46zilzal
09-16-2007, 12:53 PM
I have just been hired as the photo finish operator at our harness track and have been "practicing" the last two weeks. It is very interesting to see how it is all actually done. Most of the newer venues now use digital imaging to place the horses. Having spent the last several days reviewing standard bred qualifiers, it is amazing how the images are so clear and so quickly available without all the mess and error built into the old silver based photos (of which there still are a lot in use I am told). The system (based upon the average speed of the normal images captured, i.e that base speed would change if thoroughbreds were followed) even does a rough calculation of the beaten lengths.
To save on disk space, one can digitally edit out the open lengths between horses and the system still keep the relative beaten lengths in memory despite the final look of the digital image. On one, for example, where a horse broke stride and was pulled up until it regained the pacing stride, it eventually came in almost 90 lengths past the winner. All of that "open space" was edited out of the image yet the beaten lengths data remained proportional.
When two finishers were very close, one has the ability to enlarge the image several hundred times in order to differentiate very tight placings using a built in placing line that moves across the image via the mouse. Once a race finishes, I send the entire race image to the placing judges for review. IF THEY think a photo is required, I prepare one with graphic overlays of the position and enlarge it enough for easy differentiation. Once prepared, I ask for acceptance and then once I get the okay, switch the captured image over to the television director for showing to all monitors in the crowd. Often there is a second photo (in super perfecta races for example) for show. A second photo is then prepared, accepted by the placing judges before it is also sent to the director's office.
The system we use is called Finish Lynx which can be adapted to sports photo finishing as well runners, swimmers etc. They also have other digital capture software (Adobe Professional) which allows for compilation of the race reviews later in the program. The ease in putting that show together (relative to my experience with the old VHS format) is so easy and clean that it is very hard to see the edits. The security of this system is so dependable that secondary back up cameras (common before digital technology) are no longer used.
There are some quirks when the lighting changes and variations in exposure have to be compensated, particularly as the sun is setting or clouds come over during the stretch drive exposure. I am told that late afternoons in the Winter are especially difficult having bright areas right next to the deep shadows coming from the grandstands. Having automatic gain control in the computer allows one to brighten up even those shots that become darked if a cloud comes over right on the finish line compensating on various parts of the image, WHILE it is being captured. Night time is actually easier since the lighting at the finish line is at a reliable level of specific brightness race to race as I turn on large array lights as they hit the lane.
Once captured, the placing judges have the ultimate say in the order. A federal government parimutuel standards associate comes in randomly to check the alignment which is based upon positioning the camera parallel with the finish line which is reference by two orange colored
pylons directly across either side of the finish line. We have to sign in on a federally reviewed "oversight list" should anything untoward happen during a card. I was introduced to the federal guy who is affectionately referred to as "regulator Rick," who was there opening night to check the reference points across the finish line. The camera has
to be re-calibrated every so often to assure a fair alignment.
The reliability of the system is so good that the idea of having a second back up camera is no longer required as was told that only ONE photo in several years has been missed and that was due to operator error. In that instance, the placing judges stepped in, and using the video tape of the race, made calls of the finishers which ultimately were accepted. There is a "back up" system in the exposure plunger (it is only used in emergencies) that sort of freaks me out as you have to INSTALL IT, during the race, AFTER you notice your exposure plunger fails. I am going to practice this one over and over a few times!!
It is refreshing to see the accuracy of the photo finish that we all wanted to be there.
Rummaging around the photo lab I found an old film strip.
To save on disk space, one can digitally edit out the open lengths between horses and the system still keep the relative beaten lengths in memory despite the final look of the digital image. On one, for example, where a horse broke stride and was pulled up until it regained the pacing stride, it eventually came in almost 90 lengths past the winner. All of that "open space" was edited out of the image yet the beaten lengths data remained proportional.
When two finishers were very close, one has the ability to enlarge the image several hundred times in order to differentiate very tight placings using a built in placing line that moves across the image via the mouse. Once a race finishes, I send the entire race image to the placing judges for review. IF THEY think a photo is required, I prepare one with graphic overlays of the position and enlarge it enough for easy differentiation. Once prepared, I ask for acceptance and then once I get the okay, switch the captured image over to the television director for showing to all monitors in the crowd. Often there is a second photo (in super perfecta races for example) for show. A second photo is then prepared, accepted by the placing judges before it is also sent to the director's office.
The system we use is called Finish Lynx which can be adapted to sports photo finishing as well runners, swimmers etc. They also have other digital capture software (Adobe Professional) which allows for compilation of the race reviews later in the program. The ease in putting that show together (relative to my experience with the old VHS format) is so easy and clean that it is very hard to see the edits. The security of this system is so dependable that secondary back up cameras (common before digital technology) are no longer used.
There are some quirks when the lighting changes and variations in exposure have to be compensated, particularly as the sun is setting or clouds come over during the stretch drive exposure. I am told that late afternoons in the Winter are especially difficult having bright areas right next to the deep shadows coming from the grandstands. Having automatic gain control in the computer allows one to brighten up even those shots that become darked if a cloud comes over right on the finish line compensating on various parts of the image, WHILE it is being captured. Night time is actually easier since the lighting at the finish line is at a reliable level of specific brightness race to race as I turn on large array lights as they hit the lane.
Once captured, the placing judges have the ultimate say in the order. A federal government parimutuel standards associate comes in randomly to check the alignment which is based upon positioning the camera parallel with the finish line which is reference by two orange colored
pylons directly across either side of the finish line. We have to sign in on a federally reviewed "oversight list" should anything untoward happen during a card. I was introduced to the federal guy who is affectionately referred to as "regulator Rick," who was there opening night to check the reference points across the finish line. The camera has
to be re-calibrated every so often to assure a fair alignment.
The reliability of the system is so good that the idea of having a second back up camera is no longer required as was told that only ONE photo in several years has been missed and that was due to operator error. In that instance, the placing judges stepped in, and using the video tape of the race, made calls of the finishers which ultimately were accepted. There is a "back up" system in the exposure plunger (it is only used in emergencies) that sort of freaks me out as you have to INSTALL IT, during the race, AFTER you notice your exposure plunger fails. I am going to practice this one over and over a few times!!
It is refreshing to see the accuracy of the photo finish that we all wanted to be there.
Rummaging around the photo lab I found an old film strip.