© 2011 Stephen Graham Oxford Photographer - Stratford Races - First past the finishing post

Stratford Races

Another great photographic opportunity is a race meet on a Sunny day. It offers the colourful jockeys, the movement of the horses at full pelt and the the people in the crowds. People shooting is a pleasure at these events as people study the form and confer on their choices. Then there is the excitement during the race, as the punters cheer their horse on and either the celebration or disapointment as the race ends.

Oxford Photography - Stratford Races - Jockey at full speedAt this meeting I concentrated on the horses during the race. This was one of my very first outings with the Canon EOS 7D which has a plethora of focusing modes and a gattling gun style rapid shoot mode that took pictures faster than my original memory cards cope with. All future cards bought have been at the fastest read/write rates I could find as I can see that these cameras are certainly not going to get any slower.

Access to the best shooting positions may be reserved for authorised photographers, but at the majority of UK courses there is not a great distance between the spot that an official pass gets you, and the spot that any member of the publics entry fee will achieve. Usually, you’ll be 6 inches behind them as they are literally just on the other side of the fence.

Oxford Photography - Stratford Races - Horses taking the jumpThe official photographers are also like beacons or markers for the best shooting spots. If they are hanging around at a particular fence or corner then make sure you check that fence or corner out as it can be almost guarnateed to give the best action in the best light.

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