NASCAR: Pure Michigan 400 at MIS

Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (16), driver Martin Truex Jr. (56), and driver Sam Hornish Jr (22) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (16), driver Martin Truex Jr. (56), and driver Sam Hornish Jr (22) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Last weekend I was blessed to be able to head out to Brooklyn, MI, which is home of the Michigan International Speedway.  MIS was the host for Pure Michigan 400, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

I started off on Friday with photographing practice.  Before practice started there were drivers giving interviews, so I decided to photograph a few of them.

Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (17) during a press conference before the practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (17) during a press conference before the practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

After the interviews, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed out to the garage area to cover practice.  While photographing practice I tried to focus on the drivers and then worry about the cars on race day.

Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) during practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) during practice for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

After practice there was a two hour break between practice and qualifying.  I sent over my gallery of images and then had some time to set up my computer for the qualifying images.

When qualifying started I still wanted to focus on the drivers and other happenings that I would not be able to get on race day.

Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) during qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) during qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Mark Martin (55) after the qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 17, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Mark Martin (55) after the qualifying for the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

On Saturday I was covering high school soccer, so I missed the second practice they had.  However, I was back on Sunday to cover the race.  After covering the Quicken Loans 400 in June, I had a better idea of what to expect on race day.  I came up with a plan of attack which  helped me get a variety of different angles of the race.

Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; A general view of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; A general view of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Juan Pablo Montoya (42) during a pit stop during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Juan Pablo Montoya (42) during a pit stop during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (16) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (16) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (24) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Gordon (24) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Landon Cassill (83) and driver Joey Logano (20) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Landon Cassill (83) and driver Joey Logano (20) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (99) and driver Jeff Burton (31) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (99) and driver Jeff Burton (31) during the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (16) holds up the trophy after winning the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE
Aug 19, 2012; Brooklyn, MI, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Greg Biffle (16) holds up the trophy after winning the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-US PRESSWIRE

Be sure to check out all of the images right here!

Share the Post:

Related Posts

Capturing the Action: How I Photographed the USBC Masters Bowling Tournament with the Latest Techniques at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Michigan

As a photographer granted access to the prestigious USBC Masters tournament held at Thunderbowl Lanes, I knew I needed to focus on capturing the emotions of the bowlers, including their expressions of triumph or defeat, as well as high-fives and other celebratory gestures. Along with the action on the lanes, I captured the atmosphere of the tournament by taking photos of the fans, scoreboard, and ambiance of Thunderbowl Lanes. Overall, with the right gear, lighting, and techniques, I was able to capture some amazing images of the world’s best bowlers in action and hope these tips can help you capture equally amazing photos at your next sporting event.

Read More