Fying Ford
A Ford World Rally Championship competitor on the limit flies his car through the air.
A Ford World Rally Championship competitor on the limit flies his car through the air.
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Jun, 2015Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Full Adrenaline Rush Photo Contest
People's Choice in Home of Motorsports Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Sports In Action Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in On Wheels Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Fast Cars Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in High Tech Photo Contest
Contest Finalist in Chasing The Action Photo Contest
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Superior Skill
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Virtuoso
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deniseeverett
November 13, 2015
I remember when I went and watched Travis Pastrana do the Rally Race here in Portland Oregon and up in the George. This is a bad ass photo. Back then, I didn't get that good of a shot. Love It!
florencioparaon
November 22, 2015
Who says mid-day sun is not good? Sharp, vibrant and dynamic. Feel the speed. Lower angle and some foreground would have made it more interesting I think.
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Behind The Lens
Location
Bunnings Special Stage, the Australian Round of the World Rally Championship. Bunnings is a Pine Plantation area near the town of Bannister, South West of Western Australia. At the time of the photo there were three Special Stages run in sort of of a clover shape out of a central Service area. This was great for spectators particularly because they could see a lot of different action in a contained area, it was very well planned.Time
I had been shooting from very early in the morning, rally has very long days. This was taken about midday and in Australia at that time of day the light is very hard and intense. You've just got to go with what you have and be prepared.Lighting
As explained above natural lighting which was very intense. If your shooting rally you start about dawn and finish after dark so you have to be prepared for anything. Also during the day the light can change so much and at times very quickly plus you have to work out where exactly you want to shoot so the vehicle is lit properly and there's not too much contrast. Another thing to think about is the colours on the vehicle some are white to black and everything in between.Equipment
I purchased my first DSLR about 12 months prior to this shot so I was still learning how to drive it. It was an Olympus E300, 8Mb, with a 40 - 150mm (80 - 300mm) f3.5 lens. I put that camera through hell. One of my young Grandkids is now using it.Inspiration
I was looking for a spot where I could capture some air time from the drivers who were brave enough to give it all. This stage is particularly fast. The jump is approached from a fast sweeping right bend. If your going to tackle the jump quickly then you have to get the car straight before hitting the jump or you could be in lots of trouble. Because the game ones are traveling fast they get good air and travel a long distance before landing. On landing they have to gain control, if they go out of shape and plenty do, quickly because there is not much time before they then enter a deep water crossing. It was a very exciting stage it's a real shame that Western Australia lost the rally to Queensland. We had thousands of people attending and from all round the world. I think it was one of the best rally stages ever.Editing
The original looked a bit flat so I added some contrast all over, dodged and burned a bit, some slight blurring of the background, some saturation and I think thats about it, I was very lucky. This was the period when I started using Photoshop and on a steep learning curve.In my camera bag
I went from the E300 to the E30, I'm an Olympus user back to the film days. Those cameras have been dropped on concrete, absolutely covered in dust, rain and mud, sprayed with saltwater for I don't know how many times and have never once let me down, not once and they are still in use. However I decided to change a few months ago and purchased a Canon 7D Mk11 body, along with three Canon lenses. A EF 16 - 35mm f1.4 L IS, a EF 24 - 70mm f1.4 L IS and a EF 70 - 200mm f2.8 L IS. So far so good. I also have the Canon Speedlite 600 EX-RT. A lightmeter, several ND Grads, a camera rain cover, spare batteries and cards and a GoPro Hero 4 with accessories. Oh and a cork screw !.Feedback
First of all I should mention that Motorsport is dangerous, rally even more so because of the different and differing road surfaces and because the surfaces are rough or degraded this can quickly do some damage to a vehicle which could make it lose control. Always pay attention to an Officials requests, go only to authorized spectator points unless like me you are fortunate to get a Media Pass because I volunteer to be a photographer for the rally organization and always be aware of whats going on a round you. That sounds limiting but it's not, basically it's about common sense. Be aware of safety and you will enjoy, in my opinion, one of the best sports on the planet and in the great outdoors also there are usually plenty of opportunities for landscapes, portraits and photojournalism. Photography wise found out where the rally routes go, where the spectator areas are and work out from where you are likely to capture some good images. Beware of weather forecasts, the direction of the sun, if it's out, and the wind. Then be prepared for anything and everything both to help protect your equipment and yourself. Take all of your lenses but be very careful how and where you change them. I sometimes use a bipod but that's usually only when the light is very bad. If your working in the dust take an old towel to throw over your camera after the car has passed and before the dust drifts in. If your starting out shooting rallies then it can take a while to get into the groove but stick at it and it will pay off. Good luck, stay safe and have fun.
