John Edwin Mason: Racing Photography

Last Dance at the Maxton Mile

I fell in love at the Maxton Mile, and, when it's gone, a piece of my heart will go, too.

Ok, that's putting it much too strongly, but it was the Maxton Mile that sparked my deep infatuation with land speed racing.  Besides drawing me back to Maxton repeatedly, it has lured me all the way out to the Bonnevile Salt Flats for Speed Week.  (But that's another story, for another time.)

Sadly, however, the Maxton Mile is coming to an end.  The East Coast Timing Association [ECTA] has been staging land speed races at the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, in North Carolina, for over a decade.  Last year, it learned that it wouldn't be allowed to use the airport and its nearly two-mile-long runways after the 2011 season.  That season ends this coming weekend -- October 29th and 30th -- and, with it, a brief, largely unsung chapter in motor sports history.

 

Tim Hunter's '70 Plymouth GTS (converted into a replica of a legendary Nascar Superbirds) on the starting line at the Maxton Mile, 23 June 2011.  [Click on the image to see a larger version.]

Land speed racing has become my favorite motor sport for several different reasons.  For one thing, it's the purest form of racing you can possible imagine.  It's all about going faster than the other guys and gals -- in a straight line, over a measured course.  (At Maxton, the track is a mile long, as the name implies.)

It's also pure in the sense that it's not about money.   Racers aren't in it to get rich or famous.  There's no prize money to be won, few, if any, sponsorships to be had, and record setters won't get their picture on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  Oh, it costs plenty to build one of the very fastest cars or bikes, but a backyard mechanic who's both skilled and clever can create a machine that's competitive in its class without spending a lot of cash.

I also like land speed racing because of the people -- they tend to be smart, eccentric, and friendly -- and their machines -- which range from the sublime to the ridiculous, with every stop in between.  Needless to say, the people and their cars and bikes make land speed racing a lot of fun to shoot.

The ECTA has announced that it will hold its 2012 races at the Airpark, in Wilmington, Ohio.  It's a fine facility and the racing ought to be terrific.

This season, however, I'm saving the last dance for Maxton.

* * *

Find out more about the last running of the Maxton Mile by visiting the ECTA's website.

Bonneville Speed Week, 2011: Preview of Coming Attractions

It's one of the strangest places on earth, which makes it a wonderful place to be.

The Bonneville Salt Flats -- legendary home to land speed racing --  are nothing but salt, sky, mountains, and light, for as far as the eye can see.  No grass, no gravel, no trees, no bushes, no asphalt, and no concrete for miles in every direction -- just an endless expanse of white and blue.  All of which makes it perfect for racers, and photographers.

 

 

Timing tower, Bonneville, August 2011.  (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2011.  Click on any of the images to see larger versions.)

I was at Bonneville for Speed Week, shooting a story about Robin Dripps, a record-setting land speed racer, who just happens to be a professor of architecture at the University of Virginia.  (The story will run in the Charlottesville [Virginia] Daily Progress sometime within the next few weeks.)

 

 

Spectator, Bonneville, August 2011.

Bonneville was an intermediate stop on an epic three-week road trip that I gave myself as a present.  Going out, I followed the legendary Route 66, basking in nostalgia and looking for cool examples of 1920s to 1950s architecture.  (I found plenty, and will be posting them on my photography blog.)

Along the way, I got into the habit of making a lot of photos with my iPhone.  It was a way of keeping a visual diary of the trip that quickly developed into a habit.  Even though I did most of my shooting at Bonneville with my Nikons, I kept the iPhone ready.  It was great to be able to quickly email photos to friends or post them on Instagram.

 

 

Hot rod on the salt, Bonneville, August 2011.

Over the next few days, I'll be posting many photos from Bonneville.  Some will follow Dripps' struggle to set a new record in her '32 Ford roadster.  Others will capture something of the look and feel of Speed Week.  Please stop by and take a look.

ADRL Pro Mods at Maple Grove, 6-7 May 2011

I may be the only person who left Pennsylvania's Maple Grove Raceway happy, last Saturday night.  You can be pretty sure that most of the racers, crews, officials, and fans who were on hand for the American Drag Racing League's [ADRL] Penske Inaugural Northeast Drags were singing the blues.  Rain had delayed the race for about four hours, late in the afternoon, and the track's 11:00 PM curfew stopped it.  No champions were crowned.  Nobody earned first-place points and, just as importantly, nobody picked up the winner's paycheck.

