You may know Chance Hales from his work with the Everyday Driver TV Show, Podcast, and YouTube channel, or from his excellent Instagram follow @phattyhales for a ton of great photos of spectacular cars in amazing locales. With out team finally starting to get things together, we wanted to improve our non-driving related knowledge and skills as well and realized that as much as we like taking pictures and videos at the track and on the road, we have not kept up with recent advances that may improve our images. It is also an excellent gift idea for those who may want to improve their equipment with a seasonal gift (or three) and is an excellent way to get a non-driving CFO to enjoy the track a bit more and feel included in your driving passion.
I think we broke Ben on this Dominating with Dawson episode where we cover the concept of “two feet in” and make sure everyone is clear with what it means and how this technique can dramatically minimize the deleterious impact of an error that may momentarily exceed your current skill level on track.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
Best regards,
Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill
Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers
Highlights from this episode include:
1) We start of with a quick introduction including an overview of Chance’s 1967 Mustang resto-mod and 2000 Porsche 911, his recent promotion to NASA HPDE 4, and how he grew into his current photography and videography profession, as well as Everyday Driver.
2) Bill mentions the story of how we first met each other online and how many of you can blame the Everyday Driver team for us starting racing and this podcast. They do apologize profusely.
3) Vicki learns what a “cars and coffee” is for the first time. Bill, I thought you raised her better than that.
4) Chance and Vicki go into what camera and accessories are needed as an upgrade to using your phone or a point and shoot type camera.
5) Chance also goes into the different types of cameras and some of the extensive jargon in a way that even Bill understood.
6) We also go into what are some of the options and features associated with a next level but still non-professional camera set up.
7) We go into the lenses most likely needed for shooting at a track, as well as some lenses that are awesome but cost more that most of our cars.
8) Chance is also an excellent videographer for both the Everyday Driver TV show on the Velocity channel, their feature length movies/DVDs, as well as their YouTube channel and goes into the various choices and alternatives, including GoPro’s and several options that provide even higher quality.
9) We did go into the details of shutter speeds and aperture settings, but in a way that most non-photographers will finally be able to understand. The good news is that most of the cameras have an automatic setting or a simple semi-automatic setting that will work for most shots of interest at a track.
10) Chance also gives a few resources to find the both equipment and several that have a resource that can advise you for the best options to fit what you are trying to capture.
11) Key settings and what their approximate ranges should be include aperture, exposure, and the number of frames per second.
13) Vicki and Chance also had several cheap and simple tips, tricks, settings, and add-ons to help protect your equipment and simplify the process by narrowing the need for manual settings and adjustments.
14) Our first Space Balls reference ever was made by Chance and it was long overdue.
15) Chance also helps us with several great resources for editing photos and videos.
16) Vicki misunderstands Chance saying “raw” and thinks it’s a type of graphic file. Bill makes a bad He Man joke.
17) Bill has a bad flashback to when everyone used something known as “film”. Things ae so much easier now.
18) Chance even offers a set of standard “shots” that you should pursue at each event. We also go into the best way to compose a shot to at least appear to be a better photographer than you really may be.
19) Tips and tricks to shooting in the weather to protect yourself, the camera equipment, as well as some tips to getting better shots that take advantage of the conditions.
20) Bill asks about a Leica camera, but meant to say Lytro. Worth a look? TBD. We will have to ask Chance next time.
21) Depending on your goals and budget, we are sure to have given you a few options that will improve your team’s photos.
22) Bill and Chance also discuss their annual “Pilgrimage Trip” to Spa and the Nürburgring. Vicki wants a camera so Bill thought, just in case…..
You can view Chance Hale’s portfolio work at: https://www.chancehalesphotography.com/
The Everyday Driver home page is at: https://www.everydaydriver.com/
Bob Chapman’s work can be found at: http://www.autosportimage.com/
GHIT 0151: Chance Hales on Racing and Car Photography and Videography
I listened to this episode in complete awe..
