Griot’s Garage Friday Night Drags - Learning About Boom
By David Stenhouse
The trek to learning how to shoot around tracks continues. What information I have gleaned recently is safety first and finding good advice from experienced photographers. Sure, exposure and shutter speed are extremely important, but how about just where to sit?
Pacific Raceways recently hosted their annual Friday Night Drags this past week and I decided to take full advantage of the areas beyond the finish line. Plopping down around 500-600 feet beyond the timing blocks, I felt this was a great location to use the Nikon 200mm-500mm zoom lens. I like the flat view of the track with the tower, people and a lit tree blurred in the background. I was able to capture some great shots to increase my library’s inventory.
PHOTO GALLERY - 2022 Griot’s Garage Friday Night Drags
That was the last time I will use that location. I found myself at a front row seat to Chris Davis’s nostalgia funny car engine explosion. While Chris drove the car to the end of the track and exited safely, the flash, heat, and flying debris opened my eyes to a new view of motorsports photography. I’m a rookie and rookies need to learn.
Although it made for my most fixating photo to this point (nothing comes close), the location isn’t the best for me. A photographer who had been shooting at the track for the past decade walked over to my spot and offered some solid advice: I should move farther up the track and a bit off of the wall. Not only for better personal safety, but just for debris that may strike my camera and lens.
PHOTO GALLERY - 2022 Griot’s Garage Friday Night Drags
I was in law enforcement during the 90s and I remember the crime wasn’t my top concern while patrolling freeways—it was flying debris and out of control cars. Now 30 years later, I’m parked next to a barrier with faster cars sporting much more potential. Distance is covered rather promptly by a nitro-burning car traveling 250+ mph. A desire to capture something great led me to disregard better decisions.
I took that photographer’s advice and will so going forward. While the angle I was using was incredible, it’s not the smartest for me and his friendly advice was greatly appreciated. Maybe I should have noted I was the only one using that spot? I may find myself investing in a remote triggering system in the future.
In the meantime, I’ll move back.
Carrying around a camera since childhood, David Stenhouse has a love for capturing machines, people, and the U.S.A. He is now so blessed to spend each day running a business with his best friend, high school sweetheart, and wife, Shay.