Grand Am @ Mid-Ohio

[John Thawley]

Strange schedule to say the least... Grand Am decided to drag out the weekend running all four classes... individually. 10 hours of racing... plus qualifying and practice. Here are a couple of selections:

JT

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93768&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93756&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93754&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93752&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93724&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93726&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93770&g2_serialNumber=1

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=93748&g2_serialNumber=1

[Chris Clark]

Wow. Nice stuff John.

#3 is excellent, but I have to ask: with No.'s 1 and 8, What are you climbing trees now to get the shot?!? I recognize the angles but can't fathom how you got them....:confused:

Really, really nice job. It was nice to meet you this weekend as well, good to put a face with the name. See ya at ALMS.

-Chris

[Jamie Holladay]

Great shots JT. I always admire the creative shots you get through the foliage.

[John Thawley]

Wow. Nice stuff John.

#3 is excellent, but I have to ask: with No.'s 1 and 8, What are you climbing trees now to get the shot?!? I recognize the angles but can't fathom how you got them....:confused:

Really, really nice job. It was nice to meet you this weekend as well, good to put a face with the name. See ya at ALMS.

-Chris

Thanks Chris.

The first one was shot from way back in the woods just off the back access road. Long glass tilted up a bit... but way back by the road.

The other shot is looking back to the crest behind the Honda bridge. Shot with long glass from the spectator side of the hilltop with my back to madness... basically standing in the middle of top of the big empty hill on the right of the pavilion as you look back at the track.

[Chris Clark]

The other shot is looking back to the crest behind the Honda bridge. Shot with long glass from the spectator side of the hilltop with my back to madness... basically standing in the middle of top of the big empty hill on the right of the pavilion as you look back at the track.


Okay, I know exactly where you were now. Matter of fact, I remember seeing you standing up there with the 500 out and thinking to myself: "What the heck is he shooting at? Is there a hot girl in a bikini down there?":D

Thanks for sharing that.

[Tim Adams]

I really love the slow pan, and the last shot in the trees is great. Been trying to do that at RA the last two years!! All I have to show for it is ugly trees. LOL.

[Mark Scheuern]

Great shots. Nice outside the box work, wonderfully executed.

[Cedric Marcadier]

Great job !

#4 is very impressive

[John Thawley]

I really love the slow pan, and the last shot in the trees is great. Been trying to do that at RA the last two years!! All I have to show for it is ugly trees. LOL.

Find me... I will take you there. LOL

Canada Corner... about 1/4 way down the stairs... depending on how the trees have grown, you'll see openings. Find the right angle... go up or down a few steps... aim at the apex... once you find the hole in the branches set your focus manually... time the shot as they come into the hole...

For the pan through the branches... it's almost the same spot on the stairs... but swing to your left. Here you will need a more depth of field to compensate for the slight change in distance as you pan. Again, you have to manually focus... the tree branches will trigger your auto focus. And... you'll need a really slow shutter to smooth out the trees. 1/60 to 1/30 minimum.

Oh... and bring some extra luck. :)

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=70780&g2_serialNumber=2

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=70456&g2_serialNumber=2

JT

[Mark Scheuern]

Ah, thanks. I've found the location used for that first shot but have wondered about the second. I've spent time wandering around in those trees between Canada Corner and the bridge and never realized it's nearly the same spot as the first.

http://www.scheuern.com/misc/_MS13804.jpg

BTW, those stairs are very bouncy. Don't try using a monopod while anyone is walking on them.

[Jim Sykes]

Or you could just stand in front of the trees and not worry about the pesky things getting in the way. :D

I've talked with JT about this before. I just do not understand the fascination with the "through the trees" shots. To me they dont show atmosphere, they dont show surroundings well, they just get in the way. But, to each his own and we all like different things. Its what makes the world go round. :D

[Mark Scheuern]

Or you could just stand in front of the trees and not worry about the pesky things getting in the way. :D


You might be on to something there...


I've talked with JT about this before. I just do not understand the fascination with the "through the trees" shots. To me they dont show atmosphere, they dont show surroundings well, they just get in the way. But, to each his own and we all like different things. Its what makes the world go round. :D

I won't disagree but I think I've realized that I tend to like either really simple, clean shots or else shots with multiple layers of stuff. The tree thing is sort of both. And it serves to help isolate the subject in natural--in several senses of the word--way.

I think I'll start carrying around a small potted plant so I can do it all the time. :D

[Collin C. Chappelle]

JT...just curious what lens/settings you used with the Mustang and Miata. Are you using the default Picture Style...?



CCC

[John Thawley]

JT...just curious what lens/settings you used with the Mustang and Miata. Are you using the default Picture Style...?



