Warmups?

paul-collins · 25 Jul 2003, 15:45 (Ref:671201)

Do any of you do any sort of warmup before shooting your first shots of the day?

I've found that I have to do stretches (particularly my back and hips), rotations, and practice pans before I see the first car, otherwise my first film is wasted on blurry, shutter-punched, cut-off shots.

What's your ritual?

I'm toying with the idea of ensuring that my camera is empty during my warmup so that I get some shutter action, too (particularly on a weekend where I might be tempted to carry over half a film from the previous night, as I'm camping and have no need to get films in for developing). I guess it means I'll have to finish off the last roll of the day before bedtime...

Suzy · 26 Jul 2003, 18:57 (Ref:672065)

My warm-up consists of checking I've got the cameras, films, batteries, my purse/phone etc. This is a very physical task because I'm ususally running around looking for one of the above items

.

I do check that I've got space to move around where possible and check for distances I can use. Not that it seems to do me much good

jasont · 26 Jul 2003, 20:50 (Ref:672149)

It's funny, I was thinking about this a couple of days ago. Almost without exception my first session's worth of shots are pants. I just don't seem to have 'my eye in' if you like.

When I do the BTCC I used to start shooting on the first touring car session on the Saturday but last time at Croft I shot about 15 Porsche shots before the Touring Car session - the results from the subsequent touring car session were noticeably better. Maybe it's just coincidence but I suspect I might have to start rolling out of bed half an hour earlier

Jason

LittleX · 31 Jul 2003, 11:51 (Ref:676205)

I find that the course cars are very good 'warm-up' subjects. I set my zoom, focus and practice my panning without actually taking a shot when they are going round, so that I am ready for the first race cars of the day.

**Aysedasi** · 31 Jul 2003, 12:24 (Ref:676249)

I don't do any warm-up as such. Before a trip to Le Mans I will spend an hour or two cleaning my camera and lenses and making sure I've got everything I need and that all my films are colour-coded for speed etc. But I don't do any other particular prepararation.

BAR Babe · 31 Jul 2003, 21:58 (Ref:676694)

crumbs.... my 'warm up' consists of running desperately to the shooting spot of my choice whilst trying to put camera together normally - usually due to the fact that i was late out of bed and now late for whatever is the first race of the day !!!

efficiency ....

ahem.

i get the shots... what more do you want!

olivierberoud · 4 Aug 2003, 19:18 (Ref:679866)

hello, i am new on ten tenths and that is my first post

I spend half an hour checking lens and cameras. i do not realy have warm up except for big events like endurance or really long week ends, during that kind of races, i most of the time walk or run 15 or 20 minuts as if i was looking fr something or somebody
somtime i am realy looking for something or somebody
hope that i will hav good time here

olivier france

Crash Test · 4 Aug 2003, 22:11 (Ref:679987)

To be honest, most of the time I don't get time for a warm up. Either I have a really good day, or a fairly average one. At the local hillclimb there is especially no room for warm up, because all of the action happens on the first run, because the track is normally damp and cold, as are the drivers...

candfracing · 5 Aug 2003, 09:54 (Ref:680325)

I know what Snappers ritual is!

A run to the burger van!

Crash Test · 5 Aug 2003, 11:34 (Ref:680399)

Actually that might be becoming a bit of a ritual- always have a camera bag full of (unused) chewing gum...

vwpilot · 5 Aug 2003, 15:56 (Ref:680583)

I just try to get to my spot as quickly as possible and start shooting.

I have not found my first shots to be of any less quality than those taken later in the day. At least as far as clarity etc. go. I do find my compositions get better as I progress through a weekend and try different parts of the track and if its a track I have never shot, where the good places to shoot from are.

**Snapper Baz** · 5 Aug 2003, 18:14 (Ref:680687)

Craig...I can't afford burger prices, cos' my pictures to you Mini boys/girls are so discounted I can't afford to eat anyway-anyway Crofty does me his veggie burgers for free (fried egg in a roll)! BAR Babe, Iv'e never seen you run anywhere!! Whats all this warm up stuff about anyway-either you can take pictures or you cant! Last airshow I did I left my camera switched on but on the ground...I saw an aircraft get out of shape grabbed my camera off the grass...went click, click 6 times and got £3.500 for the shots with a daily newspaper...warming up, never heard anything so strange in all my Snapping days!!!