Motorsports: what photographers inspire you?

[JDS]

Hi everyone, as we near the start of the racing season, I've started making plans for shooting events this year. I'm still learning the basics of shooting motorsports: panning effectively, composition, planning locations for sun angles etc. But, this year I also want to move past boring, repetitive shots and get to some more creative expression. With this goal in mind, I've been researching the great motorsport photographers, trying to learn from what they do. We have some really talented shooters here on this forum, what photographers impress you from the external world of motorsport photography? I'll start with a few:

Jamey Price: Jamey Price |Motorsport Photojournalist - Motorsport photojournalist Jamey Price, based in Charlotte NC

Vladimir Rys: vladimirrys.com

Johnny Henchman: Fireproof Creative - Ken Burns - Fireproof Creative

Alexis Goure: ALEXIS GOURE – Motorsport Photographer

Shawn Pierce: Shawn Pierce

Adam Pigott: Adam Pigott

Brecht Decancq: Brecht Decancq Photography

and a bonus one, an automotive photographer but not really motorsports focused- Amy Shore: Automotive – Amy Shore Photography

 

[JDS]

By the way, I just heard a podcast with Vladimir Rys, and he uses mostly primes (many of them legacy), and usually uses manual focus. Wow...

 

[The Grumpy Snapper]

By the way, I just heard a podcast with Vladimir Rys, and he uses mostly primes (many of them legacy), and usually uses manual focus. Wow...

I date back to the days of manual focus primes and Kodachrome with Ektachrome 200 as your high speed film for night time.

I would love to go back to Le Mans with digital body and some of the zooms now available but I suspect that it would be a disappointing experience. I should imagine access is much more restrictive than it was all those years ago. I dropped my OM1 body into a pit box from the gallery above the pit lane at Le Mans. As it was the pit box of the team I was there to cover one of the pit crew threw the body back up to me.

 

[ijm5012]

Camden Thrasher, Regis Lefebure, Larry Chen are others to take a look at.

 

[Arundo Donax]

My favourites are:

Bernard Cahier and Paul-Henri Cahier Home

Rainer Schlegelmilch Rainer W. Schlegelmilch - Formula One Photography

Jesse Alexander Jesse Alexander.com

Pete Biro, who recently passed away. 651: Pete Biro | CARS YEAH

And as JDS mentioned above, Vladimir Rys

 

[coffeecat]

Mattijs Diepraam, who is a photo-journalist on a Dutch motorsports magazine.
Mattijs Diepraam Werken op Canvas, Poster of Dibond

8w6thgear

Appears to shoot mu43. Until quite recently he seemed to be doing pit lane stuff mostly using a panny G3. Another good example of how it's mostly not the kit that really counts.

He has other non-motorsports flickr accounts, and is also quite active on Instagram.

 

[Arundo Donax]

By the way, I just heard a podcast with Vladimir Rys, and he uses mostly primes (many of them legacy), and usually uses manual focus. Wow...

In Montreal last year, I saw him using a Canon Cinema lens mounted on an EOS 1 DX mkII
His work is extraordinary!

 

[drd1135]

I'll be honest. The only one I can name is Ian. I'll check out the ones listed here.

 

[JDS]

My favourites are:

Bernard Cahier and Paul-Henri Cahier Home

Rainer Schlegelmilch Rainer W. Schlegelmilch - Formula One Photography

Jesse Alexander Jesse Alexander.com

Pete Biro, who recently passed away. 651: Pete Biro | CARS YEAH

And as JDS mentioned above, Vladimir Rys

My brother went to Jesse Alexander's home with a car group, he apparently has big, wooden cabinets with thousands of his prints. I completely agree with your entire list, amazing work from these guys.

 

[Canonista]

Hi everyone, as we near the start of the racing season, I've started making plans for shooting events this year. I'm still learning the basics of shooting motorsports: panning effectively, composition, planning locations for sun angles etc. But, this year I also want to move past boring, repetitive shots and get to some more creative expression.

I see that you too are suffering from cabin fever. I was just going through my collection of racing coffee table books, and reviewing my albums from the past season to see what I could do differently, to expand beyond the normal and repetitive. It's a constant struggle, as you experiment with different settings, angles and light. But then you suddenly discover something different, unique, and ultimately what you can call your own. You then repeat and perfect that signature look, but then it's time to move on and find something different and unique, again.

