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Being new in Melbourne (here for a year), I was thinking on going to the Melbourne Cup. None of friends are going from work, but I thought that it may be a good oportunity to go to a national institution and perhaps take a few snaps. Mainly people shots, but also action of the horses.

Are there any tips on the event, and on whether it would be too crowded and not worth the hassle. 100,000 people sounds like a real big mob.

The only horse race I'd ever been to is in Mauritius, and it was beyond crowded - it is like a religion there. Luckily I knew someone who got me into the Barclay's Bank circles for their private box. Perfectly situated over the finish line.

For the Melbourne Cup - you'll get good pics I reckon, but you may have to be sneaky and end up at a good vantage point.

So the tactic will be to get in early and spend the whole day? The gates open about 8am, and the main event is about 3pm. I'm going to be too pooped or sloshed to take decent pics!

from someone whos worked they for several year. last year was the worst year for photos i mean everyone was soaked, do you have protection?. so i mean if you were to come at 8am to stay in the finish line, you may end up disappointed as theres about 23 other media who are more than happy to stand infront of you to take a few shot during a race. and you'll be surround but 100000 drunks. there is a nice area in the disable viewroom today which nobody was using but you need a general acreditiation to get-in. you could also bring in a 600mm to shoot from the lawn stand area or hill stand.
but as far as i know, theres doesn't seem to be any restrictions on lenses sizes.

That's tempting Thai

How crowded is the starting point?

i don't work at the starting point Kipper, i work in the finish line area. which is always the same place.
however i do know the starting position does varied on races, sometimes its on the long straight or deep within the track. there is a some nice shooting spots near the finish line area, in which you can shoot straight into the mount yard where the horse walk down before going onto the field.
there heaps of nikon and cannon users i always see the same ppl every year. there always a corp shooter with an f100 - 28-105, plus someone with 2x dx2 plus a 600mm with the hard case in his other hand.

8-9 is a good time most ppl are just clocking on. by the first race you can forget trying to move around the track. its excepting at least 200k ppl there

It'd be hard to cover the Melbourne cup I reckon. You could possibly position yourself looking up to the barrier which isn't on the main part of the track as it's on a stretch on turn 3 (if you divide the track into four turn segments). You'd need a 600F4 and a teleconvertor + D2X but I reckon if you had that and had the right contacts/passes you could probably also get into position to capture the finish. The key would be having a fairly uncluttererd passage to the finish point. I'm not sure what sort of advantage they give the press in this respect. Do they have a section were the crowd can't go, for example a space between the crowd and the barrier around the track (e.g like the grandprix)?

I think you'd be better off shooting in the carpark, there's always drunken oddballs there in fancy dress that may provide some funny shots.

Sounds like it would be a bit of a zoo, and not good value for the time involved without the press passes / lenses

If I go, I'll probably concentrate on having a good time. Lugging round bulky camera gear and having to push heaps of people out of the way doesn't sound too tempting - I might leave it to the pros.

yes there is a press lane infront of the finishing line, which only gets used during the race.
i think most of ppl in that area are using 300mm or 70-200.some of the extoic spots have extreme long lenses in use like the tv tower.
if your goign to go in order to get "good" shots you might be disapointed.
why not go on family day, it cheaper, less ppl. or even go on non major event days. i was thinking of going on such day to avoid the masses of ppl.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing that at some stage.

Well, well done to Makybe Diva for winning the Melbourne Cup again. What a magnificant mare.

I might upset a few here but horse racing to me is about as interesting as watching grass grow BUT, kipper you're right, what a mare! Got to be up there as the greatest even beyond 'Big Red', I think. Fabulous athlete!
cheers
marco

Marco, while I don't follow it throughout the spring cup carnival, our family used to always have Melbourne Cup BBQs and have people around, and used to have the odd flutter. It's usually a good social event but I don't think I could take it up and follow the form religously like some people do.

She almost looks like Pharlap in some respect, chestnut brown, white patch between her eyes.

I do say well done......

BUT I dont think the track should have been prepared to suit her! When was the last time they dumped a heap of water on the track so that it was better suited for one or two big name horses??

But I guess money talks

Lol, I wasn't aware they'd done that.

I sort of also wondered how many of the other horses such as Leica Falcon were payed off to hold back and just make like they were going for the win at the end. It sort of looked semi staged in someway.


Anyway she's had a bit of a globetrotting life, born in Ireland and brought to Australia.

Late but....if you want to go to the races to photograph and move around go to the New Years Day races at Flemington. Assuming your not to pi$$ed after the night before.