Matthewmead.net Motorsport Photography  

Went out to Oran Park to take pics of the Time Attack event that was ment to happen, but didnt for some reason?? Anyway the boys at Hi Octane gave me something to take pics of... All i can say is this car is amazing to watch...hope you like

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There are over 160 images in my Flickr account:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewmead/s...57604618478244/

And please check out my website to see my previous work:
http://www.matthewmead.net


Let me know what you think

20th April 2008 - 12:45 AM  Reply  Quote

I really like your stuff mate, you always seem to get a nice picture to me, the tone and contrast seems to be a little dark but for some reason, that too, I like.

My picks are 8 & 9, 8 is good because it kinda makes you read the picture, imagining the skyline tear-arse down the dip. 9 is good because I like the mechanical body-language of the skyline, the camber on the right rear shows it's really tearing through that corner.

20th April 2008 - 08:11 AM  Reply  Quote

thanks nick really appreciate..ur right about the contrast...i play with it to much...for some reason i like darker pictures aswell lol

20th April 2008 - 08:45 AM  Reply  Quote

i went out to the historics at eastern creek, i didnt get to many pics due to the rain but was a great day out...

Here are some action ones:

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Rest of the images can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewmead/s...57604640476045/

hope you like

21st April 2008 - 12:59 PM  Reply  Quote

Awesome stuff dude!

21st April 2008 - 08:58 PM  Reply  Quote

Some more of my work got featured on Kultivate Web Blog. Real honour once again and this leading to some more work from him as hes getting involved in another larger project soon

heres a screen shot:



and here is the link:
http://kultivate.wordpress.com/2008/04/19/...ime-attack-r32/


and be sure to check out his blog regualry:

http://kultivate.wordpress.com/

22nd April 2008 - 10:52 PM  Reply  Quote

Nice! I definately think your stuff is print-worthy.

23rd April 2008 - 08:11 AM  Reply  Quote

Here are two teaser shots from fridays actions

both shot 1/60th handheld

26th April 2008 - 09:59 AM  Reply  Quote

#1 is a fucking awesome shot, great comp - leaving room at the front of the car is how it should always be done. All I could suggest would be a little bit of contrast and maybe some saturation . Only add saturation if it was shot in RAW though - if it was JPEG it'll look shit with too much extra sat. That horizon also needs to be straightened. Oh and clean your sensor, you're getting spots at really small apertures.

#2 is pretty average, comp is wrong - should be more space in front of the car than behind. While I understand the panning was at a damn slow shutter speed I think 1/80th (like #1) seems to be slightly more manageable, you haven't quite pulled 1/60th off.

I'm just being nitpicky - I hope you like C&C otherwise you're gonna be PISSED when u read this!

Harry

PS: If you don't like my CC, please tell me and I'll stop doing it on this thread and I'll delete this post. I don't want another shitfight over it!

26th April 2008 - 01:17 PM  Reply  Quote

1/60th is definately a hard shutter if you get a keeper it's gonna look awesome or just plain shit.First photo is very good as Harry has said great comp to me though it looks a bit dark maybe just play with the exposure just a little, i even think a desat of the pic would look sweet.
Second pic i dunno unless you where going for more of an arty look then cool but if not then to me it just looks like a bad pan.
Just a side note but do you desat your pics when you do your pp? i would just like to see more colour. You definately have a lot of skill and i enjoy your posts can't wait to see more.

26th April 2008 - 04:06 PM  Reply  Quote

thanks guys for ur comments... ive re pped those pics once i slapped them on the 22inch screen on the desktop..they look at lot different...im really pissed of about my sensor being dirty..i thought it was clean...ive spent all arvo going through them trying to touch them up...lol

no.2 i was going for the arty feel..i liked it lol

fisher i like ur harsh CC..i think everyone should do it..only way i will ever learn i really appreciate it..

26th April 2008 - 11:47 PM  Reply  Quote

I don't think it's harsh at all, he's just telling it as it is but some how at the same time still being polite. I think it'd start getting harsh if he was saying "GIVE UP" etc..

I got the civic was arty too

I recently bought a Giottos cleaning kit for like $30, came with the torpedo or whatever they call it, the black air pump, it's great, a few squirts of that and no more dust, plus it comes with lens cleaning fluid, goats hair brush, lens cleaning cloth and some cleaning ear buds with really pointy ends which I found really handy for my 18-125 because there's about 1mm of glass I just can't seem to reach with the cloth and my fingers.

Go buy one!

27th April 2008 - 07:45 AM  Reply  Quote

yeah harsh isnt the right word...more like saying how it is and explaining the reason behind that...

i have alittle cleaning kit i just haven't cleaned the sensor as i thought it was all good...

anyways ill post some more up later today

27th April 2008 - 10:50 AM  Reply  Quote

Went down to wakefield park on friday, for another circuit club day...learnt some new things...i ended up taking lots of pictures as i was playing with quite low shutter speeds...only a few turned out how i wanted...and i got dust on my sensor again ahhhhhhhh.....

anyway here they are:

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you can find around 450 pictures in my flickr link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewmead/s...57604734198601/

also check out my website:

http://www.matthewmead.net

hope you like

28th April 2008 - 09:01 AM  Reply  Quote

With number 8 how do you get the car so sharp with it coming straight do you pan with the car or just shoot straight it? hope that makes sense i just find when i shoot at 1/60th when a car is coming at that kinda angle mine never work out.

