Category: Land Speed Racing

Vintage Indian Racer

I really like the way this image turned out. The bike is a work of art and has been lovingly restored. The young man riding it is probably half the bike’s age. I really like the juxtaposition of the vintage bike with the modern leathers and helmet. The reflection of the other participants in the face shield and the golden glow on it are part of why I chose this image.

As in yesterday’s post this image went through processing in Aperture 3 and Topaz Adjust. The noise in the image works for me; much as the film grain in Kodak Tri-X did when I shot B&W film years ago.

The motorcycle and rider fill the foreground in the composition yet they still allow the viewer’s eye to move on into the scene through the negative space of the salt flat into the distant mountains. The shadows on the left hint at unseen spectators that are waiting in anticipation of seeing him speed off down the race course in pursuit of a world record.

The Stewart Brothers

Here’s another of my BUB International Motorcycle Speed Trials shots taken at the 3 Mile start line. I like this image for so many reasons, the colors, the composition, the expressions of the people, the racer standing in the background and most of all the serendipitous inclusion of the man leaning into the frame. I didn’t include him but just as I released the shutter he popped his head into the picture. I thought to myself “damn that just ruined the shot” so I reframed the shot and did it again. Once I was home and had time to sort the shots from that day I found that I liked this one more than the ones that excluded this guy.

This image was processed in Aperture 3 and Topaz Adjust using the Spicify preset. When I processed this image I was just getting started with Topaz Adjust a couple of years ago. The haloing in the image didn’t bother me then but as I’ve progressed with my processing I’ve begun to try and minimize it more and more.

Salt Flat Storm Panorama

The weather on the Salt Flats can change pretty quickly. This storm moved in early in the day with 60 mph winds, rain and lightning. We had to take down our EZ-Ups and get off the Salt Flats because the storm was going to be very intense. I was on my bike and I wanted to get back to my hotel before it hit but I couldn’t resist stopping and shooting the storm as it rolled in. The wind was rocking me back and I had to put the face shield on my helmet down due to the salt that was being carried on the wind. I got the three shots for this panorama before it got too close for comfort and then I got on my bike and headed for town.

I stitched the three images together in Photoshop CS5 to create the panorama.  After that I took the image into NIK HDR Efex Pro where I used the Realistic (Strong)  preset before returning the image to Aperture for final sharpening and color adjustment.

Watching…

Toady’s image is once again from the 3 Mile International Start Line. The lady’s shirt says it all if you’re a Land Speed Racing enthusiast. The Black and White Bar is a fixture in Wendover and hosts an all you can eat spaghetti dinner one night during the BUB event.

I processed this shot in Topaz Adjust and then took it back into Aperture 3 where I adjusted the color, straightened the horizon and sharpened it. As for composition I placed her in the foreground of the right hand third of the frame while using her head angle to lead the viewer’s eye to the motorcycle racing past. The negative space on the left continues to carry your eye into infinity and reinforces the vastness of the Salt Flats.

BUB International Motorcycle Speed Trials

This week I’m going to start sharing some of the images I have taken at the BUB International Motorcycle Speed Trials. I have been attending this event since 2006; even going so far as to run my Harley Road Glide “Devilhog” in 2006 and 2007. After that experience I decided to become a volunteer course worker and help make sure that this event continues into the future. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the event, without them there couldn’t be land speed racing, and I’m proud to be part of the volunteer team. Unfortunately I won’t be able to go this year but I’ll be there in spirit. Hopefully I’ll be able to return in 2013.

For the past three years I have been privileged to be the one of the starters at the 3 Mile International Course Start Line. My task has been to organize the riders when they come to the starting gate and to brief them on the safety rules for making their Land Speed Record attempt. I am responsible for making sure that all safety equipment is present and that the rider and bike are cleared through tech inspection for racing. Every once in a while someone will show up at the start gate without proper equipment or other safety problems. I must make sure that these types of situations are corrected before I can allow the racer to enter the race course. It’s a great responsibility which I take very seriously because no one wants to see  something catastrophic happen which could lead to injury or death. Another aspect of our job is to monitor the radio channel and communicate with the timing tower which controls the race course. A rider can only be released to the start line after the timing tower has assured that the course is clear of the last racer.

Toady’s shot is of John Yeats riding out from the start gate to the starting line where the flagman will give him the green flag to go. John’s Dad, John Senior, built the bike and I chose this shot because this motorcycle epitomizes the level of craftsmanship and beauty that John, and the entire Land Speed Racing community, is known for. This engine in this motorcycle is over 3000 CCs which is nearly twice the displacement of most Harley-Davidson engines. John has been piloting Land Speed Racing bikes for many years but it still takes a lot of nerve to climb on a bike that will rocket down the course at well over 175 mph.

I took this image into Topaz Adjust 4 for initial processing and then returned it to Aperture 3 where I finished adjusting the color, vibrancy and sharpening. I especially like the negative space at the left side of the frame which for me accentuates the vastness of the Bonneville Salt Flats and the unknown.