A Brief Introduction

Welcome to my attempt at blogging on a more regular basis. As the title says, this is where you will learn about my favorite images from each event and the iconic shots from each track. Sometimes, these images are one and the same, or alternate takes on a classic shot. Conversely, sometimes these images couldn't be farther from each other. Here, I plan to tell you about these images; where do I shoot them from, how do I get there, how do I capture the image, and what do I want to do differently next time. I'll be honest, sincere, and open in my thoughts and recollections, delve into my planning process, and hope it inspires you to be creative as well.

I am kicking off this foray with the annual IMSA Sebring 12 Hours. This is an iconic event and an iconic track. Despite being flat and relatively featureless, this event is one of the best to shoot during the year. I spend a lot of time in Sebring for work, but none of the events reaches the attendance that the 12 Hours does. This means nothing I normally shoot looks the same, and the backgrounds are usually full of fans. The weather is always a wild card in Sebring, as are the fans themselves. Let's take a look at the track's iconic images as well as my personal favorites from the event. For those of you interested in what the event is like from the fan perspective, you can check out my Stadium Journey review of the race.

Location: Turn 7
Fan Accessible: No
Difficulty: Easy
Alternate Angles: Yes

  Perhaps the most iconic image from Sebring is taken driver's right inside Turn 7, aka the hairpin. This shot is simple enough; a pan of a racecar speeding past the Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel. To plan for this shot, you simply have to follow the sunlight during the day and not shoot this backlit. The best place to stand is between the armco barrier and the base of the photo stairs inside driver's right of turn 7. Once you're there, just nail a pan and you have your shot. It is a basic image that is almost required of anyone shooting at this iconic facility. However, thanks to the photo stand added a few years ago to this, there is a new alternate to this iconic shot.

  The photo stand in turn 7 now allows you to capture an overhead angle of the cars. This is quickly becoming as popular and iconic as the lower angle with the hotel in the background. Once again, it is a simple image composition-wise and usually doesn't take more than a lap or two to nail down.

Location: Turn 11
Fan Accessible: No
Difficulty: Medium
Alternate Angles: No

 To me, there are not many spots I truly look forward to shooting at more than this one at Sebring. Nestled in a somewhat hard-to-reach spot driver's left of turns 10 & 11, this particular angle is very lighting dependent. This morning shot features filtered sunlight illuminating the verdant branches of two large Southern Live Oak trees across from each other in this corner complex. A wide angle can get this shot easily, but I simple use a fully zoomed out 70-200mm f/2.8 to frame the image. The slower the pan, the better the shot. 

What makes this image more difficult than most is accessibility. During the 12 Hours, a golf cart ride will take you out to where you need to go. However, even during the biggest events on the calendar, shooters will have to venture outside the track onto public roads to get to the nearest entrance gate. However, once there, you will be rewarded by a photo location in full shade from the large oak tree that offers a pleasant reprieve from the usual heat of the sun.

Location: Turn 5
Fan Accessible: Yes
Difficulty: Medium
Alternate Angles: No

This shot is one that requires good luck and a bit of risk. Driver's left at turn 5 features a large viewing mount for fans that provides a perfect opportunity to pan through the crowd. What makes this photo better than just shooting through a group of people is the usual presence of umbrellas. They frame the track well and offer a great opportunity to slow pan with the fans and the car in the same frame without it looking clunky. This was my first time shooting this shot, and despite the multiple cautions, I feel like I did a solid job achieving what I had hoped to achieve.