An afternoon at the track

[Ramblinman]

Me and my buddies spent the afternoon at Belmont Park to watch some horse racing.

All the shots were taken with the Tamron 70-300 telephoto lens that I bought on Amazon last year for $120. I kicked up the iso to 500 to 640 to make sure none of the shots were blurred. The Tammy performed admirably, but there were some instances where the autofocus was too slow and missed a shot or 2. But for $120, I cant complain. I'll be going down again in 2 weeks for the Belmont stakes.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a better 300mm zoom lens?


See the rest of the gallery below.
http://www.paulrizziphotography.com/...68073452_W26YH

[Maritimer1]

Nice shot! What a steal for the lens. As you said, you certainly can't complain. No blur at all. Hope you made a few dollars on the ponies

Myra

[Donald]

All the shots were taken with the Tamron 70-300 ... for $120, I cant complain.

Too right. Looks like the lens has done an excellent job, as well, as the camera and the person behind them! I note your point about missing a couple and wondering about another lens. Maybe if you give us an idea of your budget, the ideas and suggestions will start pouring in.

If you've got another chance in a couple of weeks, what opportunity to you think you will have to position yourself for a different background and somewhere where you can be clear of the rail in the foreground?

The background you've got on this one does, I think, contribute to a great atmosphere. It really shows what racing is all about - the numbers, the bets. It makes your image exciting. But it does take attention away from the horses and riders.

I suppose it comes down to what it is you want. For me, this is a great documentary image. It tells a story about the world of horse racing. But if you want an image that is about the grace and power of horses at full gallop or the energy of jockeys on horses at full gallop, then that would need a different viewpoint.

Hope this gives you some points to consider.

[Ramblinman]

Too right. Looks like the lens has done an excellent job, as well, as the camera and the person behind them! I note your point about missing a couple and wondering about another lens. Maybe if you give us an idea of your budget, the ideas and suggestions will start pouring in.

If you've got another chance in a couple of weeks, what opportunity to you think you will have to position yourself for a different background and somewhere where you can be clear of the rail in the foreground?

The background you've got on this one does, I think, contribute to a great atmosphere. It really shows what racing is all about - the numbers, the bets. It makes your image exciting. But it does take attention away from the horses and riders.

I suppose it comes down to what it is you want. For me, this is a great documentary image. It tells a story about the world of horse racing. But if you want an image that is about the grace and power of horses at full gallop or the energy of jockeys on horses at full gallop, then that would need a different viewpoint.

Hope this gives you some points to consider.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

My budget for the forseeable future will be limited, but I'll look into renting a professional grade lens.
As for positioning, I probably wont have as good a chance to perch myself right infront of the track since the Belmont Stakes is the 3rd and final race of the triple crown series and the track will be extremely crowded. But that will present me with other opportunities to take pictures of people placing bets and the women walking around with their silly hats.

[Maritimer1]

I dont' know how the Belmont track is set up, but if you could get a position near the end of the oval and get some tight shots of them thundering toward the turn, that could be pretty dramatic. Not sure how close you could get, but anything of the jockeys' faces and horses' heads/flared nostrils is usually pretty intense. Look forward to seeing what you get!

Myra