>>Is it possible to pick a shutter speed that will freeze the car but blur the wheels without panning?
not without panning, technically. you may get marginal results at 1/250-1/400th, but i would pan. the more the car is coming at you (as opposed to across), the less pan movement is required. you are right on that speed and distance affect the choice of shutter speed to get the desired result. on the track, a full pan shot, i usually work between 1/30th and 1/125th. the 3/4 pan shot to almost straight on, i usually work between 1/160th and 1/400th. head on shots...i used to shoot as much as possible at f2.8, just because i could, but imho, if you get even a tiny hint of a frozen wheel/tire, it ruins the picture, so now i try to not let the shutter speed go above 1/500th if this may happen.
>>Other things I'm hoping to try are (as I mentioned) carefully planning what will be in the frame when panning.
this is a big emphasis of mine now too...combining the expected result with the scene. there's a lot to think about.
autox - why are you removing cones???
>>And also experimenting with various shutter speeds to vary the amount of background blur.
beauty of digital. try it, try it, try it. you can get a pretty good idea of the result on the camera lcd, but a review later on a nice computer monitor will be the real test. doesn't cost you a dime. try it, try it, try it. if it's an ugly background, go as slow as possible to blur that sucker. after a few outings, you'll develop a sense of what your keeper rate will be in various situations with various camera settings.
>>I was shooting 1/30 and 1/40 but I think I could have mixed it up with some 1/60 and 1/100 and still had some *action* without making the action as dizzying as it was. I probably would have ended up with a lot more sharp pix too.
i agree. 1/20 - 1/40 is pretty slow. most people aren't terribly successful at these slow speeds. depends on what you want. if you want a good pick of every car, select a safer (faster) shutter speed; if you want a few make-your-head-spin shots, then take a risk and go slower. but you still need to consider the background. at alameda, with sf or ships in the backround, i wouldn't go SO slow that you can't make out what they are. at autocross, for motion shots, try to pan at the fastest parts of the track. it's incredibly difficult to pan through a vert slow section. something that bob c says that i now believe...you really have to concentrate while taking pics. while panning, concentrate on a single, specific point on the car...the number on the door, the driver's head, the front wheel...and concentrate.
take all of my opinions above with a grain of salt. this is MY style of shooting - what I like. try lots of things and figure out what YOU like (or what your paying customers like if you're doing it for them).
>>Anybody going to Laguna on the 7th for the Rolex race? I'm hoping to go but I'm not 100% sure that I can make it.
i'll be there saturday and sunday. i imagine that bob c will be there too.