28th April 2008 - 09:11 AM  Reply  Quote

i get what you mean...its pretty hard to get sharp..a combination of panning with the car, adjusting zoom and shooting of about 6-8 shoots in burst usually gets u one or two sharp shoots...but i would normally at that angle shoot with 1/100th or higher..but i was trying some new things

28th April 2008 - 09:31 AM  Reply  Quote

#1 is by far the best. Perfect comp, great panning. It just works!
I'm not really qualified to nitpick on motorsport shots, i just don't know what to look for! They look pretty sweet to me though. Only thing I could say is to get rid of the central comp, some of them a fairly static.

28th April 2008 - 01:01 PM  Reply  Quote

yeah i agree with central comp i use the centre focus point to try and get it right in the camera so i dont have to crop...but i will try some other things in pp next time..

What you mean by pretty static?? not enought blur or to much???i used pretty low shutter speed for all of those shots!!

thanks for your comments

28th April 2008 - 01:16 PM  Reply  Quote

Static just refers to the central comp. If a shot has static comp it means that it is hard to keep your eye on the object as it is not natural to look striaght to the centre of the photo so the eye will wonder off and focus on on the the 3rds of the photo (rule of 3rds).

28th April 2008 - 03:28 PM  Reply  Quote

thanks mate, i get what your saying.

28th April 2008 - 07:15 PM  Reply  Quote

Yeah, it is sad because most of them are so damn sharp and clear and I know how hard it is to get them with such a low speed I really don't want to criticize them.

2 & 3 are awesome, but the central comp is true..

Due you always shoot in shutter priority? I just shoot in full-manual, perhaps that's why I always have half blurry cars!

28th April 2008 - 09:49 PM  Reply  Quote

There pretty sharp but i also like the blurry cars for the artistic effect..im going to try some other things at the next track day..very low shutters for some artistic flavour lol..

i always use shutter priority...as i never really have enough time to adjust in manual when cars go by...nor do i really have the knowledge...as different colour cars usually reqiure different apetures?? and its easyer..

29th April 2008 - 10:41 AM  Reply  Quote

Well some of my early work got featured in a local sydney based pulication called "the circuit"

here are some screenshots:
Front cover


I got 2 full two page spreads




too be honest its hardly my best work compared to some of the stuff i can do now...but its a pretty big step...i hope this leads to bigger and better things

you can find a pdf copy of the magazine using the following link:

http://wp.circuitclub.com.au/wp-content/up...uit/Issue15.pdf

29th April 2008 - 03:40 PM  Reply  Quote

congratulations on getting some exposure. You're always improving, it's great to see. I'm sure being published will become more common for you!

29th April 2008 - 04:11 PM  Reply  Quote

That is awesome exposure - great for ur portfolio. Well done.

29th April 2008 - 06:42 PM  Reply  Quote

Excellent work mate!

Have you ever thought of expanding though? I would be interested to see say, your take on candids Harry style etc..

29th April 2008 - 07:18 PM  Reply  Quote

thanks guys...im hoping they will feature the pictures i took last weekend aswell but time will tell...

expanding?? in what way??

i actually bought, yesterday, two ebay flash triggers and two vivtiar flashes, so im going to try and do some good static stuff aswell..but i dont really have the photoshop skills and time

29th April 2008 - 08:35 PM  Reply  Quote

That's what I mean.

I bought myself a optical slave too, since I only have one flash at the moment that's all I'll use

29th April 2008 - 10:02 PM  Reply  Quote

Nice shots and well done on publishing.

Some of the shorts need to use a bit quicker shutter speed and gett he car sharper.

30th April 2008 - 07:06 PM  Reply  Quote

i can totally agree with you to a point..

Most of the big US ALMS and F1 photographers...dont always have the car sharp...shows the sense of speed...but i personally would luv to be able to shoot at 1/60th with a completely sharp with a good success rate

this guy gives me alot of inspiration:

http://www.darrenheath.com/formula-1.htm

hes been an F1 photographer for 20 years or something

30th April 2008 - 07:44 PM  Reply  Quote

Congrats man

I really love the story your shots tell!

30th April 2008 - 08:55 PM  Reply  Quote

yay new gear

2x vivtiar 285hv flashes
2x impact light stands with mounts and umbrellas
1x 50mm 1.8f prime with uv filter
1x grad nd filter
1x normal nd filter
20x energizer rechargeable batterys for flashes
2x wireless ebay triggers (yet to turn up)



thoughts:
- b & h is amazing i payed for this stuff thursday night and it came today..
- the quality of the light stands is really impressive im glad i spent the extra money
- 50mm primes is lots of fun..
- i wish my triggers where here so i can test out my flashes

playing around with the 50mm is so much fun

5th May 2008 - 07:58 PM  Reply  Quote