A couple of weeks ago I covered a NASCAR race here in Kansas City, at Kansas Speedway. Whether I'm shooting NASCAR, NFL or the family vacation, some planning ahead of time makes the job much easier.
I always start with "what am I going to do?" Seems simple enough, but that determines how much gear I'll need and what type. For this race my position was up on the roof of the press box, in what we call the "overall" position. It's the only spot where you have a view of every foot of the track. Other photographers are stationed inside the corners or in Pit Row. They're closer to the action, but if something happens away from them, then it's my job to be sure to get the picture.
That puts me high and away from the action, so I'll need a long lens. A VERY long lens. I chose a 400mm f/2.8, and added a 1.4 converter to it. That gave me a 640mm f/4 lens, but even that's not enough. Shooting digital, with a Nikon D2X, I get an additional 1.5X "crop" factor. That gives me a view through the lens equivalent to a 960mm lens. And since even that's a bit shorter than I'd like, I take advantage of the 2X crop feature built into the D2X. Turning that on, I capture only a portion of the frame, in the center, that reduces my capture from 12MP to 7MP, still plenty for what I needed. That combination gives me a lens that in 35mm film days would be the equivalent of a 1280mm lens. Now THAT's enough lens!
Biggest problem with a heavy lens like that, and that much magnification, is getting blur from camera and lens movement (or shake). To help dampen the rig down as much as possible, I used a big tripod and big ball head. The tripod was a Gitzo carbon fiber Studex model, G1327. The ball head a Manfrotto 468MGRC2. Both are rated to support close to 30-lbs. The head is a hydraulic design, so I can adjust it to let me have easy movement, but don't need a death grip on it to keep it from tipping over.
Last on my list is information and protection. Information means being able to know what's going on during the race. For that I use a small AM/FM radio with inner-ear buds. The protection means saving my hearing and skin. On top of the ear buds I wear what looks like headphones, but are just hearing protectors that people might use in workshops or on shooting ranges. The other part of protection is a big floppy hat and lightweight long-sleeve shirt and pants. I may not look fashionable, but they keep me from getting sunburned.
I always tell people they'll make better pictures if they're ready. That goes for both camera gear and personal gear. Remember the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared," and you'll be ready for whatever happens.
