Today’s Guest Post by John Larsen
Just about all high-level amateur and professional race drivers will tell you that they started at the same place: karting.
While the word “karting” conjures images of beat-up rental go-karts at amusement parks there are organizations that hold competitive events with various classes starting with kids from a very young age in safe, low horsepower machines and progressing up to adults competing in “shifter” karts which have powerful engines, complete with a transmission.
Upon researching local karting events I found that the Canadian Karting Championships would be held at a track that was about 100 km/65 miles away. Upon my arrival I was amazed at the number of team trucks, trailers and tents that filled the parking area. There was no charge for admission.
I walked around the facilities during the morning practice sessions to find that some locations would offer great photo opportunities although spectator access was limited to one side of the track.
I grabbed my gear and found that my Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC lens was ideal for this particular event. The zoom range allowed me to pan with the karts as I stood trackside. I could also obtain close photos of the racers as they were waiting to go onto the track. This lens also provided the flexibility to follow the on-track action.
If you are looking for a fun and challenging form of motorsports to photograph, I strongly recommend that you do some research to find a venue near you.
John Larsen is this blog’s Senior International Travel Correspondent, whose website is www.photograffics.com.