Where to stand at Oulton Park?

snerkler · 12 Jun 2019

I'm off to watch the BTCC at Oulton Park in couple of weeks but have never been there before. Where are the best places to go for photography? I'd preferably like fence free shooting and would like a variety of shots, panning, front on, bouncing over the curbs at corners etc? How big is the circuit, is a lot of walking involved? For reference Donington is my go to circuit and I do tend to get around the whole track during the day, and when I've been to Silverstone I've got around the full track over the course of a day too.

Any help would be appreciated.

srhmoto · 13 Jun 2019

Toby,

Loads of good angles at Oulton Park. Druids is a great spot for the morning, with a wide variety of shots from head on / 3/4 through to side on panning. There's a nice low fence and plenty of options in a relatively short space. Knickerbrook (in the afternoon) is also another great spot, but is popular so maybe not so easy to vary your position. You will get a really nice head on shot with your m4/3 100-400 lens here. Hilltop and The Avenue also off some great viewing and angles. If it's a dull day, you should be able to get through the fence for the classic Lodge shot, although it can get messy in the background depending where the ambulance parks and other circuit furniture.

Example at Druids

https://flic.kr/p/JqRT6r

View: https://flic.kr/p/JqRT6r

Example at Knickerbrook

https://flic.kr/p/26SaqBt

View: https://flic.kr/p/26SaqBt

Unfortunately, I don't have any other examples on my Flickr at the moment.

Size wise, I'd imagine the walking involved will be no more than Donny, and potentially less. There are a couple of bridges that make crossing from the inside to the outside of the circuit much easier.

Hope this helps,

Simon.

snerkler · 13 Jun 2019

srhmoto said:
Toby,

Loads of good angles at Oulton Park. Druids is a great spot for the morning, with a wide variety of shots from head on / 3/4 through to side on panning. There's a nice low fence and plenty of options in a relatively short space. Knickerbrook (in the afternoon) is also another great spot, but is popular so maybe not so easy to vary your position. You will get a really nice head on shot with your m4/3 100-400 lens here. Hilltop and The Avenue also off some great viewing and angles. If it's a dull day, you should be able to get through the fence for the classic Lodge shot, although it can get messy in the background depending where the ambulance parks and other circuit furniture.

Example at Druids

https://flic.kr/p/JqRT6r
View: https://flic.kr/p/JqRT6r

Example at Knickerbrook

https://flic.kr/p/26SaqBt
View: https://flic.kr/p/26SaqBt

Unfortunately, I don't have any other examples on my Flickr at the moment.

Size wise, I'd imagine the walking involved will be no more than Donny, and potentially less. There are a couple of bridges that make crossing from the inside to the outside of the circuit much easier.

Hope this helps,

Simon.

Thanks very much, most helpful

I'll have to have a look at the orientation of the track to get an idea of where the sun will be throughout the day as well I think

RichardC27 · 13 Jun 2019

Oulton is probably the best circuit in the country for spectator side shooting, although some new fencing has gone up over the winter that has taken away a couple of good spots. In terms of walking, it's more than Donington as the circuit layout isn't as compact, particularly if you want to head over to Knickerbrook and down towards Brittens and Shell. It's worth it though, it's a beautiful track, far prettier and more photogenic than Donington. I'd get most of your photography done on Saturday, and go on Friday for practice if you can as it will be absolutely rammed on Sunday for raceday.

As Simon says, Druids is a great spot in the morning, no debris fencing and you're close to the track, there are a few different shots you can get from there, such as these. All taken from basically the same place, within a minutes walk of each other

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

Working further around the circuit, the inside of Lodge and into Deer Leap also gives some good shots, again no debris fencing at all:

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr
There's a bridge there, so nip over to the other side of the track and you can get some good shots along the start finish straight, again no fencing

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

If you can get around Old Hall into the camping area there are some good shots to be had here as well, not sure if you can get around there on a BTCC weekend though.

All along the Avenue and into Cascades is fence free and gives you some great options, as here

Head over the other bridge towards Knickerbrook and the whole of this side of the circuit is basically fence free, loads of good options here too:

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

snerkler · 13 Jun 2019

RichardC27 said:
Oulton is probably the best circuit in the country for spectator side shooting, although some new fencing has gone up over the winter that has taken away a couple of good spots. In terms of walking, it's more than Donington as the circuit layout isn't as compact, particularly if you want to head over to Knickerbrook and down towards Brittens and Shell. It's worth it though, it's a beautiful track, far prettier and more photogenic than Donington. I'd get most of your photography done on Saturday, and go on Friday for practice if you can as it will be absolutely rammed on Sunday for raceday.

As Simon says, Druids is a great spot in the morning, no debris fencing and you're close to the track, there are a few different shots you can get from there, such as these. All taken from basically the same place, within a minutes walk of each other

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr
British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

Working further around the circuit, the inside of Lodge and into Deer Leap also gives some good shots, again no debris fencing at all:

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr
There's a bridge there, so nip over to the other side of the track and you can get some good shots along the start finish straight, again no fencing
British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

If you can get around Old Hall into the camping area there are some good shots to be had here as well, not sure if you can get around there on a BTCC weekend though.

All along the Avenue and into Cascades is fence free and gives you some great options, as here

Head over the other bridge towards Knickerbrook and the whole of this side of the circuit is basically fence free, loads of good options here too:

British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr
British GT Championship Oulton Park by Richard Crawford, on Flickr

Thanks a lot, again very helpful. Unfortunately I'll only be there for race day but plan on getting there first thing to scout it out a bit. When you talk about the stretch around Knickerbrook being fence free is this on the infield or outside of the circuit?

RichardC27 · 13 Jun 2019

snerkler said:
Thanks a lot, again very helpful. Unfortunately I'll only be there for race day but plan on getting there first thing to scout it out a bit. When you talk about the stretch around Knickerbrook being fence free is this on the infield or outside of the circuit?

On the outside past the chicane, you can only stand on the infield on the exit of Knickerbrook, where you'd want to photograph from anyway.

Mr Perceptive · 13 Jun 2019

You are surprisingly close on the infield at Druids, not heavily cropped, taken with the 90mm on an APS-C sensor

160917 Oulton Park TVR Tuscan by David Yeoman, on Flickr

chris954 · 14 Jun 2019

also if your quick enough panning you can get some decent shots inside lodge then walk towards the bridge, stand on top of the mound and your at deers leap.

snerkler · 14 Jun 2019

chris954 said:
also if your quick enough panning you can get some decent shots inside lodge then walk towards the bridge, stand on top of the mound and your at deers leap.

Thanks. You've set me a challenge now

snerkler · 30 Jun 2019

Anyone else at Oulton Park today? Just walking the track familiarising myself with it, still 2.5hours until racing starts