LIGHT WORK

These pictorial features are designed to help you better appreciate how photographers deal with subjects and situations, including some useful tricks of the trade. In this issue, editor Paul Burrows provides some tips for photographing motorsports with the added challenge of minimal available light.

The Picture

A few laps into the start of the 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour race for GT3 and GT4 class sports cars at the famous Mount Panorama circuit, Bathurst, in central-west NSW. This is the only major motor race in the world which starts in the dark, commencing at 5.45am, around an hour before sunrise at that time of the year. This image was taken at 6.05am.

The Photographer

Camera editor Paul Burrows began his professional career shooting motorsport and, over the years, has photographed world rallying, Formula 1, Supercars and historic racing. He remains a passionate motorsport enthusiast and also spent six years on the other side of the camera while participating in tarmac rallying with Tasmanianbased pro photographer

Kevin O’Daly.

The Equipment

Nikon D4 with a Tamron 100400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD telezoom. The camera was mounted on a monopod.

Lens focal length is 100mm and the exposure was f/4.5 at 1/640 second and ISO 6400. Manual focus and manual exposure control.

The Technique

Not surprisingly, the main challenge with shooting the opening laps of the 12 Hour