# Sebring... Porsches in the rain



## John Thawley (Dec 8, 2009)

Went over to Sebring last week to shoot vintage... it poured, drizzled and then poured again. Only a few vintage Porsches came out... none of the GTP or prototype racers ever it the track. The surprise though was these little Porsche Cayman cars that run a in a new division called Cayman Interseries. They run at select HSR events... the are a spec car costing about $80K ready to race and they must run one of the classic paint schemes from the old Porsche 917 days. VERY cool. If you want to read more we've got an article at Sports Car Insider - http://www.sportscarinsider.com

Here are few images:


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## Atlas77 (Dec 8, 2009)

Cool shots, just a bummer that if it were a sunny day these shots would be 10x better. 

I really want to go there, I could combine my love of porsches with my love of photography. 

Good Stuff. :thumbup:


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## John Thawley (Dec 8, 2009)

10x better? LOL - I'm actually pleased with the shots. I have no problem with the rain... in fact, a little more would have produced some better spray. I was just disappointed more cars weren't on - track.

Really? 10X?


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## Shockey (Dec 8, 2009)

Hit these with a levels adjustment and that should give them some pop.
Cool shots, I would love to get to photograph one of those events, thanks for sharing.


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## altitude604 (Dec 8, 2009)

really cool shots!


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## wescobts (Dec 9, 2009)

Greats shots, they're all nice, kind of partial the Porsche, really like the older one :thumbup:


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## GFreg (Dec 10, 2009)

I love #8.  Unfortunate that he was driving a convertible in the rain but beautiful car and great shot.


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## PatrickHMS (Dec 10, 2009)

What cool shots!

Seeing them sure brings back memories.  I remember going to Sebring and shooting way back in the late 1960's and early 1970's.  Weather was nasty more often than it was nice, but what a cool place to spend a couple of days.

SCCA and IMSA was a ton of fun back in those days, going to places like Sebring, Savannah, Road Atlanta (in their early days), and the 24 hours of Daytona.


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## Wozza (Dec 14, 2009)

Disagree with the sunny day comment, I like to see racing in all conditions. How boring would it be if every shot was in bright sunshine?

Shot 4 is my favourite here, the weather has made for interesting colours and it has a good sense of speed. Very sharp and bright shot.


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## iflynething (Dec 14, 2009)

Love #5 with that spray of the tires.

You pan really well too

~Michael~


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## John Thawley (Dec 14, 2009)

Wozza said:


> Disagree with the sunny day comment, I like to see racing in all conditions. How boring would it be if every shot was in bright sunshine?
> 
> Shot 4 is my favourite here, the weather has made for interesting colours and it has a good sense of speed. Very sharp and bright shot.



Thanks... I didn't quite understand the sunny day comment either. So I glad to see someone else question it. Not that I was about to go back through "hitting the levels" and blowing out all the whites and other highlights. Personally, given the nature of the low cloud ceiling and inclement weather, I thought the images and colors and quite a bit of "pop." Not my first rodeo, if you know what I mean. LOL

Thanks,

JT


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## LarissaPhotography (Dec 14, 2009)

I like #4.  Do you have to get an invite to photograph an event like this?


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## John Thawley (Dec 14, 2009)

LarissaPhotography said:


> I like #4.  Do you have to get an invite to photograph an event like this?



Not an invite, per se`, but you do need to be accredited media on assignment and apply for a credential in advance.


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## wescobts (Dec 14, 2009)

LarissaPhotography said:


> I like #4.  Do you have to get an invite to photograph an event like this?


Hey Larissa, check out some local tracks, signing a waiver is sometimes all that is needed, I myself go to a local motocross track and for some photos they let me bang away all day.


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## joeywpc (Dec 14, 2009)

# 5 is a great looking Porsche but # 6 is my favorite shot of the set, great action and captured the drama of the event.  Would love to have been there, even better to be in the drivers seat.


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## LarissaPhotography (Dec 14, 2009)

I'll look up some local tracks.  Do you guys sell the photos you take there?  Also, what exactly qualifies as accredited media on assignment?  Does this mean as simple as a blog post?  What about a press release?  What are the rules?


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## John Thawley (Dec 15, 2009)

LarissaPhotography said:


> I'll look up some local tracks.  Do you guys sell the photos you take there?  Also, what exactly qualifies as accredited media on assignment?  Does this mean as simple as a blog post?  What about a press release?  What are the rules?



It will differ with the level of track and event. Obviously, when you start attempting to access tracks like Sebring, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio etc., etc., they're going to have their own set of guidelines accompanied by track access restrictions. 

This will escalate with the level of event they're hosting. When you start getting into American Le Mans, Indy Car or even SCCA Pro, things get even tighter. The track has to observe the sanctioning body's guidelines at that point. 

Accredited means, recognized... major magazine, newspaper, (even local) or major web site. Blogs tend to be frowned upon... but do slip through now and then. Getting a letter from your buddy at ILOVECARS.com won't win you any friends.

It's also important to remember, there are photographers there to their job. It's how they make their living.

That said, if you go to a lot of these tracks for sports car racing... especially the smaller events, there are lots of shooting opportunities on the spectator side of the fence. Often, when I see someone complaining on a forum about access, I'll look at what they shot from the fence and it becomes painfully clear, they never even moved. If I stood in the same spot all weekend, I'd be nowhere. And, if I stuck to shooting in the allocated photo locations, I'd also be next to nowhere. You have to move. I travel the full circuit three or four times per weekend... and I don't just shoot from inside the fence. I go all over and I dig-out the shots.

I'm a hard car shooter... but without sounding conceited, believe me, I don't get good shots because I have a credential. I have credential because I deliver good shots.  Make sense?

JT


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## jvw2941 (Jan 2, 2010)

Beautiful cars I love the composition and everything about pictures 3 and 5


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