Workshop Diary

Saturday, 21st of September, 2012

Did goe to Wanneroo and whiled away day at the Barbagallo Raceway. Was vastly entertained.

 It was a motorcycle practise day and a perfect opportunity for Mark Horsbrugh to lecture the enthusiasts on the fine art of motor sports photography. Mark attends many motor sports meetings of all ilk - and in the case of the major events takes many, many exoposures. The system that he follows to review and classify these images before they go to publishers finally explained for me the extensive sorting systems that software manufacturers build into their systems. Without these, I suspect one would be lost in a welter of images.

But Mark was not lost, nor was he unfamiliar with his subject. He broke the news gently about the business of getting into motor sport photography - the difficulties associated with getting to shoot major races and the long hours required to provide the images. But he was also encouraging to the starters - he had a number of good suggestions as to how to approach local racing organizations and publishers. Who knows - someone there in the 60+ audience may well pursue the sporting image in the future.

They would do well to remember Mark's photo of the racing car heading toward him out of control, and to look a the sequence of images that led up to the winning shot. As he mentioned, the thing stopped a metre away from him...that's a metre in front...

The studio setup was fun - thanks to two lovely motorcycles loaned by friends and Megan the professional model. Please see Ernest Cesar's album that he has put up on our Facebook page and see what could be done with Elinchrom Quadra Ranger sets and with Canon speedlites. Note that the new control system for Canon that utilizes the 600 flash is elegance itself.

We shall also be interested to see some of the racing photographs taken by the attendees - they got a chance to go track-side at one of the good bends to practise what Mark had taught. The light stayed good for most of the day - and no rain - so the bikes could wind out pretty well. Note to self: If I ever deliver a lecture it will probably not a good idea to do it next door to racetrack full of motor cycles going at full tilt. Or do it over a Tannoy.

Good day altogether