How to Photograph Motor Sports

Motor sports are perhaps the toughest sports to take pictures of because the main subject you need to take pictures of is moving extremely fast. They present some special challenges to photographers. Professional camera equipment will help, but mainly you need to be creative in the approach you take to getting pictures of motor sports.

Instructions

1. Let the cars be blurry. Stopping the action of a fast moving car is not easy. However, there isn't a rule of photography which says all action must be stopped. Set your shutter speed anywhere from 1/30 of a second to 1/8 of a second to give the cars motion streaks.

2. Get a picture of the starting line. Before the race starts, get down close to ground level as you can and get a picture of the cars lined up. This will be one of your only chances to get a picture of a stopped car. Your other chance will be at the pit stops where you can get good pictures of the pit crew in action.

3. Take a picture of the starter waving the flag. The cars will just be starting to move, so they will be going slowly and you get the added interest of the flag. Use a slow shutter speed of 1/30 and the cars and the flag will have motion streaks.

4. Use fast shutter speeds to stop the action. When you want the moving cars to be sharp, you'll need to use shutter speeds of 1/500. In daylight this produces a good picture. If the light is dim, however, you must use a high ISO, such as 400 or 800, and a tripod to get a decent motor sports picture. Because high ISO settings add grain to the picture, a high quality camera is necessary to get a decent motor sports picture in low light.

5. Catch the cars coming around curves. Cars slow down a little when they go around curves, so this is a good chance to turn down your shutter speed a little bit and get a better picture.

6. Take pictures of the cars coming at you. The highest quality motor sports pictures of moving cars are taken when you are facing the front of the cars. Your camera will have an easier time focusing on the cars.

Tips & Warnings

• Another good use of the motion-blur technique is at pit stops. Set your shutter speed to 1/8 of a second and the car will be sharp, but the pit crew workers will have motion streaks, showing has fast they work.

• Take motor sports pictures with open space in front of the cars. This adds to the sense of motion, because it will look like the cars are moving into the open space.