CCC

The EXIF data is intact. But... what is default Picture Stye?

JT

[John Thawley]

I think I'll start carrying around a small potted plant so I can do it all the time. :D

DOH... now you've let the cat out of the bag. I had EVERYONE convinced that I was roaming through the backwoods avoiding banjo music just to get the killer tree shots.

And, BTW... Jimmy won't go in the woods because he's afraid of snakes. LOL

[Jim Sykes]

"Snakes at a Racetrack" :D

[Bob Chapman]

And, BTW... Jimmy won't go in the woods because he's afraid of snakes. LOL

Yet, he has no problem going into the media center.

[Jeff Boerio]

Or you could just stand in front of the trees and not worry about the pesky things getting in the way. :D

I've talked with JT about this before. I just do not understand the fascination with the "through the trees" shots. To me they dont show atmosphere, they dont show surroundings well, they just get in the way. But, to each his own and we all like different things. Its what makes the world go round. :D

The one thing I've learned is that you can never have too many photos to cover an event or for a team. I've taken photos that I thought would never see the light of day. They might not have been approved by the client, but they've made their way into public view in one way or another.

I can see shots like these being used in sponsor presentations, year-end summaries and the like. But I don't see them being something that would generally be picked up by wire services, used by the team as a primary photo or things like that.

But like you said, to each his own :D

Jeff

[John Thawley]

Ok... there is commercial value and creative value.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were interviewed the other night and asked, "do you create your music for you.. or for the listening audience." Unanimously both answered 'for themselves.' They agreed... you can't go into the studio and say... "hey... let's do this... they'll love it." or "hey... I'll be this will be really popular."

The point is you have to take images that YOU like. You have to feed your creative needs or you're not going to keep going out there and doing what we do.

I've seen what agencies buy... I delivered an image last night... nice little $3K shot for a mfgr. brochure. Guess what? To my mind it was a left over shot from Road America. I remember standing there at the end of the Touring Car race last year with not enough time to go to another location and finish up the race... so I stayed there and shot some simple 3/4 head ons coming off turn 5. Nothing creative at all.

But I find, doing the things I want to do... pushing myself, makes the other stuff come easier... and better. Trying to pan at 1/15th makes my stuff at 1/30th and 1/60th much better and much more consistent.

Anyway... commercially, people will buy what they need to fill their bill. Teams like big fat shots of THE CAR. Drivers like shots where you can see their face or they have a wheel up. Sponsors like clear sharp shots of their logo. Manufactures want quasi-side shots that display the car's silhouette... and the Series likes podium shots of every hat from every sponsor... and so on.

My take on the tree shot or similar shots is simple... when you walk around a track... attend a race.. take in all the sites.. whatever, you form your own memories and/or point of view. One of the things I like most about Rick Doles photography is how he captures the events within the event. And, having the pleasure of knowing him, I'm fascinated at how much his personal irony is captured in his photos. Often it's the same wit and sense of humor.

SImilarly with Regis Lefebure. He's a very unique individual and interesting "thinker" about many topics. And his photos match his "character."

To me, you're at the top of your game when your work speaks to who you are and does it in a way that entertains others.

So... when I see a race car flying through woods at Watkins Glen... I take notice. He's a freaking technological wonder flying through the country side. I want to record what I saw. I think that's a story. And.. if I can find a way to re-tell that story with my camera, I'm going to do it.

I walk around the track and see things... how can I capture what I saw? I can I tell someone who wasn't there what I saw? To me, shooting through the trees, the fence, a line of spectators, other photographers... really anything... it doesn't matter if that's what I saw and I can find an interesting way of making that point.

JT

[Jeff Boerio]

Nice summary JT.

Jeff

[Michael Vettas]

great shots, different perspectives, great stuff

[Daniel Buck]

I agree with all that John! I see that every day at work when we are making our commercials. Clients want to see things, and most of the time we could come up with something alot better looking, and more impressive looking. But the clients know what they want to see, and we have to give that to them, sometimes very dumbed down. Sometimes we DO send them alternate versions of things, but most of the time it takes alot of convincing to change their mind. And on a schedule, there isn't much time for that.

I think for my photography, If I ever get into selling prints, I would probably just try and make a book. No suits and execs to please, and no guidelines. Just pure art. :-) Would be hard to sell though, I think anyway. Which is why I haven't tried it yet. One thing I have been wanting to do is take a month off or so, sometime in the Fall and head out to North Carolina to shoot all the old abandon barns up there. There is probably zero marketability for photographs of old barns, accept in 'fine art' coffee table books or calendars.