Experimentation and Pushing Limits
How could some of the limitations of 1970s night-time rally photography be addressed?
National PE5650 flash with external battery
National PE2800 flash
National PE2850 flash
The problems
When I started the standard practice for night rally photography was a single large flash on camera to light the scene. A few photographers were occasionally using a flash mounted off to the side of the camera on a tripod, and the dramatic shadow detail produced some compelling images. But most photographs didn't provide any context to understand why the car was positioned on the road in that attitude. Often the foreground was washed out and over-exposed and it was hard to see the driver and navigator doing their job inside the car. The background was pitch black and void of information.
Some solutions
I could see the benefit in multiple lighting sources and set about taking this to another level, creating what was effectively a studio setup in the forest. With a little experimentation I came up with a strategy that used very small flashes in front to limit driver dazzle and large powerful flashes to cover as much of the background as practicable.
I occasionally used flashes pointed directly back towards the camera to create a halo of backlighting through the inevitable cloud of dust behind the car. That was not always successful.
The whole configuration involved setting up multiple tripods with battery packs and light triggers to activate those remote flash units –– a process that occasionally rewarded other photographers who triggered the background flashes ahead of my shot. Overall this setup was very successful when a fortunate combination of a hard-driving corner and some background interest were present. It wasn't deployed all the time because it was hard to do, and at times the setup I used was only a couple of flash units. I was pleased that this setup really added a new dimension to rally photography and made the photos more interesting as a result.
Backlight
Scene light
Scene light
Key light
Fill light
Camera
position
National battery pack
