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06-17-2016, 01:33 AM   #1
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Hints for shooting at a rainy dachshund race

Hi guys

On saturday I'am taking photos at a "dachshund race".
It is going to rain and I'am quite nervous about testing the WR for real...
damn it!
I bought a pentax for that reason...
I will use 2 zooms (55-300 & 16-85) would it be wise to dry the lens tube befor zooming? I guess it would not be practical... or is a bit wet zoom not a problem at all?

I plan on shooting the dogs running towards me. So in case the continuous af fails to hit... Would you focus to a point manually and shoot continuously if the dog passes through the focus point?
Would you approach the whole thing differently?

Any other advice or experience regarding shooting playing dogs?

Regards Sascha


Last edited by NoobOnTour; 06-17-2016 at 01:48 AM.
06-17-2016, 04:49 AM   #2
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Remember that WR does not mean waterproof. My main advice would be: take care of your gears with TLC (tender, love and care). Your WR zoom lenses should not need to be wiped everytime (their WR system prevents droplet to come in), but it is a good idea to use a rain sleeve (or equivalent) if it starts to rain strongly.

Also remember not to change lenses under the rain, mud or dust. Lens swapping should be minimised. Same things with battery swapping.

With action shots, I suggest to use Hi continuous shooting. Consider to pre-focus the lens at the location where you want to shoot the dogs. Pre-focus + continuous shooting will increase your number of good shots. MF is also an option, but I tend to prefer MF with true MF lenses: their focusing ring is much more precise.

Hope that these few words may help.
06-17-2016, 07:09 AM - 1 Like   #3
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I agree with a pre-focus and continuous shooting. It sounds like a very photogenic subject; I hope you are able to post up your results
06-17-2016, 07:30 AM   #4
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If it rains fairly hard, you could always take a plastic grocery sack, cut out a slit for the lens; pull it over lens & camera to keep it dry. I always have an OpTech inexpensive rain cover for those days of rain.

06-17-2016, 07:45 AM   #5
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Don't forget umbrellas, er, I mean, lens hoods for the front of your lenses.
06-17-2016, 11:29 AM   #6
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Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Gasp......Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, heeeeeee, hee, hee, hee, ha, ha, ha, ha, hoo-oo-oo-oo-oo. OH! Whew!

That's the funniest discussion thread title I've read in a long time!

If the race contenders will be getting ready in a stable(?) area before the race, that might be a place to get out of the out-of-the weather pictures. Will there be jockey's (are Cairn terriers small enough?) to be interviewed and photographed? Is there a dachshund that is a defending champion, and has it raced in mud before? Pics of owners and racers, might be possible pre- or post-race in a roofed area. Which owners look like their dachshund could be important to record. Don't forget to take pictures of the crowd. A dedicated assistant holding a BIG umbrella over you and your equipment might be indispensable.
06-17-2016, 11:38 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by NoobOnTour Quote
Hi guys

On saturday I'am taking photos at a "dachshund race".
It is going to rain and I'am quite nervous about testing the WR for real...
damn it!
I bought a pentax for that reason...
I will use 2 zooms (55-300 & 16-85) would it be wise to dry the lens tube befor zooming? I guess it would not be practical... or is a bit wet zoom not a problem at all?

I plan on shooting the dogs running towards me. So in case the continuous af fails to hit... Would you focus to a point manually and shoot continuously if the dog passes through the focus point?
Would you approach the whole thing differently?

Any other advice or experience regarding shooting playing dogs?

Regards Sascha
If you are photographing them "head on" and the light is poor you might have trouble getting enough depth of field to keep the whole animal in focus (if that's what you want) than with a shorter dog. Set the speed and aperture to do what you want and let the ISO float. We had a "running of the Bulldogs" in Toronto recently - that might have been easier.

06-17-2016, 11:59 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by jacamar Quote
If you are photographing them "head on" and the light is poor you might have trouble getting enough depth of field to keep the whole animal in focus (if that's what you want) than with a shorter dog. Set the speed and aperture to do what you want and let the ISO float. We had a "running of the Bulldogs" in Toronto recently - that might have been easier.
Though that kind of foreshortening, and other apparent distortions, could be employed to emphasize the emotional drama and excitement of the event. Seriously.
06-17-2016, 01:49 PM   #9
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I have used my prior K-5 II with the 18-135 WR lens in some pretty good rain taking photos at my granddaughters rugby games without any problems. I didn't use any other protection for the camera or lens. Now I have a K-S2 and have it with the 18-135 in the rain, also with the 20-40 WR lens. Heck, I was using the K-5 II & 18-135 in the middle of a water balloon fight and took one directly in the face without a problem to the camera. Another one a bucket of water was thrown at me which was captured by the camera.

This is my experience, yours may be different.




---------- Post added 06-17-16 at 01:54 PM ----------

I'll also add that a few years ago on one of our motorcycle sidecar trips through Yellowstone National Park almost every day was wet, foggy and of course rain. Being on a motorcycle it meant that there would be no lens changing so the 18-135 remained on the K-5 II the whole time. Got some great pictures, although the wind was blowing a lot of the steam directly at us.
06-17-2016, 02:03 PM - 1 Like   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by goatsNdonkey Quote
Don't forget to take pictures of the crowd.
I'd like to see pictures of what kind of people show up in the rain for a dachshund race! Sorry dachshund owners, not trying to offend.
06-17-2016, 02:29 PM   #11
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Thank you all!
Your guess is as good as mine...
I've never been to one neither

I guess if you have to walk your dog in the rain you could trink a coffee and talk to others in the rain, too :P
But... to be fair... my wife and I will probably be the only ones without a dog
06-17-2016, 03:07 PM   #12
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Incidentally, in German, dach means roof, and hund means dog or hound.

So one might think that a roof hound wouldn't be intimidated by rain. If they can't shed it, who can?
06-17-2016, 04:13 PM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Apet-Sure Quote
I'd like to see pictures of what kind of people show up in the rain for a dachshund race! Sorry dachshund owners, not trying to offend.
I sometimes turn up to eccentric events hoping the participants are eccentric .. good portrait subjects.

The theory doesn't always hold true, unfortunately.

I like the idea of dachshund racing, and assume I can watch it on ESPN 8 or whatever. ☺

06-17-2016, 06:37 PM   #14
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Mom has Dachunds, if the pet owners are like her they will be talkative to the point of knowing their life stories in the first 5 minutes and never still always busy with something. They will also be wearing T-shirts with wiener dog puns written on them. Mom has several. It should be interesting. Oh my mom and her dogs!
06-20-2016, 03:03 PM - 2 Likes   #15
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If I'm ever in a band, "Photo at a Rainy Dachshund Race" will be the name of our first album.
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