Photographers capture the action at a day at the races

Members of the Murray Bridge Community Photography Club have swapped their usual photography locations for the excitement of the racetrack, enjoying a day of sports photography at the racecourse at Gifford Hill.

A midweek spring racing meeting, held last Wednesday, provided the perfect opportunity for photographers to experience the colour, movement and atmosphere of a day at the races.

Peter Blacket of  Wynarka, along with Julie Moulds and Chris Elliott of Murray Bridge, put their photography skills to the test, experimenting with shutter priority, manual settings and a range of techniques designed to capture the speed and power of thoroughbred racing.

With the course still quite damp, the conditions added another challenge for some photographers, and not everyone managed to stay completely clean.

But the wet track also created opportunities for dramatic photographs as the horses thundered past, kicking up a mist of spray.

At times, it almost appeared the photographers were capturing a race between the horses and the birds in the sky, adding an unexpected element to the day’s images.

For the photography club members, many of whom had never attended the races before, the experience was much more than just taking photographs.

They had the opportunity to get up close to horses, jockeys, and trainers and experience the atmosphere of racing from a photographer’s perspective.

Then there was the sound: the unmistakable thunder of horses racing down the main straight, an experience that will stay with the photographers long after the cameras have been packed away.

With the sun eventually breaking through, the day at the races turned into a memorable and enjoyable one.

The club continues to go from strength to strength, with regular outings giving members new opportunities to learn, experiment, and develop their photography skills.

Another race meeting was scheduled to be held this Wednesday, with free admission; the next meetings after that will be on AFL grand final day, September 26, and Gold Cup day, on October 3.

• Read more: Murray Bridge photography clubs merge