First go at Speedway

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wookie6262

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Simon
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I have been trying to get access to shoot Speedway for a long time but have failed miserably. At least the local club have relented and now allow shooting from the spectator areas so as it was a lovely night I toddled along to watch and photograph Speedway for the first time. Stood in the same spot as there wasn't many other places to get a clean view of the track

Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
 
Looks like you had some decent light. I would love to get shots like that. I've tried my nearest venue but got told no - due to child protection or something.
 
You can see the eyes really well in the flash -- which might be why they are generally reluctant to allow photography in case of dazzle.

While the first three are really sharp I much prefer the fourth one as the others seem to have totally stilled the action to the point where they look stationary and staged. A good set for a first time out.
 
ShinySideUp said:
You can see the eyes really well in the flash -- which might be why they are generally reluctant to allow photography in case of dazzle.

While the first three are really sharp I much prefer the fourth one as the others seem to have totally stilled the action to the point where they look stationary and staged. A good set for a first time out.
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No flash allowed and none used. If you look at the wheels you will see tons of movement but they were coming almost straight at me and I was playing it safe with shutter speeds of 1/160 and 1/320
 
Really? You surprise me, the lighting must be something else there then. Yes I can see the wheel blur, I was referring to the riders, they look so still, I suppose it's the way they ride, don't want to be moving around on the bikes too much. I think you've done very well with those shutter speeds and such a fast-moving sport.
 
Great set. I see that ISO 640 was enough for at least one of the shots, even if it did lengthen the shutter speed to 1/50th.

I miss the Falcons - the ground is long since built over. We used to hear them racing when the wind was in the right direction, despite it being about 2km away and the other side of a hill. Used to go fairly often with Dad when I was a nipper, back in the days when Ivan Mauger used to race for the Falcons.
 
Nod said:
Great set. I see that ISO 640 was enough for at least one of the shots, even if it did lengthen the shutter speed to 1/50th.

I miss the Falcons - the ground is long since built over. We used to hear them racing when the wind was in the right direction, despite it being about 2km away and the other side of a hill. Used to go fairly often with Dad when I was a nipper, back in the days when Ivan Mauger used to race for the Falcons.
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The light had gone at that point. Too much light to start with and never had any filters. Then there was a lovely 20-30 minutes where the light was high enough to not cast a shadow and low enough to give some lovely warm light on the riders. The noise of teh bikes and turning my back on the track to avoid the flying debris is what I will remember most. Not a cheap outing though at over 20 quid to get in
 
wookie6262 said:
Not a cheap outing though at over 20 quid to get in
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Just a few minutes ago we came back from the theatre, our tickets cost £52 each, I think you have a bargain :)
 
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ShinySideUp said:
Just a few minutes ago we came back from the theatre, our tickets cost £52 each, I think you have a bargain :)
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Fair point. I look at the cost to get into top level football and it isn't much more. I suppose this is top level motorsport but the surroundings and experience is very 1980s. It was a pretty decent crowd maybe around 800-1000 at a guess. That is the same as my local team who play in Scottish League 2 in a stadium that is similar. I think they are around £15 to get in.20 quid isn't much these days though and I will probably give it another go if I can get some access
 
I'd pay £20 to get cinders thrown at me and R fumes up my nose, not to mention the roar of 500 singles on Meth(anol!)
 
wookie6262 said:
I have been trying to get access to shoot Speedway for a long time but have failed miserably. At least the local club have relented and now allow shooting from the spectator areas so as it was a lovely night I toddled along to watch and photograph Speedway for the first time. Stood in the same spot as there wasn't many other places to get a clean view of the track

Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Edinburgh Monarch by Simon Wootton, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Just came across these, love it! I used to go to Arena Essex/Lakeside from the 80’s until they closed. Your images are great- nailed it
 
It's hard to believe these are a first effort Simon.

Very well done! :D
 
They are all good but the last one is stunning, it catches what the sport is all about
 
woof woof said:
It's hard to believe these are a first effort Simon.

Very well done! :D
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Thanks

I think once you are proficient at shooting moving objects then all sports are pretty similar and you have a decent chance of good images almost straight away. Access would make a big difference at this track but like many sports it is dead man's shoes
 
Nicely done, some great shots. It's odd, not all places allow you to post pictures online, I took photos at Owlerton but wasn't allowed to share them :thinking:
 
Great stuff. (Sadly my local track has closed).
If you're ever lucky enough to get on the centre green, that gives a really different perspective.
Aaaah, Castrol R....
 
Nothing wrong with the first 3, they are well executed, but the 4th easily steals the show due to the added panning blur and the positioning of the second rider.

Mike
 
I like these a lot, the lighting is very good. I think worth the £20 for a night of shooting a bucket list sport.
 
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