How to Take Photos of Race Cars With a 35mm Camera

Pan the cars as they pass you. Speed is a central element of auto racing. Today's 35mm cameras, even the entry-level point-and-shoot cameras, have a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the action. While you will get a nice picture of the car, you lose the sense of speed. To capture the effect of how fast the car is going, set your camera to a lower shutter speed. Turn you camera's exposure mode to "shutter priority" and set the shutter speed to 1/125 of second, and as the car goes by, aim your camera at one point on the car--perhaps the number on the door, or the driver's helmet if it is an open cockpit--and keep the camera on that spot as the car passes. This will create a picture in which the car is sharp and the background is a blur, giving a sense of how fast the car is going. It is also a great way to give a heightened focus on the subject. This technique takes some practice, so don't worry it you don't get it the first time. When using this technique, because it requires you to use a slower shutter speed, consider using a monopod or tripod to help you keep the camera steady while shooting.

Use an increased depth of field. Depth of field refers to how much of the picture is in focus. And it varies depending on the type of lens you are using. You control depth of field by the aperture (lens opening) setting on your camera. A large opening, indicated by a low number of f2.8 or lower, gives you a very shallow depth of field. A small opening, indicated by a higher number of f16 or higher, will give you a deeper depth of field. Having a deep depth of field is critical in photographing fast moving objects, especially if they are moving toward you. Your lens can only focus so fast, and when these cars are moving as quick as they are, in that millisecond between when your camera focuses and the shutter fires, the car has moved. With a deeper depth of field, more of the background and foreground comes into sharp focus. The advantage with this is that over a longer part of the car's path it will stay in focus in the photograph.

Adjust the color saturation. This is a camera setting as important as your shooting technique. After speed, the color of the race cars and the fire protection suits worn by the driver and pit crew are very colorful. Many of today's 35mm digital cameras have a color adjustment, which is referred to as vivid or enhanced. Try a few shots with the setting in place to see the effect on your photos.