The Beginner's Guide to Motorsport Photography | Tutorial

Mike heads to Snetterton race circuit with our very own Amanda Leeming to brush up on his motorsport photography skills and to capture the high-octane action of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
Fast speeds and colourful liveries make racing bikes and cars some of the most exciting subjects you can capture. Unlike many sporting events, you’re able to bring along your photography kit to most race circuits making it possible to take professional-looking photographs from the crowd.
All you need is a camera with manual control - be it a DSLR, mirrorless or bridge camera - and a long lens, preferably a telephoto or super telephoto lens (the focal length required will depend on the track you visit). During this video, you’ll find out how to perfect the panning technique to achieve tack-sharp subjects surrounded by smooth, attractive lines of motion blur. And, you’ll learn how to freeze the riders as they get their knee down to navigate those tight hairpin bends.
If you don't have a suitable lens to take motorsport photos with, why not browse our huge range of optics at Wex Rental? goo.gl/h9c1TA
Watch this video on the Wex Blog and enjoy more sport photography related content: goo.gl/6bV712
For more tips and advice follow us on:
Twitter / wextweets
Facebook / wexphotovideo
Instagram / wexphotovideo
or check out our blog at www.wexphotovideo.com/blog/
#technique #beginner

[@DanielMooreDJ]

I have been doing photography for 1 year and 3 months now. Doing my first rally photography on Saturday for irish sprint rally championship!!!

[@darkroom8317]

How did it go?

[@DanielMooreDJ]

@@darkroom8317 wow thanks for bringing me back to this comment. I am a professional sports photographer now!

[@EricWortman]

The funny thing is a rally this past weekend is exactly what brought me here.

[@darkroom8317]

@@DanielMooreDJ , how did that rally go? Do you have your own instagram or YT channel we can follow? Could you tell us a bit about the journey. I am sure I am not the only one interested! Thanks again! I am going to my first rally next weekend if all goes well, I even got a press pass to take fotos on the infield! I am excited! I’ll be going with my A9 & my 100mm STF lens, while not ideal, my case with my 2 others lens “walked away” :(

[@darkroom8317]

@@EricWortman how was the rally? Did ja take any pics?

[@ManPedalPhotography]

I shot my first race event last week and thankfully there was another photographer that was nice and helped me out. Thanks for explaining shutter speed for panning shots! At 1/400 I could get them in focus, but they don’t look like they’re going very fast. At 1/200 they weren’t always in focus. So I’ll need to practice some more and make sure I’m moving from the hips. Thanks!

[@Mre942]

I use my focus points as a aim to keep my movement the same as the vehichle , and I found my sweet spot of a shutterspeed of between 1/30th - 1/60th with my 70-200 canon L-lens (note that the first years I used my canon 650D and I still got pictures that I culd sell , but a more professional body will be able to keep the continues focus better than a entry level camera).

[@vickydexaudiohigh]

This video is going to help me out a lot, well explained.

[@DIDCOTTWIST]

I watched this video at Thruxton last month and it helped me get some pretty good shots blurry tyres an rims on the touring cars clear bodywork and blurry background 👍🏼

[@VideoUser3053]

Great tutorial - and nicely produced 😎👍

[@acidsnow5915]

what a dope video, great photography tutorial! really insightful and interesting thanks for sharing this with us, really enjoyed watching this

[@colroper3973]

great video I do a lot of bike racing photos I got most of my learning attending local track days got my feel and then got to attend mjor races in Australia

[@oskarsrudzitis7758]

Such a great photography tutorial, need to make more videos like this one, and your youtube will grow a lot! Thanks.

[@joeclayton3515]

Got a camera wednesday, going british superbikes tomorrow. Wish me luck

[@munnsey6658]

Was literally standing in the same place last Saturday watching the British touring cars.got some great pics standing there come here for more tips

[@arjunnair8037]

Thanks for this...going for a bike rally event tomorrow and really needed this! Hopefully I can get some good shots!

[@WexPhotoVideo]

Good luck!

[@AmitCantPlay]

Extremely helpful!

[@juanjoqwer]

very good video!!!

[@MrModerate_kane]

lovely info

[@DingoRunner]

What would be a good autofocus setting? A single focus point, or more advanced auto focus configurations?

[@ED-on8to]

8:48 That is a good tip. Thank you!

[@julitocas85]

Nice vid mate, I do motorcycle track days for fun and I'm thinking of getting into photography, i have seen a few 2nd hand kits like D700 with lenses EFS 18-55 and EFS 55-250 would you say this could be a good hobby camera for this kind of events? or what should I aim for? thanks in advance

[@aaronleschar8479]

What equipment was used to get the slow-mo footage?

[@vantagerdconsultinglimited1623]

Very helpful. Though Josh Brookes moustache was a shocker!

