Learning from the Dogs

Well I have been making the trip to Sale Greyhounds regularly now to learn about the art of taking pics of very fast moving dogs as they go past the finish line.

On initially being asked if I was interested I thought "How hard can it be???"

I have leaned a huge amount including:-

- Using high ISO (expose correctly is the key here, as underexposed images will be loaded with unwanted NOISE!)
- Panning (and how an object moving across your line of view is actually moving faster than an object coming toward you.....check your Physics books).
- Panning (it has taken a lot of practice and so deserves two mentions)

Just talking photography for three hours is a bonus and I can practice a lot of things. The interesting thing is I basically shoot 8 frames per second as they cross the line and the difference between a "winning shot" and a "dog that looks like it has stepped in something bad" is a split second.

Here is a sample from Sunday night:-

Looking like he can fly

But this is a better position

This was a close call on which dog won on the night

Again the popular pose as they cross the line

An example of being too slow in panning - BAD PANNING!

Another strange angle - remember this is all at 8 fps!!

Happy at the finish

It is only a brief moment between the classic sprint shot

and the "Whoops I stepped in something" shot

Happy at the finish

This greyhound is flying home (well his back legs are anyways!)

Another happy dog

Synchronised racing

Seriously synchronised