Today’s Post by John Larsen
I am a huge motorsports fan and, as such, spend most of my weekends in the summer months at various racetracks taking photos. Here in the northern part of the continent the winter starts far too early which makes for a long gap between opportunities to shoot motorsports action.
Then I discovered Snowcross-essentially it is motocross-type racing but with snowmobiles!
A local series holds a number of events over the winter and each event has classes ranging from Pro men and women down to kids on 120cc “sleds” as they are commonly referred to.
Most events allow each class to race at least twice per day providing ample photo opportunities. In order to get the most of the day you must ensure that you are dressed appropriately with suitable gloves that will allow you to hold the camera and lens as well as make any changes to camera settings when required. I would recommend using a 70-200mm, like the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, lens as it allows close-ups of the racers as they prepare for a start as well as head-on photos of the riders and machines going over jumps. The zoom will allow you to frame while panning. Mid-air subjects will require a high shutter speed to ensure an element of sharpness.
After shooting a day of Snowcross I anxiously await spring and the first car and motorcycling races of the season!
Note: All photos taken with Canon EOS 7D and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens.
John Larsen is located in the Greater Toronto Area, whose PhotoGraffics website contains samples of motorsports and hot air balloon photography from numerous Canadian balloon festivals.