Its been a little while since my last blog post and with the busiest start to a racing year ever I thought it would be a good time to put down a few words along with some hot motorsport photography shots, oh and a Scallop Pie!
So for 2018 we have elected to make this our biggest year in motorsport photography. Last year was full on with the Aussie Racing Cars and our Supercars commitments (and we have both again this year), to add to the mix I had 10 days away in Mexico at the F1GP and with Matt Campbell in the Porsche SuperCup, it was a mind blowing trip, so amazing and capped with Matt winning both the Porsche events.
But thats so last year LOL. Remember to LIKE our Digital Realism Media Hub page on Facebook to keep up to date with Photos etc for this year.
After the Christmas break we were back into the shooting, there was a couple of practice days out at Queensland Raceways for the brand new SuperUtes with Western Sydney Motorsport. However the first race meeting for the year was to be the Bathurst 12hr, once again we were the team photographers for McElrea Racing and this year they had 3 Mclarens and one Porsche. The 12hr is without a doubt one of the best race meetings you can possibly get to in Australia, especially for GT racing, a huge grid of Gt3 and Gt4 plus invitational classes. Add to the mix a couple of support classes too which we had clients in.
This made for a very full on weekend, but much fun was had! Well until the end of the 12hr race when with just 20 odd minutes to go there was the huge crash up the mountain, which luckily left the drivers reasonably ok, but the race was to finish under the red flag. Matt Campbell, David Calvert-Jones, Patrick long and Alex Davision were looking good for a podium when the red came out in the Ice Break Porsche.
Other clients I was supplying images to included our great mates, Cameron Waters in the #55 AMG Merc and the #95 Marc Car of Bryce Fullwood, Geoff Tauton and Jason Busk, these guys had a great weekend winner in their class, but poor ole Bryce was involved with the last crash, and the car was heavily damaged.
Once again many thanks to the guys and gals at www.carselling.com.au for their support and the team at Hertz Penrith as well, our Photo Sponsors.
After the Bathurst 12hr, the next race track was Sydney Motorsport Park, this was for the Supercars test day, I made it a one day trip and then stayed overnight at our new business partners place, many of our followers would have seen I have joined forces with Velocity Motorsport Magazine with John and Katie Morris – we had a great night and morning making big plans for Velocity that would see me working on the online website and social media platforms, along with photos and editorial in the printed magazine, both Linda and I are very excited by this new project for Digital Realism.
After the test day I flew to Tasmania for my first ever visit to the amazing little circuit in Hobart, Baskerville Raceway, what a great place! The Aussie Racing Cars were headlining the 60th anniversary of the track and as such pretty much had the run of the place. On the Thursday they had two practice sessions in the arvo and just prior to that we had media session where we shot the cars on the grid, then we had the whole field follow us whilst I hung out the back of a car for 3 laps shooting both stills and video, you can see these below.
Friday the teams had three more practice sessions with the weather turning a bit grotty, and Saturday morning the same, in fact qualifying was in the pouring rain, yay wet feet and camera’s all day long, we were a bit lucky that the weather did fine up in the afternoon for the two races. Sunday was fine but cold for two more races. As a photographer you really are spoilt for choice at this track, there are so many great options for great shots, cars coming over hills, steep elevations, a long straight, a great start shot, mountains and cliff backgrounds and heaps more. Hope to go back there again one day. Here a just a few of my favourite shots and the video, you can go to the Aussie Racing Cars FB page here for the gallery.
A photo of Justin Ruggier that Linda Mandy edited with a Sunset
Following on from a great week in Tassie rather than fly home Monday then down to Adelaide on Wednesday I elected to stay an extra night in Tassie and do a few sights – like Mt Wellington and a Scallop Pie – #yum! Then hoped on a plane to Adelaide for the 500 (via a stopover in Melbourne for a few hours).
Mount Wellington 1500mtrs above sea level, luckily you can drive there LOL
I do love a Scallop Pie, this was nice but I had a better one just before I left Hobart 🙂
So the next event and the last for the 4 weeks was the Adelaide 500, from the very first time I did this event I am always amazed, it is such a great well run event, and this year the racing was fantastic, the weather was brilliant, I got to stay in the Adelaide Foothills which was perfect too. The Aussie Racing Cars were not there this year which was a shame, but the there was plenty of racing for all kinds of race fans. But best of all the new SuperUtes finally had a hit out and my main client for the weekend, Western Sydney Motorsports took out the maiden win, Craig Woods ran perfectly all weekend and whilst he had no wins but three second places it was enough consistency to win the inaugural round!
Two of my other clients – Cam Waters and Thomas Randle had tough weekends with both running foul of the damn turn 8, Waters car was repaired and he ran for the weekend the later didn’t and was out after qualifying 🙁 both boys were fine after the incidents. I also shot for D’Arcy Wade and Troy Marinelli in the improved production, it was a bit of baptism by fire for D’Arcy after he came to grief at turn 7 damaging Justins beloved BMW, they repaired the car to complete the weekend with D’Arcy climbing back through the field. Troy had a great weekend, he didn’t run outsider the top 10 all weekend, plus finished as high as 5th twice, with a 6th and 7th too.
We under took both still images and also a video for WSM and Craig Woods, you can see this and a selection of motorsport photography images below.
I now have a couple of weekends off which is good, time with the family and also my eldest sons 17th birthday before I head off for the 2018 Australian Formula One weekend in Melbourne. Thanks for reading this far down LOL, feel free to comment or share our Blog.
Lastly thanks again to www.carselling.com.au for their valued support and thanks to www.pitstopkarting.com.au for their renewed support too.
Remember to LIKE our Digital Realism Media Hub page on Facebook to keep up to date with Photos etc for this year.
