LE Mans - never took proper pics - general advice please!!!

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stockwell

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Dave
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Hi,

Heading down to Le Mans in a couple of weeks. Really excited for the annual trip, and this is the main reason I bought my camera = a Canon 450d with 17-85IS and 55-200IS.

I am a complete novice, so wondered if anyone has any advice at all for me who has done it a bit before.

Is there anything specific I should be getting before I go?

Also, am I ok to shoot in the second best quality as I cant trasnfer RAW images for some reason onto my computer. Really struggling with that at present. I was thinking of taking some RAW and some jpg so I dont have to wiat to sort the image conversion problems. I use a work computer at the moment, so havint been able to get photoshop or the conversion software jsut yet.

Any advice gratefully received, or indeed if anyone wanted to meet up for an hour down there, that could be good too.

Dave
 
Hi Dave

Must admit I'm a bit jealous you are going to Le Mans, I've been twice back in the mid 80's and would love to go again.

Re the photography - having lugged a big bag of film SLR gear round both times I went I can say the best photos I took were holding a little Canon P&S over the heads of the crowd as the fininsh approached.

It's quite difficult to get decent shots of the cars from the spectator enclosures (probably worse now after all these years).

If you are keen to take your camera I would advise you take a small tripod/Gorillapod as there are lots atmospheric of pictures to be had in the fairground and at sunrise/sunset.

Re the RAW/JPEG thing just make sure you have plenty of memory and shoot full size RAW and perhaps a slightly smaller JPG, you will be kicking yourself in the future when your skills have increased and you cannot go back to your Le Mans photos as you don't have any RAW files.

You will (as always) get some people who say if you get everything right in camera you don't need RAW, well who outside a studio always gets everything right in camera??.

RAW = digital negative :thumbs:

HTH

David
 
the best advice would be to leave the camera at home, and enjoy yourself instead.
its very very hard to get good shots at Le Mans, and it gets in the way of the boozing :)

and if you are camping, then be very careful your equipment doesnt get nicked. Every year the type of people that camp at le mans gets worse, and more stuff gets stolen. Even fold up chairs, let alone cameras.
I'm not talking about the gypsies that come around after the race, i'm talking about fellow campers.
 
Hi, Thanks both for your replies.

Gary - sound advice for sure about looking after equipment. I'm quite a veteran - only missed about 3 in 15 years, so i know what you mean. theft if rife in the sites, but I will have it locked away in the car when not in use, and wont have it with me all the time, so I will definitely partake in some boozing as well - that's mostly what its about.

I would love some good shots though, which is why I got rid of the silly little point and shoot and set off down this route!!
 
stockwell said:
Hi, Thanks both for your replies.

Gary - sound advice for sure about looking after equipment. I'm quite a veteran - only missed about 3 in 15 years, so i know what you mean. theft if rife in the sites, but I will have it locked away in the car when not in use, and wont have it with me all the time, so I will definitely partake in some boozing as well - that's mostly what its about.

I would love some good shots though, which is why I got rid of the silly little point and shoot and set off down this route!!
Click to expand...

i missed it last year, and missing it again this year :/
will still do spa 24 though.. no atmosphere, but much less work :)

i'm afraid i cant help you with public areas to shoot from, though. But from what i've seen and heard from other people, its really hard.

I think there are some other threads from last year on TPF that might be worth having a search for too

either way, have fun! :)
 
Hi Dave,

Reading your thread took me back to the mid 1960's when I went. I was still a teenager and went for the racing, atmosphere and most of all the drinking, so didn't take a camera. I remember standing in the chicane and watching the cars drive straight towards us with only a low barrier between us.

Anyway, your post got me surfing info on Le Mans and I came across this thread about where to take photos - hope it helps.

Have a great time,

Ken
 
Hi Dave.

I went to Le Mans two years ago. I had just purchased my first camera - a 400d. I'm going again this year but have mad the decison to leave the camera gear at home and just enjoy the atmosphere.

If you do take your's then a mono / gorilla pod would be good. Lens wise 200mm may be a little short.

Anyways, have a great time down there and watch out for MAD FRIDAY! :)
 
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