On the other hand, I was as happy as a clam, because I'd manage to prove that you can shoot motor sports with an iPhone -- at least, that is, with an iPhone that has the amazing little QuickPix app installed.  Sure, it was something of a stunt.  But what I was able to do with the iPhone absolutely stunned me.  (You can read a full account of using the iPhone at the track and see lots of "iPhotos," here.)

On the other hand, the iPhone has its limitations.  For instance, the photos below are some of my favorites from the Maple Grove race.  I shot them with my Nikon DSLRs, and only one of them could have been (and was) made with the iPhone.

 

 

Extreme Pro Stock driver Cary Goforth performs a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.  [All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2011.  Click on any image to see a larger version.]

The QuickPix app gives you much more control over the iPhone's camera than the factory-installed software.  But it can't do everything, so here's the first example of what you can't do with an iPhone.  You can't drag the shutter.  That is, you can't use a slow shutter speed to radically blur the background and foreground, as you pan the camera to follow a speeding car.  As you'll see, it's one of my favorite effects.

 

 

Another burnout.  This one by Extreme 10.5 driver Todd Moyer.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

If you had asked me, the day before the event, what I thought about black race cars, I would have told you that I hate them.  They make for bad photos.  Give me something orange or red or blue or all three, I would have said.

So, here are four black cars in a row, and, you know what?, I really love the look.

 

 

A burnout by Pro Extreme driver Jay Diedrich, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

Yes, another burnout.  Can you blame me?  Smoke is cool, especially at slow shutter speeds.  You can almost see it swirl.

 

 

Pro Nitrous driver John Hall, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

Catch it right, and the blur creates a powerful sense of motion.

 

 

Pro Extreme driver Frankie Taylor proves that these cars can also go from left to right.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

Pro Extreme driver Frankie Taylor had a terrific qualifying session, setting a new world record elapsed time for his class.  He and his supercharged '05 Corvette covered the 1/8th mile course in 3.581 seconds, at a top speed of 210.11 miles per hour.

You should be amazed by that time and speed.  Let me try to put them in context.  Suppose you won the lottery and decided to buy yourself a quarter million dollar Ferrari, one of the fastest road cars on the planet.  It would take the Ferrari more than twice as long to cover the 1/8th mile and, at the end, it would be going less than half as fast.

 

 

Pro Extreme drivers J.R. Todd, left, and Alex Hossler, right, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

There are two things to say about this photo.  First, it's not a burnout.  Second, I shot it with my iPhone.  If you click on the photo to see a larger version, you'll notice that it doesn't have the detail or tonal range of the other photos.  On the other hand, it ain't bad.  Considering what I was asking a cell phone camera to do, the result really is wonderful.

 

 

Exteme Pro Stock driver Richie Steven, Jr., launches.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

Back to my Nikons, now with a telephoto zoom lens attached.

This is a standard drag racing shot -- the wheels-up launch.  But there's nothing wrong with the classics, especially when they capture something of the human drama of motor sports.  (By the way, the young woman in the sunglasses is Erica Enders, one of the most popular drivers on the National Hot Rod Association [NHRA] drag racing circuit.  She was on hand to support and crew for Richie Stevens, Jr.)

 

 

Extreme Pro Stock driver Richie Stevens heads down the track.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

I like this kind of shot as much as the slow shutter burnouts.  You make it with a telephoto zoom lens, zooming out and panning as the car approaches.  The result is a blurred background and an elongated car.  Very cool.  (And you can't do it with an iPhone.)

 

 

Back to burnouts with Extreme Pro Stock driver Steven Boone.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

The night time is the right time.  Darkness, track lights, smoke, and a flash make for great theater.  By the way, you also can't do this with an iPhone.  (Sounds like I'm knocking the iPhone, but I'm not.  I'm just reminding myself why I'm not selling my Nikons on Craigslist.)

 

 

Top Sportsman driver Marco Abruzzi burnsout.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

Maple Grove was the first ADRL race to feature the Top Sportsman class.  Fine with me.  Top Sportsmen are entertaining, and Marco Abruzzi's car is gorgeous at night.

