• Image Research: Go out there and do an image search on the topic of your shoot. I will look at the wire services, Getty Images, Photoshelter, etc. Because of the specialty subject in this case I also checked out Flickr.
  
  
  
  • Are there special lighting issues?
    
  • Do I need special equipment?
    
  • What angles and techniques do I like?
    
  
  
• Equipment Inventory: What do I need for this assignment? I also make sure that everything is in good working order.
  
• Shoot List: I get very excited in the moment, so I need to prepare beforehand by creating a shoot list of things that I want to try on the assingment.
  

I also wanted to take advantage of the fact that this was a practice day for both myself and everyone on the bikes. So I decided to experiment a lot in the morning followed by a break when I would review the pictures and learn what worked, what didn’t, and what I liked. The afternoon was then spent focused on using what I had learned and again trying new things that I might have come up with after shooting for several hours earlier.

Here is what I learned:

• Location matters (of course). There were spots along the track that I liked more than others.
  
  
  
  • The morning was bright without any clouds so there was a lot of contrast in some corners. The afternoon became cloudy turning the sky into a giant softbox that evened out the light and made getting even light much easier.
    
  • Some locations and shots that I had pre-visualized just didn’t come together how I thought they would. Other spots turned out to be pleasant surpises.
    
  • I also kept experimenting with different locations so that I wouldn’t get bored or too mechanical in the way I was shooting. With nothing on the line, now was the time to experiment.
    
  
  
• Technique: I didn’t like the stop action shots, it works for hockey and tennis, but not in racing. Panning while shooting provided a nice sense of movement by bluring the background.
  
• If I had a lot of money, no wife, no children, and some extra time I would probably buy a Ducati.