As someone else noted here, the challenge with modern motorsports photography is the limited access to the track, to the paddock, to the pits, and to the drivers. All the additional fencing and barriers in the name of safety, and the "professionalization" of the sport, have increased the regular fans' distance to the action, the cars and the drivers. The street tracks are the worst offenders; I stopped going to Long Beach long ago, except for a drift event a few years back where I was lucky enough to score a photo pass through work. This perspective from inside the barrier wall at the Turn 11 hairpin, just doesn't happen from the spectator areas.

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This is one reason I've fallen in love with the annual historic races at Laguna Seca and Sears Point. Those courses, laid out on a natural terrain featuring numerous elevation changes, are a hobbyist photographer's dream, as it gives a clear view to many sections of the track. This shot was actually taken from the spectator area:

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We get full access to the paddock areas, with car owners who not only welcome your interest but invite you to take close-up photos, and once in a while will let you slide into the driver's seat of historic race cars you grew up watching. Their smiles inform you they know just how lucky they are, and the joy they feel.

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On my bucket list is a visit to the Monte Carlo Historic Grand Prix, the LeMans Classic, and the Goodwood Revival, hopefully with a photo pass in hand.

 

[retiredfromlife]

I like the motor sports covered here. Not into it myself, but I see plenty of nice work on this forum.

 

[JDS]

I see that you too are suffering from cabin fever. I was just going through my collection of racing coffee table books, and reviewing my albums from the past season to see what I could do differently, to expand beyond the normal and repetitive. It's a constant struggle, as you experiment with different settings, angles and light. But then you suddenly discover something different, unique, and ultimately what you can call your own. You then repeat and perfect that signature look, but then it's time to move on and find something different and unique, again.

As someone else noted here, the challenge with modern motorsports photography is the limited access to the track, to the paddock, to the pits, and to the drivers. All the additional fencing and barriers in the name of safety, and the "professionalization" of the sport, have increased the regular fans' distance to the action, the cars and the drivers. The street tracks are the worst offenders; I stopped going to Long Beach long ago, except for a drift event a few years back where I was lucky enough to score a photo pass through work. This perspective from inside the barrier wall at the Turn 11 hairpin, just doesn't happen from the spectator areas.

View attachment 712145

This is one reason I've fallen in love with the annual historic races at Laguna Seca and Sears Point. Those courses, laid out on a natural terrain featuring numerous elevation changes, are a hobbyist photographer's dream, as it gives a clear view to many sections of the track. This shot was actually taken from the spectator area:

View attachment 712148

We get full access to the paddock areas, with car owners who not only welcome your interest but invite you to take close-up photos, and once in a while will let you slide into the driver's seat of historic race cars you grew up watching. Their smiles inform you they know just how lucky they are, and the joy they feel.

View attachment 712146

On my bucket list is a visit to the Monte Carlo Historic Grand Prix, the LeMans Classic, and the Goodwood Revival, hopefully with a photo pass in hand.

I couldn't agree more... I love the Monterey Pre-Reunion the weekend before Pebble Beach, as you get half the cars at the track with a small fraction of the crowds that arrive the following weekend. I think there's also an amazing classic car race at Spa that I would love to see, 24 hours with the cars doing stints as well as the drivers. Someday maybe...

 

[macro]

By the way, I just heard a podcast with Vladimir Rys, and he uses mostly primes (many of them legacy), and usually uses manual focus. Wow...

Power boat and jet ski racing here and if I had to use auto focus lenses, I would quit. Canon FD tele lenses on m4/3, APS-C and FF. Auto focus, never.

Got offshore power boat racing next weekend along with the hydroplanes and last week was outboards at another river. More coming up next month as well.

All the best.

Danny.

 

[GRID]

André Lavadinho that runs @World

 

[Bagrphotography]

Apart from a chap Manuel Goria, (F1, Endurance etc) are there any other recognised motorsports photographers who have either changed or worked with Micro Four Thirds?

I did have a little look at some of the images coming from the new Canon R6 mirrorless, with adapted canon lenses (non-native mount); even with E-shutter, the thing is a small monster. So much goodness and no observable rolling shutter!