How to Photograph and Emphasize Extreme Speed Sports

My spectator sport is motorsports racing. Even better if I have a camera in my hand.  In September 2022, our motorhome was parked a stone’s throw from the track at the INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. My home racetrack is Laguna Seca, which has so many spots to photograph over the fence. It’s easy to get great photos with the right equipment. For this photo I had no obstructions at the end of the famous 5 ½ story corkscrew.  

When the Canon R3 came out I was very interested in that camera because it was made for professional sports. I rented it specifically because of the IndyCar race at Laguna.    

My settings for this shot were ISO 100 F14 1/80. I used my EF Canon 70-200 f2.8 ii lens with an rf adapter. The weather was nice and overcast, making it great lighting. 

The image was pretty good in camera to begin with. I took out some distracting track side elements from the background and added some contrast. I dodged and burned to bring out the white and blue and darkened around the car. 

This image earned an Imaging Excellence in International Photographic Competition. I am currently earning my Master of Photography degree from the Professional Photographers of America 

Tips on Panning and Motion Blur 

• Master Your Stance: The physical technique is where the real work happens. Plant your feet shoulder-width apart, pre-focus with a single AF point locked onto the driver’s helmet, and rotate smoothly from the hips to eliminate vertical micro-jitters. 

• Embrace the Danger Zone: You have to slow your shutter down—usually between 1/30s and 1/80s. 

• Use ND Filters in Harsh Light: If you are shooting midday, do not just stop your aperture down to f/22 to achieve a slow shutter speed, as lens diffraction will soften the entire image. Use an ND filter to cut the harsh light and keep your aperture closer to your lens’s sweet spot. 

• Accept the Hit Rate: The reality of this technique is a brutally low hit rate. Be prepared to toss out hundreds of blurred frames just to secure that one razor-sharp subject. Let your physical follow-through do the heavy lifting! 

Ultimately, capturing “Need for Speed” was about more than just camera settings; it was about patience, the willingness to embrace a low hit rate, and the pursuit of that single frame that truly stops time. Whether you are a beginner looking to master the basics or a veteran fine-tuning your panning technique, remember that the most rewarding shots often live in the “danger zone” of creative experimentation.