diamond ring for my wife

billsstills · #22 06-04-2007, 07:18 AM

Just to clear things up a little... the cropped picture is a printed crop scanned with my epson scanner then uploaded to this site for interest or not.
I expect that the final display printer person will simply print within that size paper and that the final photo won't be 30x40 just sit within those measurements as best it can and be custom cut and framed for display. Or they could leave the white paper frame around the photo... I hope they don't crop the images.

For anyone interested in this article... I got a call today from John the senior client manager of Bam Media who organises all media at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, Queensland, I originally got a call from him to let me know about my entry. He is taking care of almost all the details but has not seen the photos on display nor heard any rumours about who's winning. He's been too busy to go take a peek but will be at the presentations to see it all then.

He told me that I have the two photos out of five in the finals within the pro feild and that there are twenty on display in total from all feilds of which any one of the twenty can win the major prize(diamond).
He invited me to be at the presesntation on Wednesday night (it's now Monday night for me bout 7:30pm, glass of red wine).
I have to drive a coach (bus) towing a trailer (funny car inside trailer)... we have two top fuelers heading up to Queensland at the same time for the Winter Nationals (Australian dragracings end of season major event) on Wednesday night to be there for racing come Friday through Sunday finals.

I manage the team, promote it with my photos and mouth always looking for more sponsors money to help us get down the track faster while drivers with heavy vehicle liscenses don't grow on trees.

The teams major sponsor will fly me up (pay) if I want to go but we decided that it's a lot of bother for possible disapointment.
Seems the competition isn't very well organised but someone must win. They intend to continue this annual competition, this is the inaugural event.

The winner will be honoured at Willowbank during the three day event (probably Saturday night) and the competition will be re-run from there till next year.

They should have considered that people have responsibilities though I'm probably a rare case being that I manage/organise a team and shoot for the rags, websites and try to suck Wild Turkey, Coca-Cola and other major brands into giving me a million bucks.

So I don't know what's gonna happen but I do have mobile internet available so I will be able to post the final episode to this saga probably on Thursday night (Australian time).

There are big fines in Australia for talking on the cell-phone while driving (especially a rig) but Queensland is known to be an extra Narky state so they better not call me once I've crossed the border, at least not until I get to my destination.

Noel_Carboni · #23 06-04-2007, 11:56 AM

If the competition is going to continue, I think the photo competition next year for this team might get a bit more stiff. Make sure you make time to get some awesome shots. I imagine a nice crisp yellow car with all surroundings totally motion-blurred, crossing the finish line first, maybe a backfire coming out the exhaust...

Good luck.

Mobile Internet, eh? I have a satellite dish system on my RV myself. Is that what you're using?

-Noel

billsstills · #24 06-05-2007, 04:15 AM

Hi Noel,
The coach has a satellite dish which Dave (Skip) the team owner uses for his business purpose. I have access to his computer for sending photos (big files) to publishers if there's a spectacular accident or event which merits the faster speed of the dish but otherwise on my laptop I have a cell-phone card which can pick up more than one network to get me out of trouble.
The card slides into the side of the laptop, it's a little slow but works.

One of the first ever drag racing shots I had published was of two cars neck to neck at the finish line.
Most of the other shooters stay at the grid trying to get the best take off shot, wheelie... I've never understood why they don't move around the track but I go everywhere else bar the grid except for that rare occasion where I captured the competition shots. I was actually messing about testing my camera (D2h) for noise when I took those shots. I didn't think they'd look any good at the time then was surprised at the results when I downloaded them to the computer. I actually gave up shooting into the evening thinking that I wouldn't get any decent shots so was simply spectating and thought I'd see what happened if I messed around a little. And look how they're doing now! Who woulda thought...

Noel_Carboni · #25 06-05-2007, 03:13 PM

I know what you mean. I've captured some spectacular stuff at the end of the track. Somewhere I've got a good shot of a hot pink jet car going 200+ mph with a blue afterburner flame as long as the car. The jet cars/trucks, as I'm sure you know, can also be pretty spectacular at the starting line too.

-Noel

billsstills · #26 06-10-2007, 10:42 PM

My favourites are the nitro funny cars because they're so dangerous to the driver and absolutely macho. There's no bracket for them in Australia due to the lack of money here.

Well, I didn't win anything... I asked the team holding the competition whether or not I had won while we were all at the track together. NO.

With a little luck I'll get a great shot of that car smashing into the conrete barriers sometime this year. We'll see if a good smash shot appeals to them.

Who cares... I'll post one or two of the best shots I got over the weekend later when I resize them for the net.

I was too busy to get to the internet while on the road but I'm back home now.
I'm tired and it's nearly midday here in sunny Sydney, beer o'clock, I won't write to this forum until I recover from my soon to be self induced coma.

Bill.