Fast cars and DSLR’s, surely a promising combination! However, if you don’t know what you are doing it can turn into a disaster and you could end up coming home injured, or even worse, with a bunch of disappointing images. Here are a few tips to ensure that your rally photography is a success:

 

SAFETY:
Cars are unpredictable, the drivers are tense and the road surface may not be the best, as a result, accidents do happen. Drivers lose control, cars break down, bottom line bad things happen. This is why safety is key!

1. Plan an escape path beforehand. In the event something does go wrong, run uphill, never down hill and always try to run at an angle away from car if its coming towards you.
2. Be vigilant, never take your eyes off the rally cars until they have past you. If possible carry a buddy to keep an eye out for you, after all, two eyes are better than one.
3. Listen to the race marshals' directions and stay clear of the track.
4. Never stand on the outside of a corner, in the event that you have to, have an escape route planned or a sturdy tree to shelter behind.
5. The cars do kick up alot of stones, dust and debris so position yourself somewhere where you will not be in the path of the debris. A dust mask comes in handy especially if you have respiratory ailments!

EQUIPMENT:

A DSLR is essential when shooting rally as it can shoot multiple frames per second and it takes pictures immediately with much less shutter lag than a point and shoot. The real question is what lenses should you use? It all depends on your vantage point, if you are on the inside of a corner you will need a wide angled lens, such as a 10-18mm. On the other hand if you are far away from the cars on the stands, you'll need at least a 300mm lens to get in close to the cars. Additionally, if you are behind a wire fence, get up close to it with your camera, switch it to aperture priority mode and open the aperture as wide as possible and it will make the fence disappear! (Like magic!). Be sure to pack extra batteries just in case! Flashes are usually not needed for rally photography. Also, walk with a jacket and raincoat in case of rain and also a hat, sunglasses (which will also help protect your eyes from the dust) and sunblock to escape the sun. Cooler full of drinks and snacks will also come in handy to pass the time while you wait for the cars to pass. Another handy item to have with you is a towel large enough to cover your camera and protect it from being covered in dust and dirt.

CHOOSING A GOOD VANTAGE POINT:

Long straights where the cars come screaming by appear to be great places to take pictures but these straights often produce boring lackluster shots! Try to photograph the cars as they drift around a corner or when they are about to exit the corner and still sideways, making sure to include the cloud of dust they kick up in the frame as well! This adds an element of motion to the picture. The inside of sharp corners(or even long sweeping corners) are a great place to capture stunning images of the cars with a wide angled lens. Also, just outside these corners are great  for photographs as well, but a zoom lens will be required. Capturing the crowd or other interesting things in the background of your image will also improve your image's appeal. However, be careful so you don't end up with pictures with tress sticking out the tops of the cars.

TECHNIQUE:

Shoot in shutter priority mode ("Tv" on a Canon, "S" with Nikon and most others) with the ISO as low as possible (to ensure least noise in your image). If your camera has a high FPS, why not try burst shooting as the cars pass by? However, if your camera has a low FPS stick to one shot per passing. Its better to get one amazing picture than ten mediocre ones! Use a high shutter speed (1/500th a second and higher) to freeze the cars as well as the dirt they kick up in your image! (The wheels of the cars may not be frozen however, this does add an element of motion to the image). Another popular technique to employ is panning. Lower your shutter speed to 1/60th a second or so and be sure to focus on the part of the car you want in sharpest focus (this is crucial) then press the shutter. The out of focus parts of the image will be blurred and the car will stand out distinctly from the background. Panning is a technique which requires quick accurate focusing, because of this, a USM or HSM auto focus lens will be an advantage. Be creative, giving your camera a little tilt will sometimes enhance the look of the images, but be sure not to tilt it too much. Try to get interesting angles and approaches in your shots. Lastly, don't forget to exposure compensate accordingly and also set your white balance correctly when shooting.'

HAVE FUN!
Rallies are fun! Why not go to the pits and meet the drivers before or after the rally? Meet new people, make new friends and at the end of the day, you'll go home knowing that it was a day well spent!

To view more of my work, please visit my Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/70684493@N03/