| The Principal's last hurrah with
the D60's: |
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| A slow start for
the principal in 2004, the first image not recorded until the
Speedfreaks Ball in May. Things got back on track though with
this image of Ric Naylor launching wheels up on the Supertwin
Top Gas bike. A complete inability to work the zoom mechanism
of the lens results in this pleasing composition, carefully cut
off so you cannot actually see the wheel in the air. Fumbling
with the zoom has also introduced a healthy amount of camera shake
to top things off nicely. |
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| Its on to the Pre Main Event Private
Test Day and now the principal is just starting to really get into
the swing of it. Following on from last years sloping track pictures
he takes it to a new level with a wide angle shot of the Pod startline.
Notice the way he has managed to inadvertently include the startline
crew so he can claim the they are the point of interest in the picture.... |
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| The very next day saw a RWYB, and
one where more more Pro Cars hit the track than at the test day
the day before (obviously not just Sharkman that's a slow starter!).
Joran Persaker was at the wheel of one of Knut's dragsters so the
principal took the opportunity to polish up his technique ready
for the Main Event the following weekend. As you can see no real
practice was needed as Joran's first launch produced this beautiful
cut off image, managing to cut the front and the rear wing off at
the same time! Throw in some blurring and a slightly dodgy exposure
and we have a winning shot! |
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| Fast Forward one week to the Main
Event and has the practice paid off? You better believe it. Another
one of those priceless images that the principal had no idea he
had taken until he downloaded the memory card. Don't ask as I really
have no idea what so ever..... |
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| Sometimes people are so thoughtful.
Some crew (John Ellis and Rob Turners back up guys spring to mind)
always run down the outside of the wall and then climb over once
they are down track where the car will come to a halt. Other people
are not so thoughtful and seem to be hell bent on creating School
of Excellence moments every time their car runs. Memo to those crew.
Sharkman is more than capable of screwing up shots without any extra
help thank you very much! |
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| Well it wouldn't be an update to
the School without another burnout / firecrew shot would it? New
fire marshal Dave earns his spurs here. Now Nigel has moved on someone
on the startline has to pick up the slack and "star" in the pictures,
looks like Dave is making a strong bid for the job. |
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| A quick trip to the WRE test day
in July to just polish up on a few things before heading off to
Mantorp Park paid dividends with this awesome image. No its not
another one of those no idea images, its even better than that!
The dark blob in the middle is actually Steve Venables on his stunning
Kawasaki Super Street Bike. Takes some going to get it so far out
of focus that its just a blob, particularly with an autofocus camera! |
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| In an effort to add some variety
to his images the principal decided to make this years Mantorp sloping
track shot something a bit different, he decided to take it of the
famed "kitty litter" at the end of the track! Otherwise known as
the perils of not switching off the 2nd camera before hanging it
by its strap from your shoulder. |
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| Memory card madness returns! There
is something about IBM microdrives and big FIA races that don't
necessarily get on. The Euro Finals last year and now Mantorp this
year.... |
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| Twice in one meeting! What is it
about my memory cards and Pro Mod qualifying sessions? Not to worry.
Although they make great images this was the final straw for me
and the microdrives were changed out for Pro spec Compact Flash
cards in time for the Euro Finals. Make the most of these two as
they SHOULD be the last memory card madness images you see from
the principal! |
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| Another fine example of the "wandering
round without turning the camera off" style of photography. Last
year the Principal brought you the fence at Mantorp, this year its...
well its from the European Finals and I think its a shadow of a
fence... The jury is still out though. |
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| Gotta love Drag racing at night.
Apart from when no amount of cursing, threatening, pleading or begging
will persuade your flashgun to do what its supposed to and illuminate
the scene in front of you... It may well have been that setting
in the camera which had flash firing set to off... who knows for
sure. Just to be safe the 550ex guns that partnered the D60's have
been traded for a pair of the new 580ex's to partner the 20D's.
