What should I photograph for a race team between track sessions?

Question

I’m shooting for a small sports car team at a race weekend and will have media access. I’m comfortable with basic motorsport action and panning shots, but I’d like ideas for what to capture around the paddock and garage between sessions, not just on-track images. I’m already planning shots like the driver getting into the car, a close portrait in the cockpit, pre-session discussions with the engineer, helmet/details, the race start, panning shots, and a finish-line image. What other moments or subjects are especially worth looking for when documenting a team through the day?

sports-photography photojournalism event-photography motorsport telephoto

Originally by Pete. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Pete

1mo ago

scottbb · Answer

I think your idea of shots is excellent. Shots of the people is key, especially when you can convey

communication and strategy;
repairs, tooling, pieces of the car in disassembly, showing the work in between sessions;
exhaustion, intensity, and other signs of effort;
joy, despair, and other emotions of track day;
resting, sleeping, laughing banter, showing some of the sense of down time or boredom that is inevitable on track days.

I prefer using a long lens / long zoom to capture most of this, especially the people and communication. I don't want everything in view; I just want the faces (sometimes even just tight crops on eyes or face), waist-up for conversations, etc. Unfortunately, using a longer lens means you'll be moving a lot more laterally in order to get the right angle for your shot.

Sometimes, you'll have to resort to shorter focal lengths when you're close to the car in the paddock, when you can only get a certain angle. Try to remember your background in those, and do your best to isolate the subject and block out background distractions.

What should I photograph for a race team between track sessions?

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