Greyhounds

I am becoming addicted to speed.

A opportunity came up last year to cover the local greyhound races last year and I hesitantly accepted the gig. I was afraid that repetitive shots of the same thing, photography would become to much of a 'job' and the excitement would wane.

How wrong could I have been. These wee fella's are fast..

To put it into perspective. If I hold the button down on my 6D, it fires 5 shots a second.

You are lucky if you get one shot before the finish line, one at the finish line, and then they are gone. In half a second they have past you.

I liken it to gambling, or gold panning. You see a flash in the pan, and you want to go again.

The adrenaline rush of getting the perfect shot, and the degree of difficulty involved is a buzz.

It isnt predictable (due to the nature of the dogs strides), and it is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to photograph.

The pressure is immense.

There are no re-shoots, there is only one winner and they dont re-race if you muff it.

You have half a second every 15 minutes to get that shot.

Speedway at 160 k/ph is childs play in comparison.

(Motorsport is more predictable, you have time to plan and pan your shot).
 

I am proud of my consistancy, I know not many could do it.

One race, one shot.