37th America's Cup through the lens of Jan Pehrson
by Jan Pehrson 26 Oct 12:00 PDT
Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Barcelona © Jan Pehrson /
www.JanPehrson.com
The AC75's have been a game changer not only for sailors, but for sailing photographers as well. The action is so quick, with boats speeds in the 40 knot range and even to 50 knots plus, that photographers and photo boat drivers must make lightning-like decisions in order to get the shots that they want.
They must make decisions on the fly to capture the AC75's on the fly. This is like photographing Formula 1 racing on the water. This has not gone unnoticed by Formula 1 photographers. They are at this year's America's Cup, using their skills in a new way.
Also, the event attracts conflict photographers, who know you must shoot at 1/2000 of a second to stop a speeding bullet. Again, their skills apply here on the water. When photographing these AC75's, most photographers do not take one photo at a time. When they try to do this, by the time they set up their shot, the AC75 has flown by. Instead, they shoot in continuous bursts, using "servo" focusing that keeps the boats in focus as they blaze on by.
Here are all of my America's Cup website links from www.JanPehrson.com