Sports – Creativescans

Horse racing season almost finished..

My two thoroughbred race horses, Shooting Jacket and Merlot, are finished racing at Hastings Racecourse for this season. They are wintering in Aldergrove, BC. Merlot will be back in 2017 but not sure about Shooting Jacket.

Shooting Jacket had 9 starts. Finished first twice, second three times and third twice. Finishing top 3 in 7 of 9 starts. Pretty good if you ask me.

Merlot had 9 starts. Finished first once, second three times and third four times. Finished top 3 in 8 of 9 starts. Again, pretty good if you ask me.

It was a lot of fun being a race horse owner. Seeing a bit of what happens behind the scenes, talking with jockeys and trainers, visiting the paddock area and getting into the winners circle a few times was a lot of fun. I am not sure if I will sign up as an owner again next season but I have a few weeks to make that decision and will let you know what I decide to do going forward.

Merlot finishing 2nd at Hastings Racecourse, 2016.

Shooting Jacket winning a race at Hastings Racecourse. 2016

Another Race Day

One of my two horses Merlot, number 3 in the photos, ran this past holiday Monday. It didn’t start as a close race with the field strung out in a line, but the end of the race added some excitement in seeing who would come in 3rd and 4th. A win would elude us this day and we would finish a very close 4th. That’s racing.

Merlot (3) finished a close 4th

Merlot in the paddock before the race.

Sport event photography

I like photographing all types of events but I really enjoy sports photography. Partly because I am a sports fan and partly because sports photography is challenging in its own way.

I wanted to photograph the Gastown Grand Prix bicycle races earlier in July but missed them. I didn’t see any commercials or interviews on TV about the event or see anything about the races on the social media channels I follow…Twitter or Facebook. Lesson learned. Luckily for me there was another set of cycling races 2 days later on Friday in Poco (Port Coquitlam) as part of BC Super Week.

On Thursday evening I went through my usual routine of making sure my gear is ready for a full day of shooting. I clean all my lenses (both ends) and make sure the camera sensor is clean. I also make sure all my batteries (4 of them) have a full charge. And I decide which lenses and other accessories to bring with me to an event.

The night before (or earlier) I also check information about the event. Where is it exactly, when does it start and when does it end.

I try to get to the event early so I can see the layout and figure out where I want to shoot the event. For a cycling event I try and get images from multiple locations around the track. Corners can be a great spot to get images of the cyclists leaning into the corner. Accidents are more common at the corners of bicycle races so there is a chance you may get images of a racing mishap as well.

As far as camera settings go, I used a variety of settings depending on a lot of factors. For the shots of cyclists at the start line (not moving much, if at all) I used full manual settings. For shots of the cyclists during a race I used full manual trying to get the fastest shutter speed I could. This meant higher ISO as the day went on and the light started to fade, larger aperture (smaller f number) to get a faster shutter speed (bigger number). For some shots I also tried to drag the shutter slowing it down to a longer exposure to blur the image to try and convey a sense of speed.

I also set the camera to “shutter priority” during some parts of the races. Set your focus priority (continuous) and ISO and the shutter speed you want and the camera takes care of the aperture for you. This comes in handy when you don’t have time to change settings when conditions or what you are shooting is constantly changing.

So there you have a few tips on photographing a sports event. Enjoy!

Faat action

At the start line

Corner action

Long shutter speed to blur the image and convey speed

So I bought a race horse…

DSC09770s — Another close finish at Hastings Racecourse.

Ok, I bought a 1/200th share in 2 race horses, but still.

At Hastings Racecourse you are able to buy into ownership of a horse (or horses) for one year in a club type setting. There are a set number of people in a club, in my case 200, and our club owns two horses for one year.

Each member pays a one-time set amount to be in the club. Food for the horse, veterinary care, training etc. are all included in the one-time fee. There are no more costs to incur during the year. Each member shares equally in any winnings the horse may produce and if the horse is sold each member shares in that as well.

There are a few other perks of owning a race horse through the club; free parking in the horse man’s lot, a free program on days your horse is racing, seating in the owners area of the grand stand, attending a training session to watch your horse train and inside access to the paddock area when your horse is in a race.

The club setup is a low cost, low risk way for people to be more involved in and enjoy horse racing and adds to the excitement. So stay tuned for more posts and photos about the world of horse racing, horse ownership and tips for photographing horse racing.

You can get more information from the Hastings Racecourse website: http://www.hastingsracecourse.com/

DSC09805s — Rounding the last turn before the stretch run…

Preakness Stakes race day at Hastings Racecourse

DSC01429s

Preakness Stakes race day proved to be a popular and exciting event at Vancouver’s live horse racing venue, Hastings Racecourse. The Preakness Stakes is the 2^nd leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing and is run in Baltimore, Maryland. The ladies and many gents had their best hats and attire on for what was a nice spring day in Vancouver. There were several food trucks and other food vendors doing a brisk business on the outdoor tarmac track side and at the concessions and restaurants inside. Henry’s Chicken was a popular choice for many and is what I chose to have for a quick lunch track side between races. Adding to the excitement was that Mario Gutierrez, a jockey who has raced at Hastings Racecourse in the past, was riding Nyquist, the favorite to win the Preakness Stakes race. There was some exciting horse racing to watch live before and after the Preakness Stakes race and excitement was building as the time for the Preakness Stakes race approached. All eyes were on the big screen TV in the infield as the big race got underway but unfortunately, Mario and Nyquist did not win, finishing a close 3^rd. First place went to Exaggerator and 2^nd place in a photo finish went to Cherry Wine.

Saturday June 11, 2016 when the Belmont Stakes race takes place, the third race in the triple crown, will be another busy day at the races if the Preakness was any indication, even if there won’t be a triple crown winner.