Get those speed shots at Spa. Start here, tweak as you go.

Camera settings

Shutter speed

• Start: 1/125s
• Feeling confident: 1/60s or slower for more motion blur
• Cars too blurry? Go up to 1/250s and work your way down

Mode

• Shutter priority (S/Tv) is your friend
• ISO on auto
• Continuous AF (AF-C) + tracking
• Burst mode: on high

Focus

• Zone or wide tracking area
• Pre-focus on the spot where the car will pass
• Car tracking mode if your camera supports it

ND filters

Why? At 1/60s in bright daylight, even f/22 and ISO 100 can be too much light. An ND filter cuts the light so you can keep those slow shutter speeds without overexposing.

Technique

1. Plant your feet facing where you'll end your shot
2. Twist from your hips, not your arms
3. Pick up the car early and follow it smoothly
4. Shoot in burst while panning
5. Keep panning after your last frame, follow through like a golf swing

Pro tips

• Track the car's nose or helmet, not the whole car
• Slower corners are easier to nail than flat-out sections
• Backgrounds with color and contrast (fences, crowds, trees) show speed better than plain sky
• Your first 50 shots will be trash. That's normal. Frame 51 is the banger.