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| It was only a matter of time....
Take enough pictures from up in the tower and sooner or later the
principal was guaranteed to get a great pic of the window frame.
Shame about Steve Woollatt burning out in the background, really
distracts from the window frame doesn't it? |
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| After a year out in 2003 Carla Pittau of Heaven
& Hell Racing returns to the school in 2004: |
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| Carla returns to the School and Heaven
& Hell reclaim the National Championship. Coincidence? time will
tell there I guess! Carla opens with this effort. As she says herself
"Interstate 10 between San Francisco and Phoenix, a thousand
opportunities to take pics of hot rods, racers on trailers, racers
racing..." fortunately for us Carla made the most of the practice
and netted this fine effort. Nicely blurred and got to love that
composition, Carla managing to observe the photographic "rule of
thirds" to get that phone mast type thing in just the right spot
to draw your eye to it. |
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| Carla says "Ok, so we're back
in LA and the traffic is kinda inspiring - all those tail lights
dancing in front of my eyes, a sea of patterns and interesting colours
". Er... ok then Carla. Next time send us a picture of it eh?
:-) " |
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| "How to underexpose, blur and
concentrate on the car that stalls instead of the one that wheelstands
- all in one easy lesson by Carla Pittau". Carla has summed
this one up pretty much perfectly for us although she is too modest
to mention carefully cutting off the wheelstanding car and the horrible
graining on the print as well! |
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| I know Magnus Cato's Superstock picture
from the 2002 edition of the school has been a source of inspiration
for young Miss Pittau since she first set eyes on it and now she
has produced a Superstock picture of her own worthy of placing alongside
the stunner from Magnus. Carla sums this one up as "creating
night out of day without having the faintest idea how, blur and
take a generally crappy picture where you can't even see that anything
is actually wheelstanding". |
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| Its a pleasure to welcome Alan Currans from
the superb Acceleration
Archive site: |
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| Alan is the guy that took his entry
into the school so seriously he even consulted me about cameras
before moving into the digital arena. As you can see my advice of
a Canon 300D seems to have come good for Alan as on his first weekends
shooting he bagged this great "cut off" shot of Steve Woollatt on
his way to a 209mph pass. |
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| After contributing to the Svensk set last
year Big Stan is
back to join the school in his own right this year: |
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| A fine opener from Stan, Micke Kagered
blazing the tyres at Alastaro and the only obstruction in sight
smack in the middle of the picture. Trust me folks, it takes real
skill to get the pole right in the middle of the car like that. |
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| Stan sent several "cut off" pictures
with his submission so I have just picked my favourite one for inclusion
here. The slick on this car is wound up and working nicely, better
in fact than Stan's camera which seems to have some nasty shutter
lag going on here! |
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| Another back again after a year out, this
time its Carl Wadkin-Snaith from The
Fang: |
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| Carl is another person who has made
the move to digital this year and opens with this fine study of
some people in the fire up road at Shakey. Nicely blurred and with
some interesting pixelation going on around the people in question.
Shame about that car in the background spoiling things a bit. |
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| Now this shows real potential. Blurred,
badly exposed, pixelation again present and TJ Obrien on a PB pass
cut off smack down the middle. Great effort by Carl there. |
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| A Late entry just beating the 31st Dec cut
off for the 2004 school, its Erik Zettervall, one of Eurodragsters
great friends over at Svensk
Drag Racing: |
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| I
was sure Erik was a returning member of the school, but it turns
out this is his first time! Yet another great photographer to
come out of the Svensk organisation (a line up that includes school
regulars Christer and Big Stan amongst others). Erik made full
use of the VIP balcony at the Main Event to deliver this great
two car burnout shot of Roger Johansson and Nobert Kuno. Both
cars up on the tyres and trailing tyre smoke nicely and the guard
rail around the balcony smack bang in the middle of the shot.
Good effort Erik! Bonus points for also just cutting the front
spoiler off of Roger's car... |
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