 

 

ADRL Pro Extreme Motorcycle World Champion Kim Morrell performs a burnout.  Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

I'll end with what might be my favorite photo from the weekend.  It was late, cold, and the air was still damp.  (Although the track was dry, of course.)  Most of the crowd had long since fled.  But there we were, racing and shooting.  In a strange way, it was fun.

* * *

For full coverage of the race, surf over to Drag Racing Online.

The ADRL at Maple Grove: Have iPhone, Will Travel

It was a crazy idea -- shooting motor sports with an iPhone4.  Anyone who's ever used the iPhone's camera would tell you that it can't be done -- it's too slow, too inflexible, too cumbersome.  And they'd be right.  Out of the box, the iPhone's camera is crippled.

A couple of weeks ago, I downloaded the QuickPix app, and it changed the camera (and my thinking) completely.  QuickPix cures most of what ails the iPhone's camera -- it speeds it up, allows you to shoot bursts, and gives you control over the exposure.  It also infected my mind, and I began to have ridiculous dreams.  Cover a drag race with an iPhone?  Well, ok, I said to myself.  Let's see what happens at the American Drag Racing League's [ADRL] race at Maple Grove Raceway.

 

 

Richie Stevens, Jr., performs a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.  (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2011.  Click on any image to see a larger version.)

The first things to say is, yes, you can shoot drag racing with an iPhone4 and the QuickPix app.  There are some limits, of course (I'll get to those in a minute), but the overall results blew me away.  They were far better than I dared to hope.  (Remember, you can click directly on any of the photos to see larger versions.)

 

 

Richie Stevens, Jr., continues his burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

A couple of factors allowed my to indulge my iPhone fastasies.  First, I also had  my big ol' DSLR's and big ol' lenses with me.  I shot with them about half the time.  Second, I was working for East Coast Drag News, last weekend, and Dave Bishop, the editor was there, too, cameras in hand.

 

 

Matt Guenther's team works on his car in the pits, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

So, I had the freedom to find out just what an iPhone could do trackside, in the pits, and around the grounds.

 

 

Joey Martin's '55 Chevy Nomad, in the pits, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

The Maple Grove race was a good test of the camera's (and apps') capabilities.  The Pro Mods that race on the ADRL circuit are some of the quickest (measured by acceleration) and fastest (measured by top speed) on the planet.  Racing on an 1/8th mile track , cars like Joey Martin's Nomad can reach the finish line in 3 and a half seconds, at a speed of 210 miles per hour.  To give you an idea of just how staggering those numbers are...  A quarter million dollar Ferrari -- one of the quickest road cars in the world -- would take over twice as long and would be going less than half a fast.

Looking like cartoon versions of cars that you might see on the street, Pro Mods are also visually appealing.

 

 

The hood of Frankie Taylor's Extreme 10.5 race car, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

Racers are well aware of both the ferocity and the cartoonishness of their cars.

 

 

A car being worked on in the pits, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011. 

The cars, by the way, are technological wonders.  It takes a lot of money and talent to keep them moving.

By the way, here you can see the QuickPix app's strong points.  It allowed me to adjust the exposure in this shot, something that can't be done with Apple's iPhone software.  The iPhone's meter was initially confused by the bright outside light and the relative darkness, under the awning.  The mechanics could hardly be seen.

 

 

Joshua Hernandez (center) and his team in the pits, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

 

 

Members of Bert Jackson's and Larry O'Brien's teams in the staging lanes, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

Here's another example of the flexibility of the QuickPix app.  Facing into the brightness of the sun, the camera initially left the two men in deep shadow.  I changed the exposure to reveal their faces.

Clearly, there's not a lot of latitude in an iPhone image.  The highlights here are lost.  But what's more important is the way that the subjects are exposed.

 

 

Steven Boone performs a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

Not surprisingly, the iPhone performs best in ideal conditions -- bright light behind the camera.  What's more interesting, however, is it's ability to shoot quickly enough to capture fast action.  Here and in all of the trackside shots, I was making use of QuickPix apps' lack of shutter lag -- it's nonexistant -- and ability to shoot bursts at two frames per second.

 

 

Kim Morrell performs a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

This image was over-exposed.  That's my fault.  I was overly aggressive when I adjusted the exposure.  In my defense, I'll say that it's hard to see the iPhone's screen in bright sunlight.