[@owen9997]

Nice

[@timjourdanmedia]

I have a question about fixed aperture lenses: i have a sony a57 with the dying a mount. I have lenses going up all the way to 300mm, but recently i wanted to look into some telephoto lenses. Well there is the tamron and sigma lenses that are somewhat affordable, but sigma never released the one with the a mount so i would go with the tamron 150-600 f5-6.3 even though it didnt get the best reviews compared to the sigma. I could get it second hand for about 600bux. I was browsing the web and found a guy selling a sigma 50 to 500mm f1.4-6.3 for 340 bux and/or a tamron 200-400mm f5.6 for just 130 bucks... im tempted to get the cheap tamron but im kinda sceptical about it because of the fixed aperture... any suggestions? thing is, there are next to no A mount tele lenses out there, so it would be a steal, but idk if it makes sense thx for the help

[@NoName-jq7tj]

One method I plan to use to practice motion blur is to shoot cars on a motorway.

[@izidor]

Just bought tickets for the german F1 granprix in hockenheim...ima ready for my first Motorsport Photography! With my canon 80d and 150-600 ima setup !

[@forge_robinson2127]

for all motorsport photographers, is it better to use a lens filter such as a cpl filter, or a lens hood?

[@tbgsport]

Shooting at 1/320th should give you decent motion and a good hit rate, I shoot about 1200 a day and deliver 300-400 to clients.

[@dancarmeets5687]

should i shoot drift cars in manual mode

[@alanodonovan7522]

Needs more info about shutter speeds and ISO and can we have the exif data on the shots shown?

[@amandal1473]

Send us a message and I can help with that

[@SilkLotus]

What about F/? I found that staying at the minimum for this is worse than putting it at f/8 or f/11. can drop as low as 1/60 for shutter but 1/125 is good if you're out to 200/300mm.

[@YSPDJapan]

Having a lower F makes it easier, as you can capture more of the bike even if your focus is a bit off and your hands aren't as smooth. For me, I just put it in S mode, set my shutter, and the lens gives me the largest aperture possible. If you are shooting with a lens with a manual or constant wide open focus, I'd say start "low" and work your way up to a thinner DOF as you get better.

[@rallyburnz2simracing416]

Does this work for video photography

[@luap1983]

Would a focal length of 70-200mm on a DX camera be good at this race track?

[@BigBadLoneWolf]

perfectly ok , depending on the track .for bikes , tracks like , scarborough, east fortune ( in my neck of the woods) offer positions where you are very close to the action. IOM/ireland have numerous locations where you can literally touch the road from your vantage point

[@louiebishop5334]

Would a cannon EOS 2000D DSLR with a EF 75-300 mm f/4-5.6 III Lens work ?

[@YSPDJapan]

Anything works. I use a 6 year old u4/3 with a 150-300 equivalent and get good pictures. It's literally all in the technique.

[@toojeffcjs]

I've been trying to goto a bike race but it's not easy finding one that allows you to take pictures. Alot won't even let you use a media pass unless you're with a legit news agency

[@WexPhotoVideo]

Generally, it's better to go for a public race which will allow for photographs.

[@toojeffcjs]

@@WexPhotoVideo Thanks. I'll look into that

[@sjbrown4145]

Edit: 7 times world champion

[@niknitro8948]

Image stabilization in usefull in this situation? For example in panning to take smooth panning? Or is better to keeping it off?

[@YSPDJapan]

Definitely. If your camera allows single axis IS, such as only doing vertical, then that helps too because it lets you be super fluid left and right during the pan. I keep all axis on and get good results.

[@LucaAntonioPiga]

I usually shoot a 1/50 sometimes 1/30 .. never over 1/100. Why do you suggest to shoot so fast?

[@markay_]

because the subject (bike) is moving really fast. well it depends on where ur taking your shot. obviously the rider wont be that fast when going throug a corner compared to when he's blasting down the straight

[@LucaAntonioPiga]

@@markay_ Sure.. but now, after some training, even in motocross I shoot 1/15, 1/20 (Corner) or 1/30 (Jumps), at least 1/40 (down the straight and Jumps). The effect is awesome.. few great shoots.. i have to learn how to shoot 1/4 or 1/8 (arty panning).

[@LEMINECRAFT555]

I am going to take photos and videos in a drift touranment and i dont know how to use manual settings :(

[@v_stands_for_value124]

She shoots Fujifilm, girl of culture

[@mbismbismb]

ikr lol, fisrt time seeing ppl shoot fast action with fuji lol

[@charliejg]

I noticed that immediately! Glad to see she got shots like that with an X-T2. Hope I can do half as good with my X-T3. Although, I don't have the budget for that 50-140 or the 100-400 right now. Time to save! 🙂

[@s1dew1nd3r4]

15 keepers out of 500? LOL she obviously doesnt know what shes doing and im an amateur photographer with cheap kit!