Is the safety meeting just for Sat & Sun or do they expect you to be there Friday as well? Glad to hear the good news Ray, does this mean I shouldn't use your name when I name drop? Dr Z On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 5:07 PM, Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Well, the answer is in. JG accepted my "convincing" and sent me a > credential form. I'm very grateful to him for reconsidering after the email > I sent. I sent him a brief note to convey my thanks. > > It helps for this weekend, but I don't exactly know how it's gonna go in > the future. However, I'll do my best to refrain from negativity and > doomsaying. > > Paul's post has real good info, particularly about parking and not takin a > car onto the track at major events. That's a bitch for me and I may end up > seeing if I can afford to rent a golf cart. Hell, maybe several of us could > go in on one together. I know that some of the "big boys" share carts...why > not us? Something to think about. I'm for sure gonna have a back pack > rather than carrying everything in my camera bag. > > In other news, Jim Halladay and I are about halfway through getting his > Chevy Colorado pickup ready for the 130 club on the salt flats during WoS > starting next week. Hell, if all goes as projected, we may both become 130 > Club members. If not, there's the Monte Carlo that can be run next year. > > Back to work on the photo editing. I should have Concours photos in a few > hours...see attached as an artsy-fartsy example. > > r > > > > On 9/8/2010 3:46 PM, Michael Wells wrote: > > All, > > Well maybe it's because I'm newer to this whole gig that keeps me enthused, > I also have the benefit of having no little kids at home to chase after. As > much as my wife loves me she's not about to come to the track and watch me > take pictures. So my only other alternative is to hang out with you bunch of > misfits. John has been good to me so far and I'm pretty lucky to have found > someone that will sponsor me for credentials. I had to work for this one and > I'm going to ride it as far as I can. > > As much as I love to shoot nature & waterfalls they can't give me the same > kind of adrenaline rush that motor sports has. And the fact that I've been > able to sell a few photos is a huge bonus & ego stroker. I'd hate to not see > you at the track any more Ray but I haven't walked in your shoes so I don't > know your level of frustration. Part of this is the camaraderie, where else > am I going to hang out with a bunch of mentally deranged photogs? I don't > know where this will lead but it's been fun and I hope this continues. I > hope something works out for you Ray, Brandon, the guy that came to the ALMS > race with me will only be there Sat til 3, I don't know if credentials are > transferable but he won't be using his either Friday or Sunday. Just walk up > and say you're Brandon Storr, who knows? I don't know if that will work but > it's out there. > > I also can't wait for the lunches at Hires, my wife just rolls her eyes > when I start talking about panning & shutter speed and so on... > > Well there's my two cents. > > Michael aka Dr Z > > On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 12:37 PM, Ray Buck <rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > >> After talking with John Gardner about credential requests, and in >> particular, www.landracing.com (he said "give it a try") he denied my >> request. I pointed out some things he might not be aware of (like my photos >> of MMP on landracing) and asked him to reconsider. I haven't heard from >> him. >> >> If I don't hear back and I don't get credentials for this weekend, I'm >> considering severing my relationship with MMP. The credential hoops and >> changing rules and moving targets are too much hassle. I may just cut back >> to doing car shows and the salt flats. It would sure be a nice thing not to >> have to do a paper chase for every fucking event and find myself in conflict >> with the "big boys" who have corporate backing and departments who handle >> all that stuff for 'em. Working 16-18 hours a day to get all the photos >> edited and on the web is gettin to be a real energy drain. I know that it's >> something that I've chosen to do, but it might just be for the best if I >> didn't have that never-ending series of hoops to jump through. >> >> When Spencer Young bought the old Bonneville Raceway Park and built Rocky >> Mountain Raceway, it just stopped being fun. I'd been a permanent fixture >> at the Saturday nite roundy-round races and ran my Monte Carlo on the drag >> strip there. After numerous incidents (the biggest one was not being >> allowed to bring a "cold cup" of water into the track) I decided that the >> costs outweighed the benefits and I stopped giving Mr. Young my money. I >> haven't regretted it at all. MMP is starting to get that way for me. >> >> Since Larry's death, the track has begun a downward spiral that just >> doesn't look very good. It wouldn't surprise me if it didn't go up for sale >> or just closed down. But aside from that negativity, I get the feeling that >> they'd rather not have to bother with ANY photographers, no matter how much >> free PR they get. We've discussed this in the past and I don't see any >> changes that would make things better. >> >> So if I don't get the credentials for this weekend, I'll shoot the Peach >> Days car show in Brigham City and probably not even bother going back to >> MMP. Besides: next year is lookin awful bleak as far as events. No ALMS, >> no vintage or historic races, only Superbike, Grand-Am and NASCAR West >> (combining 'em is really a dumb idea) and some bread and circuses for the >> masses like the off-road stuff. Superbike has been a pita from the word go >> and that only leaves 2 major events. I can live without 'em. >> >> RtR >> >> >> >> >> On 9/7/2010 1:56 PM, PAUL W WATSON wrote: >> >> Yes, >> >> Does anybody know what track configuration[s] are being used? NASCAR in >> the past has used the 3 mile perimeter track and the Grand Am cars use the >> full 4.5 mile track. >> >> Paul >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> *From:* Michael Wells <mcwellsphoto@xxxxxxxxx> >> *To:* ratpack@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 07, 2010 1:11 PM >> *Subject:* [ratpack] Re: Credentials >> >> Sounds like the start of a party for the Rat Pack. Will the Big Sigma be >> along for the ride? >> >> Michael >> >> On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 12:58 PM, PAUL W WATSON <TSWATSON78@xxxxxxx>wrote: >> >>> I'll be there Thursday thru Sunday. >>> P >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> *From:* Michael Wells <mcwellsphoto@xxxxxxxxx> >>> *To:* ratpack@xxxxxxxxxxxxx >>> *Sent:* Tuesday, September 07, 2010 12:05 PM >>> *Subject:* [ratpack] Credentials >>> >>> All, >>> >>> Well the credential confirmation came through on Saturday so Brandon and >>> I are good to go. Are we going to see everyone there? >>> >>> Michael >>> >>> -- >>> Dr. Z >>> aka Michael Wells >>> MCWells Photography >>> mcwellsphoto@xxxxxxxxx >>> 801-850-7279 >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Dr. Z >> aka Michael Wells >> MCWells Photography >> mcwellsphoto@xxxxxxxxx >> 801-850-7279 >> >> > > > -- > Dr. Z > aka Michael Wells > MCWells Photography > mcwellsphoto@xxxxxxxxx > 801-850-7279 > > -- Dr. Z aka Michael Wells MCWells Photography mcwellsphoto@xxxxxxxxx 801-850-7279