[LM24] OK, So What Do We Talk About Between Last Year's Le Mans and Next Year's.....?

[Simmi]

I think at a race as long as 24 hours it's possible to both soak up the atmosphere and fire off some shots.

You've got what, 35 hours of track time to play with during the week. And that's just for the main field.

Even if you got the camera out for a single hour you'd still capture most of the field and have some photos to keep. It actually helps me stay a bit more focused during the race to get the camera out for 20mins and concentrate a bit.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Simmi

I think at a race as long as 24 hours it's possible to both soak up the atmosphere and fire off some shots.

You've got what, 35 hours of track time to play with during the week. And that's just for the main field.

Even if you got the camera out for a single hour you'd still capture most of the field and have some photos to keep. It actually helps me stay a bit more focused during the race to get the camera out for 20mins and concentrate a bit.

I feel the same way. It keeps the mind spinning while listening to RLM and the cars.

[Aysedasi]

I've said for many years that I want to spend less time with a viewfinder pressed to my eye. Every year I fail. It's almost an addiction - once the cars come out on track I feel the urge to snap away. As a result, I end up with hundreds of shots that look exactly like hundreds of shots I took last year and the year before that and......

This year I'm planning to concentrate more on video - although I did take quite a lot of that last year - and looking for more of those 'atmospheric' shots.... But not taking a camera? No, I just couldn't do that.......

[lemansfan]

Andrew , most important Thing is to Keep your Eyes open to find new Places . Try several times to go without the Cam but the result is that i always take the Cam with me

[nobster]

so many cameras out there, so many pictures look the same but who cares, I like to take pictures and try to find some new spot to try every year.

[valedave]

Couldn't leave my camera behind... As has been said, it gives me a little break from the action, keeps the mind active during the night, too. For me it's not about the cars (there are hundreds of people with AA lanyards and €4k cameras that will be able to get better shots than I ever will), more using them as a backdrop for the bigger picture. Favourite photographer in this vein is Dan Bathie from DSC/l'endurance (and the other l'endurance guys, too) - check out this review of 2013, amazing. That's what I'm talking about.

Last year I got given an old Praktica (East German) film camera and found a tonne of expired film at a flea market. Been addicted to analogue photography ever since so that's coming to LM this year. Just need to make sure I remember to take a few shots with the DSLR as well.

[Aysedasi]

That's a good point there Dave about photography keeping you active during the night. As one of those who just has to see the whole of the night, taking pictures (even though I know they'll be rubbish ) does stop me from sitting down and falling asleep. There is the advantage of course these days of being able to take hundreds of shots without having to worry about the costs of developing and printing. I remember my last year of using film - the D&P cost me £90 - and that was a long time ago now!

[valedave]

I've budgeted for it Can't quite remember what I paid the last time, but I think it was around €3 / film (with prints).

[wewantourdarbyback]

I don't feel having the camera on me affects how I follow or enjoy the race and atmosphere, I take about a thousand shots (a lot of which get deleted) and that takes up two or three hours in total of the whole week if you sum up the total time I have the viewfinder to my eye.

But you'll never know unless you try it, and it can't harm so go for it.


As for Arnage, that potential route wouldn't affect the viewing area as much as destroying the camping, where would that relocate to?

[bella]

i find the camera doesn't reduce my enjoyment of the race, just changes how you're watching it, but having friends does. that sounds rude. and also a bit sad. but i'm kind of used to getting really absorbed in the races. with friends there it's quite hard!

(also: cameras are fun but they're really heavy if you're carrying reasonable glass. so mine comes out relatively little at le mans, and my toy dslr comes to play instead )

[Aysedasi]

My camera-toting was revolutionised when I bought a camera bag/rucksack and finally discarded my old over the shoulder camera bag. So comfortable and easy to carry and I don't end up with the need for treatment on the shoulder when I get home. It's also an issue for me this year as, after my op, I'm still not able to carry anything heavy for another 4-6 weeks....

[Elaviel]

Always take a camera. Sadly never seems to be any cars in the photos though!

[Aysedasi]

I was going back through the entries in the guestbook on my website and I found this... Couldn't resist posting it - from July 2001 - and it's quickly followed by entries by Guy Smith and Andy Wallace. I had a link on their websites back then.....

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

I was going back through the entries in the guestbook on my website and I found this... Couldn't resist posting it - from July 2001 - and it's quickly followed by entries by Guy Smith and Andy Wallace. I had a link on their websites back then.....

That is so awesome Andrew!
However I do not understand about the:
none
none
none
none

[Aysedasi]

There were a number of set questions which Tom simply answered 'none' to......