By the way, Kim Morrell (yes, she's a she) is the reigning ADRL Pro Extreme Motorcyle champion.

 

 

A crew member guides Bob Rahaim back to the starting line, after a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

 

 

Mahana Al-Naemi (near lane) and Joe Dunne (far lane) race down the track, during qualifying, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

To get this shot, I was shooting a burst at 2 frames per second and panning the iPhone (that is, swinging the camera to follow the cars).  I caught the action at the perfect moment, with both cars in the frame, just as they pass the "Christmas tree."

Panning creates an interesting effect, which I can't explain.  Not only is the background blurred (some that you would see in a photo made by a conventional DSLR), but the static elements are leaning in the direction of the pan (something that you don't see in a DSLR photo).  You can see this effect some of the other photos on this page, as well.)

I know that this has something to do with the type of shutter that the iPhone uses.  That's all I know, however.  I'll be grateful if someone can supply the details.  (Well, that was fast.  Josh, who works for Two Teeth Technologies, QuickPix's developer, just left a clear, detailed explanation.  Scroll all the way down to read it.)

Update, 17 May 2011:  Josh has now blogged about the "leaning" effect.  He describes why it happens, how to create it, and how to avoid it.  It's a fascinating read.  You can find it on the Two Teeth Technologies blog, here.

 

 

A Marine high school ROTC honor guard, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

 

 

Photogs (the grizzled veteran is the legendary Roger Richards), Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

Here's another example of QuickPix's ability to deal with harsh backlighting.  I adjusted the exposure to reveal the photographers' faces.

 

 

Vendors, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

Rain stopped the racing, late in the day.  That gave me a chance to wander through the midway and make a new friend.

 

 

A reporter interviews a racer, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

The iPhone likes good light, but it managed to cope reasonably well with the night, as long as nobody moving fast. 

 

 

A motorcycle racer performs a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

Ok, now let's talk about some of the downsides of shooting drag racing with an iPhone.

QuickPix or no QuickPix, the camera still has a tiny sensor, with a limited dynamic range.  It produces a 5 megapixel image, which is marginal for cropping and not suited for magazines or for making large prints.  The iPhone's screen is very hard to see in sunlight, making it difficult to judge exposures.  I badly over-exposed the photo above.  What you see is the result of trying to save it in Lightroom.  It's nice and arty, but sometimes arty isn't what you want.

Anybody who shoots action sports is also going to get frustrated with a maximum frame rate of 2 per second.

Finally, it's worth pointing out that drag racing is the only motor sport that's suited to the iPhone's wide-angle, 28mm (equivalent) lens.  Unlike road courses and circle track racing, drag racing photographers can get close enough to the cars to fill the frame, when shooting wide.  Sometimes, I was no more than ten feet from the cars and bikes.

But even drag racing photographers can't survive on a steady diet of wide shots.  We often shoot long -- very long, 300mm and up -- and you just can't do that with an iPhone.

 

 

Mick Snyder performs a burnout, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

So, will I take the iPhone back to the track?  More to the point, will I continue to shoot race cars with it?

Yes, indeed.  It's a lot of fun and the photos are often surprisingly good -- if the light is right and the photos are intended for the web or newsprint.  iPhoneography is no joke.

But the limitations are real.  My main battle cameras will remain my Nikon DSLRs.  (At least until the iPhone5 arrives, with its 16 megapixel sensor and 24 to 300/2.8 zoom.)

 

 

Todd Tutterow burns out, Maple Grove Raceway, 7 May 2011.

* * *

Here's Josh's explanation of the leaning "Christmas Tree":  The "leaning" you see is caused by the iPhone sensor having a rolling shutter rather than a global shutter.  With a global shutter, all pixels in the image are capture at the exact same time so you wouldn't see this effect.  With a rolling shutter, each line of the image is captured one at a time.  So the first line is captured right away, then the second, third and so on.  Some time later, although not long, the last line of the image is captured and the photo is complete.  So if the camera is moving, the first line will be from the initial position of the camera.  The last line will be from another position.  This is what causes the leaning effect.  You can see this obviously by holding the camera in portrait mode and moving it up and down.  You should see a slanting to the left and then to the right as you move.