jpb Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 <HTML> <HEAD> </HEAD> <BODY>The Race Across America is a 3,000 race from the West Coast to the East Coast, and the riders do it almost without ever stopping. I am not a rider, but am a crewmember for <A href="http://www.teamvelowear.com"><b>Team VeloWEAR</b></A>. Part of my responsibilities involve photographing the event. The last time I did this I took nearly 1000 photos, but I only had a small handful of night shots, so I found that my albums did not adequately illustrate the 24/7 nature of the race.<br /><br />This year, I�d really like to get those crucial and interesting night shots, and so, I LIKE TO ASK YOUR ADVICE.<br /><br />The question is: how do I get decent shots at night without risking blinding my exhausted riders? <br /><br />We will be riding on back roads over most of the course, so even with an 3200 ISO, I think I�ll need some source of light. I�m bringing my 550ex, but I�d rather not use it too often because I don�t want to be ditched in the middle of Oklahoma at 3am!<br /><br />The equipment I plan to bring that might affect your responses:<br />-Canon eos 10d (with 4 lenses, ranging from 19mm to 400mm and f2.8-32)<br />-Canon 550ex<br />-Bean Bag for support<br />-Petzl Headlamp (which is mostly to see, but I�m wondering if there�s some way it might help my night photos)<br /><br />Any ideas? You input would be greatly appreciated.<br /><br />Thanks so much!<br />-james burger</BODY> </HTML> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maury_cohen Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Try doing some experimentation with infrared flash. I believe you can put an I.R. filter over the flash so that it emits almost no visible light but can be recorded. The 10d is most likely I.R. sensitive. See this link: http://www.rit.edu/~andpph/text-infrared-basics.html Otherwise you can just try to be as considerate as possible and avoid shooting the riders head-on. I'd warn them ahead of time if at all possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
________1 Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 James, about the only thing you can do to minimize the flash is to use faster film and larger apertures. This means the flash will have to pump out the least amount of juice to get the job done. Do take your dedicated flash, a smaller one would just have to work harder, perhaps even circumventing your intention of not blasting the riders with unnecessarily powerful flash. Other than that, perhaps experiment with 12v car headlamps. You could mount two on a T-bar arraignment with your camera betwixt them. Like those old 8mm move camera setups. Plug them into the car ciggy lighter...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiyen Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 The IR idea is interesting - though I can't imagine that you'd get enough sensitivity out of the 10D to use it for stuff like that. You might need to use HIE, though that's pretty darn slow too once you slap the filter on there. Would be interesting if you could get it to work. allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.philwinterphotography. Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I've never done this, but perhaps you could catch the riders as they go through lighted areas, such as small towns, etc. Use an ISO and shutter speed to capture the amount of movement you want. Years ago, I participated as a rider in filming a beer commercial. One of the scenes was of us before dawn with just the light of head lights of following support vehicles. And they had wet the road down for neat reflections. While you probably won't wet the road down, you'll surely get a chance to shoot in the rain at night. Good luck, sounds like fun! Phil Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd peach seattle, washi Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 I assume you're 'door-gunning' out of a support van? A variation on the old 'movie light' idea is to have a white fog light (or back up light) on the back corner of the van, facing right. As you draw alongside the riders, the light from the fog light will graze over their shoulders, not catching them in the face. Enough light for an interesting shot, not enough to blind them. Maybe the odd low power flash pop to freeze some details. You might also be able to shoot from in front of them with no light; look for a tailing vehicle to illuminate them with their headlights or perhaps just get their silhouette on the roadway. An exposure nightmare, but digital review would help to get it dialed in. Don't forget that the horizon will still image sunset colors for as much as an hour or more after sunset even when your eyes don't detect it anymore (I have no idea if digital is 'as good' as film at picking this up). Use it to your advantage and extend your 'golden hour' till well after dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discpad Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 You can shoot B&W film and push process it... You won't be able to get decent shots with the 10D over ISO 800: CCD noise will kill you. Also, you need Big Glass to get the nighttime shots... And zoom lenses won't cut the cheese. I have a 55mm Nikkor f/1.2, which is super for night shooting at the track. Cheers! Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake_tauber Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Weegee used an infrared filter over his flash with infrared film to get interesting results inside darkened movie theaters. Check it out: http://www.icp.org/weegee/weegee14.html Obviously, you should experiment prior to hitting the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpb Posted May 7, 2004 Author Share Posted May 7, 2004 <HTML> <HEAD> </HEAD> <BODY> Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful answers. I still have a bit of time to experiment, so I'm going to carry your ideas with me to figure out what works best. Any other ideas? Definitely keep 'em coming!<br /><br />If you want to see a previous night shot, you can <A href="http://www.teamvelowear.com/ultrasamples"TARGET="_blank"><b>Click Here.</b></A> If you want a fuller view of the sport, you can visit our site's photo galleries by going to <A href="http://www.teamvelowear.com"TARGET="_blank"><b>Team VeloWEAR/Co-Motion's website</b></A> and clicking on <b>photos</b>. Thanks again! jb</BODY> </HTML> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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