working with photo editing software......

[NHRAMike]

Since my wife decided to sleep in on Valentine's Day, I started playing with my photo editing software to see if I could enhance a few of the shots from the 2009 Rainationals. This is what I got.

 

[NHRAMike]

 

[NHRAMike]

 

[NHRAMike]

I know I'm not even close to taking pics as good most of you, I feel that these are some of the better ones I've got since I made the switch to digital a year and half ago. All of you photographers out there, keep up the great work, and thanks for making me strive for something better.

 

[Bob]

Hey! The photo dudes got new red vests this year!

You got some pretty good shots there Mike.

 

[J.C.]

Bob - You have some nice panning shots there! When taking shots from the stands, I try to use a slow enough shutter speed (125-500/second) and pan with the car so the background is very blurred. Your shots look good.

I don't know what you did in the photo editing software to the images other than cropping? It doesn't look like you messed with color, contrast, sharpening, etc.. That is good, in my mind. I hate it when people mess with colors and bump up contrast and create unnatural colors. The vehicle's colors should look the same in the picture as they do in real life, not brighter or more colorful, but exactly the same. Again, it doesn't look like you did this, so good for you!

If there are any professional photographers (do it for a living) lurking, they can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that they are required to submit their files directly from their camera to the media companies. No modifications allowed whatsoever. I would guess that this insures that the image is exactly as taken and not modified for color, to add or remove things, etc... Sounds fair to me.

When I get back from shooting hundreds of images at the track, the only modifications I tend to make are in cropping. Besides the fact that it would take hours upon hours to attempt to "fix" each image, I believe in leaving them as I took them, again with the exception of cropping.

Just my two cents...

 

[Chad Fergen]

Bob - You have some nice panning shots there! When taking shots from the stands, I try to use a slow enough shutter speed (125-500/second) and pan with the car so the background is very blurred. Your shots look good.

I don't know what you did in the photo editing software to the images other than cropping? It doesn't look like you messed with color, contrast, sharpening, etc.. That is good, in my mind. I hate it when people mess with colors and bump up contrast and create unnatural colors. The vehicle's colors should look the same in the picture as they do in real life, not brighter or more colorful, but exactly the same. Again, it doesn't look like you did this, so good for you!

If there are any professional photographers (do it for a living) lurking, they can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that they are required to submit their files directly from their camera to the media companies. No modifications allowed whatsoever. I would guess that this insures that the image is exactly as taken and not modified for color, to add or remove things, etc... Sounds fair to me.

When I get back from shooting hundreds of images at the track, the only modifications I tend to make are in cropping. Besides the fact that it would take hours upon hours to attempt to "fix" each image, I believe in leaving them as I took them, again with the exception of cropping.

Just my two cents...

Not to hijack the thread but what lens are you guys using? Nice shots BTW.
I can see the point about professional photographers not messing with pics. But, I need as much help as I can get.

 

[Terry]

Not to hijack the thread but what lens are you guys using? Nice shots BTW.
I can see the point about professional photographers not messing with pics. But, I need as much help as I can get.

Hijack, J.C.? That's not a hijack!!!!! Now, you wanna see hijack, check some posts by me and Alan Loder! Only kiddin'

 

[NHRAMike]

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Yes J.C. the photos were cropped with only a little bit of the sharpening and automatic correction used. When I post my stuff up on webshots everything is straight from the camera with no cropping or enhancing. I'd love to be able to have the time to crop and caption my pics and then post, but under normal circumstances I end up having over 100-150 shots on any given day but that job thing that pays the bills kinda gets in the way

Chad, I actually rented a 70-200mm f/2.8 from lensrentals.com. I figured that it'd be pretty stoobid to fork over $1800 for a lens only to find out that the camera body itself is a piece o' chit (which it is) or I just really don't know how to use the camera (which is not too much of a stretch either). The lens did make a difference when I compared the stuff I shot last year, but when I go to the Seattle race in July I may borrow my neighbor's nikon D200 and rent another 70-200mm f/2.8 before I decide which direction I want to go.

One question for you photogs out there, do you leave the ISO settings on auto, or do you lock it on on a certain setting and move it up higher as it gets darker? I've noticed that sometimes when I shoot a 3 or 4 shot sequence from launch to about the 200' mark, one shot will be darker than the others, and when I look at the properties, the shot in question will be at a different ISO setting than the others.

 

[mopar]

I shoot 100 iso during the day and bump up the iso as the day wears on. I try to maintain the shutter speed at 1/200-1/250 with my fstop in the f8 range. Shoot in TV mode with center focus point in AI servo. If your using a Canon, go to your custom function and set custom function 4 (CF4) to #2. This will lock in the exposure at the moment you push the shutter all the way down. Hope that helps when you go to Seattle.

 

[J.C.]

I currently shoot with a Nikon D300 and 70-200mm 2.8. This lense, either Nikon or Canon, is a killer lense for the drag strip, but I suppose it requires at least a "prosumer" camera body to really bring out its best qualities. Mike, next time you rent a 70-200 2.8, be sure and rent a Nikon D200/300/700 or Canon equivalent "prosumer" body, you might be surprised how well that combo works

 

[BrettV]

I currently shoot with a Nikon D300 and 70-200mm 2.8. This lense, either Nikon or Canon, is a killer lense for the drag strip, but I suppose it requires at least a "prosumer" camera body to really bring out its best qualities. Mike, next time you rent a 70-200 2.8, be sure and rent a Nikon D200/300/700 or Canon equivalent "prosumer" body, you might be surprised how well that combo works

I LOVE my D300 and 70-200mm 2.8! This is my first digital camera, I got the lens right before going to the Richmond race last year so I didn't have a lot of practice with it. (Still working on that.... You think FC's are fast, try a kids indoor soccer game!) I'm still learning the best autofocus settings to use. Renting is a good idea if you don't want to buy, the only down side is that you don't have time to learn what it can do.

 

[BrettV]

I just found this place that rents Nikon and Canon cameras and lenses.

Welcome to LensProToGo where we rent quality camera lenses for your next shoot

 

[merc49]

I wonder why some people always criticize photo editing software. In the days before digital no one criticized the use of the darkroom for editing. In my opinion both tools are legitimate at the photographers discretion. I've used both, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Any artist, any craftsman, (and I call myself neither) uses the tools available. Anyone who criticizes the use of those tools just doesn't get it.

 

[.]

Love the pics. Hey, where is that one pic of the A/fuel car pushing out the head gasket? Remember? It was Thursday. It was a very bright flash. You showed it to me right after it happened. Wanna see that one.

Thanks for the compliments guys.

Yes J.C. the photos were cropped with only a little bit of the sharpening and automatic correction used. When I post my stuff up on webshots everything is straight from the camera with no cropping or enhancing. I'd love to be able to have the time to crop and caption my pics and then post, but under normal circumstances I end up having over 100-150 shots on any given day but that job thing that pays the bills kinda gets in the way

We demand funny captions and lolz!

J/K Mike.
Seriously tho, post the captions. LOL LOL J/K

 

[NHRAMike]

Love the pics. Hey, where is that one pic of the A/fuel car pushing out the head gasket? Remember? It was Thursday. It was a very bright flash. You showed it to me right after it happened. Wanna see that one.

Paul, I think this is the one you're refering to: