A few Porsche photos from Le Mans

[smarjoram]

Had a great time - particularly enjoyed the driving. I have to admit though, I think I enjoyed the classic more. Perhaps I'm getting old - or perhaps it was because I got to drive on the circuit : )

Hope you like them - hopefully I'll get the others posted soon.

[BGCarrera32]

Did you take those? Nice work...I really like the first and last 2 pics...

-BG

[Deeks]

Stefan.

Once again...... amazing pics !!
I love the night time shot of the GT3 with it's full beam lights !!
I heard that the classic was great fun too.... GT-40s squirming around the corners.....

[smarjoram]

The first one is definately the best Porsche - because it's mine ; ) Had a great drive 'round some country lanes yesterday on the way back from Shelsley Walsh Hillclimb. Vintage cars this time - a bit more primitive than the Le Mans cars but just as exciting.

[osidak]

How did you get the photo of the GT3 (3rd from top). Almost appears the car is going backwards. Did you move the camera forward of the car with the shutter open?

Great pictures

The last picture (hill climb car) that is one of the few cars I have seen that I would be scared to drive. Gas tank sitting on your back and fully exposed.

[masraum]

I could be wrong, but I know that with some camera's you can adjust what I believe is called the x-sync. That has to do with when the flash fires in relation to when the shutter is open.

If the shutter is open for 1/60th of a second, but the flash fires in 1/1000th of a second, then for most of the shot the flash is not illuminating the subject. In this case the flash had (if I am correct) the normal x-sync (it flashed at the beginning of the shutter opening), so it "stopped" the car at that point, and then for the rest of the shutter opening the only part of the car lit well enough to show up in the photo was the headlights. On Some camera's you can actually change the x-sync to happen at the end of the shutter opening which would have put the streaks going the other direction.

[smarjoram]

steve - you're exactly right - glad I didn't have to explain all that. Actually my external flash has a little switch on it but I didn't think about it at the time. Although if the flash had fired last the light streaks may have obscured the car.

Finally, this is the car I'd be afraid to drive. A Napier Bentley with a 24 Liter W12 engine (from an aeroplane). That's 2 litres per cylinder!

[osidak]

Steve thanks for the explanation. I am but a VERY amature photographer and like to learn the different tricks. Have to see if my camera is capable of that

Nice pics. Thanks for posting.

[gt3r]

Great Pics, what camera, lens and film did you use??

[Superman]

Whoa! That Napier Bentley is the girl you don't bring home to Mama.

[smarjoram]

I used a nikon coolpix 5700, with an external flash for the ones taken at night. it's a great camera - I really think my photography has improved since getting a digital camera - purely because I have it with me more often, and because I'm not worried about the cost I take more shots (and more experimental ones too). It's worth spending a few moments in photoshop adjusting the levels and cropping, though. Glad you liked them - thanks for the comments.

[smarjoram]

I've posted a few more. A lot were taken around the circuit on the days leading up to the big event but some are of the race too. Also images of my car being upstaged by a Diablo and a silly one of me with Jay Kay. Hope you like them...

http://public.fotki.com/smarjoram/le_mans_2003/

[MarkP]

Wow - I just bought the Coolpix 5700, hope I can get this good with it. Very nice work!

[Glasgow 911SC]

Steve thanks for the explanation. I am but a VERY amature photographer and like to learn the different tricks. Have to see if my camera is capable of that

If yo're checking if you've got this function it's usually called 2nd curtain sync.

[osidak]

Thanks