F1 Fanatic

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Shanghai_F1_Circui_01.jpg

Damon’s confusing photo was clearly taken from somewhere directly above the track and slightly to the right (or left, from the camera’s POV).
The picture couldn’t have been taken from either of the aerofoil shaped bridges because the angle is too high for one of them and the distance a bit extreme for the other.
The verticle angle from the structure that holds the lights up looks about right, and since the photo was taken from just to the right hand side of the track, those black things next to the lights could be where the camera was placed.

I’d say that Hare’s suggestion of a ridiculously high res image cropped to the 3 cars works, as the perspective wouldn’t be like that if a really long lens was used.

The correct term is focal length, zoom is when you change the focal length on a lens. Most of the big lenses can’t zoom as they are fixed focal length.

The focal length of this one is probably 200mm or under, which would mean the photographer used a 70-200 zoom lens. To put focal length in perspective, a lens for normal use is 24-70mm, those big lenses you see at sports games are 300mm or 400mm plus. Some F1 photographers use 600mm or more.

Now the angle it was taken looks like the photographer is standing in the middle of the track. Judging by the order the cars are in, I’d suggest that it was taken on the lap the cars do from the pits onto the grid. The grid is full of people anyway, the cars come in very slowly so it wouldn’t be suicidal to stand on the track while the car is passing. He’s just standing at the back of the grid, which is why only a couple of slots are visible.

The focus fades normally and the width of the cars sits in perspective, so there wasn’t a lot of zoom applied here. It is a long-ish lense, taken from way back on the grid.

note that he can be standing to the side and stick his arm out with his camera – you see photographers do that all the time to capture new perspectives (which he has achieved here)

This would have been a lot easier if he didn’t scrub all his EXIF info from his images

their is also one with a mclaren on this page

http://www.formula1.com/gallery/race/2010/827/general/

The McLaren one is even more obviously not zoomed. But I’m not sure they’re lining up for the grid, as Hamilton is crossing the timing line (finish line) and there appear to be too many grid boxes empty for this to be the case. I’d expect to see hundreds of people in the picture…

But how come there is no one else on the grid then?