Your guest is just wrong on so many levels. He may have some sway with his local buddies and his show Everyday Drivers, but I’ve never seen his work in the likes of Racer Magazine, Motortrend, Track and Driver, or online beyond his fattyhales handle. Next time, try reaching out to real motorsports photographers. Richard Prince, Bob Chapman, Jamey Price, Caitlin Ting, Sean Klingelhoefer, Rich Webb, Sam Cobb, Chris Fenner, Camden Thraser, Walter Sippel, Larry Chen, Shelby Knick, Lisa Linke, Aaron Kupferman, Oli Coulthard, Keiron Berndt…
Despite all the misleading or wrong information giving (or not given), you were asking for a solid beginner setup.. here’s a reasonable answer that I was given, just updated.
* First, mirrorless camera is the future. You don’t really need to bother with DSLRs or point and shoots at this time.
* You already own a Nikon! Great! Look at Nikon’s mirrorless offerings. See how the feel in your hand. Look at the Z50..Z6… If you don’t like how they feel, look at Canon (EOS RP, EOS R). If you don’t like those…look at the offerings of Sony (a6600, a6100, etc). Mirrorless systems tend to suck up batteries.. make sure to pickup an extra battery or two.
* Lenses are WAY more important then having the latest camera. Meaning, spend more money on lenses than getting a gee-whiz-bang camera. A lower end camera with better quality glass will ALWAYS look better then a highest of high cameras and cheap glass! Chance humble-bragged about this Canon and Sigma gear, but I know that ALL of the people above have published work that Chance would consider to be lower gear and yet they’ve produced better photos that what I’ve seen on Chances or Everyday Drivers social. What about the photographers in the film era? How did they get such great imagery when they didn’t have Chance’s gear?
* One thing to consider with a Nikon system is the amount of old, but REALLY good glass, at really affordable prices. Like buying used cars, they’ve already depreciated. You can often resale older glass for what you paid for or for a profit. Nikon and Sony systems can be adapter to talk older Nikon glass (some might have a tradeoff). Look at keh.com or robertscamera.com for lots of inventory with a limited warranty.
* More frames per second also means more photos to download and edit. Taking up your time and your storage.
* Some credit to Chance, composition is very important. Rule of thirds is a good start.
* There are many standalone video cameras these days. Canon C100, C70.. Sony, Red, Arri. The fact that Chance recommend that a whole television series can be shot on Sony GH5 (which doesn’t exist) tells me he has no real experience in the video production field. Phones are great and useful and for a beginner and are capable of incredible imagery. As well as someone with experience. Like everything else, an iPhone for video is just part of your collection of tools.
* And that really is a bigger point. There are all just tools to create an image.
Here’s a simple setup from a non-pro person
* You have Nikon, get a Z50 ($860)
* Get the Nikon FTZ adaptor (fits your current and older nikon glass to the Z50) ($50)
Optional lenses:
* If you have something like a 18-50mm lens, your good there. Next would be something to can really ‘reach’ on the track. Nikon has an older 200-500mm f/5.6 lens for around $900 used from places like keh and robertscamera. New is around $1200. Great lens.
* Nikon also had a 80-400mm lens for about $500 on the used market (it’s an okay lens, but perfectly fine for social)
* Nikon also had a 70-300mm lens for around $500
* Nikon Z DX 50-250mm around $350. This is made for the Z50. It’ll be an ‘ok’ lens. Good enough for social. The 200-500 would be better if you can afford it.
* pick up a extra battery, if you notice you’re going through the charge sooner, pick up a third. Usually around $70/each
* get a few SD cards from a name brand, like Samsung.. 32 gig.. $10 off amazon, 64gig, $15. Some prefer more smaller cards (if one dies, you don’t lose ALL your photos, just the one on the card).
* also invest in an external hard drive for backup.
OR
Keep you Nikon
Pickup the 200-500mm lens ($900 used)
Keep your current lens
Learn about composition and how to shoot race cars and people and such
Then upgrade your camera body
I am not trying to diss your podcast.
It irks me when some photographers claim to be a pro, when it obvious he was out of his league. And I’ve only been shooting for like three years.
Take it for what it’s worth.. some rando-keyboard-warrior that has only been able to shoot from the grand stands, but hopes to be track side sometime in the near future!
Thanks for the rest of the content!!