Advice/pointers needed.

[RogerCook]

I live walking distance to where they hold the Long Beach Grand Prix and this year I purchased what they call a Super Photo Ticket which gives you access to the pits and four platforms at key turns. So if anyone has ever purchased this ticket before let me know the how it went. Also I've never shot racing before but planned on bringing my 300mm f/2.8, 70-200mm F/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 so I think I have the lens situation covered as long as a backpack is no problem. It also said nothing about not allowing a monopod so I'll bring that also.
So if anyone has anything helpful let me know or if not I'll post some pictures after the weekend of April 15-17th, also Cheap Trick is the musical entertainment on Saturday night.
Here's a photo of last years musical act .

[Dave Humphries]

Earplugs; you'll need earplugs, Roger

Enjoy ...

Was that your flash in the musical shots?
You seem to have frozen the motion effectively at what would seem to be quite a shooting distance in #2.

[Shadowman]

Nice captures, looking forward to seeing how you do.

[rpcrowe]

The Long Beach Grand Prix sounds like a great event, especially with your Super Photo Ticket. I wish many other venues would have this type of admission for photographers. I am attending the Planes of Fame Airshow in Chino, CA, at the end of April and have purchased an Early Bird Photographers ticket which allows 75 people entrance to the event at 5:30 AM (the general admission opens at 8:00 AM). Although there will not be flying at this time, I will get an opportunity to shoot the static displays without competing with hoards of spectators. I also get preferred parking so I can leave my vehicle in a decently accessible spot.

Getting back to your Long Beach Grand Prix event, I would expect that a second camera (rented or borrowed) might be a valuable asset. I have used a 70-200mm zoom and 300mm zoom to shoot events similar to this and a second camera gives you the opportunity to quickly switch between these two lenses.

Here is a video on using a long lens on a monopod with a hand-held 70-200mm zoom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMgZ13X_pr4

Granted that this is shooting football, but handling the equipment could be pretty similar. I always transport my camera with long lens on my monopod (over my shoulder) the way it is done in the video. The difference is that I either carry my camera + zoom lens on a strap like in the video or in a holster case.

Have fun, keep hydrated and get there early. I missed the last Red Bull Air Race held in San Diego because I didn't give myself enough time. The freeways were clogged up fifteen miles in either direction. I thought to myself, "Oh well! There's always next year!" But, there wasn't a next year. That was the last San Diego race

[Manfred M]

Moved to a more appropriate forum.

Nicely done images Roger, given the conditions you were shooting under don't appear to have been that great (concerts rarely are, I suspect).

Image 1. I'm not a fan of the yellowish / brown overtones in the first image. It reminds me too much of images shot on daylight film with tungsten lighting and those tones seem to bleed over into the skin tones. That has more to do my my personal tastes than anything else, but this is one of those situations where I might be tempted to go to B&W. I might also be tempted to take a touch off the top of the image as well, as there is a bit too much negative space that does not contributed to the composition for my personal taste.

Image 2 - great timing on the shot. I really like the way you caught the drummer's hair when he turned his head. Really well done too. The only thing that I don't particularly like is the business of the background; again, there is nothing that you as the photographer can do about that.

[RogerCook]

Earplugs; you'll need earplugs, Roger

Enjoy ...

Was that your flash in the musical shots?
You seem to have frozen the motion effectively at what would seem to be quite a shooting distance in #2.

No flash just good stage lighting and a 300mm f/2.8

[RogerCook]

Thanks Richard, did you know that the March Air show is April 16th same weekend as Grand Prix so I can't go.