Finishing the post work from the Daytona 500

[Jaedon]

So after 3 days worth of driving with a 4 year old and a 1 year old in the car (who we discovered are not only big race fans but are also excellent long haul travellers) and taking turns between editing in the car and shooting the scenery out the window, I am finally home and have a few hours to work on my PP on the pictures.

Here are the ones that screamed for my attention first.

The first 2 are obviously during pitstops...in this case it was the very first pit of the day which accounts for the pristine condition of the cars. After that race there were very few cars looking that pretty.

#3 is Dale Junior during driver introductions. I managed to get the entire field with the exceptions of Jeff Gordon and the drivers in front of Tony Stewart due to a very large security guard asking me to move back and putting a rather large woman with VERY large hair directly in front of me and me not having anywhere else to move in the crowd.

#4 is a selective colour rendition the shot 3 frames before #1 on lap 49 when Tony Stewart first took the lead in the race. He managed to take the lead 2 more tiems with the last time only leading 2 laps before getting loose in turn 3-4 and hitting the wall to end his raceday.

and #5 is the pusher in the above mentioned crash. Although he really had no where to go when TS let off the gas it still hurts to see the best car in the field taken out even if it was accidental.

[Jimmy B]

My odd ball way of looking at things In shot # 2 there are 8 lug nuts on the ground,where are the other 2?
Jimmy B

[Jaedon]

Actually shouldn't there be 10? 5 per tire? lol ... probably under the car somwhere the wya they fly all over the place.

[JSPhoto]

hmmm, I see 7...oh well, my eyes are getting bad....
Jaedon,
I'd try using highlights and shadows on a couple of these to lighten them up a bit. The shot of Jr looks very soft, but it could be my eys too.....

JS

[Jaedon]

Nope your eyse are fine JS - I accidentally set the AF to single focus and I was shooting in burst mode and wonedering why my sequences only had the first shot in focus. I used the shodows / highlights tool on the shot of JR too.

The shot or Busch's car wrecked up was taken when it was really dark and almost beyond the capability of my equipment to capture without being too noisy to recover so I did the best I could. Even under the lights I was having a hard time getting good shots by that time.

I will try it on Harvik's car and see how it looks.

[Jimmy B]

JS the 8th lug nut is on the back of the the car just on the edge of the picture.
Good detail being your on the other side of the track.
We had one pit stop in 98 where a nut got jammed in the jack, we're all on the left side of the car looking at each other where's Chuck?
Jimmy

[JSPhoto]

I never liked pitstops myself, something ALWAYS happened, and it was never good. I made three laps once and lost both rear tires...the track was so bumpy (dirt) I couldn't tell they only got the lugs on halfway and apparently no one realized I had changed the studs the day before and they were an inch and a hlf longer than the others I still feel the effects of that one.... Tore up a month old car, not to mention the other three that hit me.

JS

[starriderrick]

Jaedon,
I like how you framed image 3. I also like the rubber marks all over the track.Great catch on this one.Glad you had a good time.

You know what works to get closer to the front? Pretend like you drop something, go low looking for it, stand up somewere else.Being polite all the while. Saw it in a movie.hahaha.

How were the conditions?
Thanks,
Rick

[Jaedon]

Thanks Rick. I know #3 has some issues with the 20 car being so close to the edge of the frame but since it made some feel like he was about to crach out of the image... it's only fitting that that was the last time he was in the lead as he crashed 3/4 of the way around the track on that very lap after I took the shot lol.

Personally I like the tension it creates being framed that way.

Thanks for taking the time to comment guys.

OH YEAH!! THANKS for the POTW choice too =)

[mikemuir]

Actually shouldn't there be 10? 5 per tire? lol ... probably under the car somwhere the wya they fly all over the place.

I think each mechanic actually keeps the last one in his hand for saving time when he screw it back.