…on seagulls since they’re plentiful. 🙂
Deb, forgot to say I absolutely was impressed with the way you captured the beauty in the drag race car and still displayed the speed “blur!” 🏁🎌🚩
Thank you so much Robin for the lovely comment! xx
You’re so welcome, Deborah! xo 💐 💕
Wow, Deborah! I love noisy and fast cars! I haven’t been to a drag race but did watch several demolition derbies in county fair circuits. Not quite the same but totally unexpected pleasures! 👏❤️👏
Looks like you’re hooked on racing! Great shots; maybe I’ll have to check out the racing next time.
Oh yes! My mom took me to my first car race when I was 19. It was a blast. I’ve loved the car races since. I just don’t get to go often.
Our favorites were always the funny car drags! Woohoo!
Again, I bow to your superior photography skills. These are amazing shots. 🙂
Beautiful pictures, Deborah. I live in Sonoma (the town) and only visited the raceway when I lived in other states. Go figure.
Thank you John! I think that’s common. I know people who have lived in San Jose their whole life and never been to the Winchester Mystery House. I have been several times ☺.
😀
WOW! These pictures show the real action! I love how the cars are in focus and the background is not! That is sooooo cool
Fantastic pics! What a fun photo shoot!
Thank you so much Camie! It was fun!
I’ve never been to any kind of car race, but what you described is why I love taking photos. You used the event to experiment with something new and had a blast doing it! I”d say you did a mighty fine job of it too!!
Thank you so much Joanne! My mom took me to my first car race when I was about 19. It was a blast. I’ve only been to a few races, but have enjoyed each immensely.
Thank you for the compliment on the panning. I think before the next race I’ll head up to the top of my neighborhood where there’s a street with a good flow of traffic to practice panning before the event.
I might have less to delete…one can hope. 🙂
… and this is why you get so good – you practice and practice!
🙂
That is a nice unexpected turn of events. You did great with the panning technique. Next time, earplugs 🙂
It was! I wasn’t really too excited about the car show, but thought I’d go to get outside my box a bit. I was so excited once I found out about the drag racing. I only took one image of a parked car at the show, and that was about what the license plate said. 🙂
Thanks so much for the comment and visit Joey! Hope all is well with you and yours. I’ve noticed you’re quieter than normal of late and have missed you in my inbox. Not that I’d be able to read anything in a timely fashion. I’m so behind all the time these days. 😦
Happy Hump Day! Hope the rest of the week is a good one for you!
I really do like when something you’re meh about turns into something great. I’d like more of that.
I’ve been in a mode, but we’re all fine, thanks so much. I’m getting back to normal. It’s nice you noticed. ❤
Of course I noticed and I bet I wasn’t the only one. 🙂
I read you got a new job! YEAH!! I hope it’s wonderful for as long as you need it to be.
I LOVE drag racing. I almost made it to Sonoma during one of NHRA’s “western swings” but we decided to catch the race in Seattle instead. Buy your grandson some good hearing protectors (get a pair for yourself) and head there July 27th for some Nitro Pro qualifying. Less than 5 seconds at 320+ MPH and a sound that will rattle your liver.
Sorry, I got carried away. These are great photos. I know exactly how hard it is to pan and capture those cars. It’s not so hard at the start, but at the point where you captured that dragster, he was moving pretty fast – nicely done!
Oh no, I get it! I love the races too. Dragster and stock car are my favorites.
Ear Protectors are a must if I’m going down in the pit again. Man it’s so loud it rattled my teeth! But I loved it.
Thanks so much for the comment. I can tell you like the races too. We were talking about going back in July for that event. 🙂
I love to go for Friday qualifying. You see a ton of cars, and if they have qualifying at night, you can get some wonderful header flames. I hope you get some!
I hope it works out so I can go. It sounds like so much fun!
Holy Hannah! I’m impressed you caught any photos at all with those speeds, Deborah. So triple the compliment I was about to make about what great pictures they are. Hugs.
Thank you so much Teagan! It was a fun morning.