A little while ago some friends and I went for a bit of a walk around good old Brisbane town snapping away as we went. Which is always lots of fun just being able to shoot what ever you find interesting through the lens. I thought that it was about time that I shared a few of the pics.
Formula 1, the world’s most expensive and exclusive sport. The dream of every motorsport photographer in the world is to shoot a grand prix race. Formula 1 is simply something else to behold in the world of motorsport. For me having covered many V8 Supercar events and ChampCar and IRL races over the past five years the 2011 Australian Grand Prix was like nothing before it. Nothing can quite prepare you for the circus that is the Formula 1 World Championship. From the paddock to the pits there is simply nothing like it.
This year has seen some of the most amazing racing in recent years. With the introduction of the new Prille tyres and DRS zones and the reintroduction of the ever talked about KIRS. 2011 is shaping up as one to remember.
Yes, this post in very late, but better late than never. Hope you enjoy the photos.
http://www.shuttermedia.net/2011formula1event1/2011formula1event1.htm
All images copyright Chris Von Wieldt/XPB.cc
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Each year you hit the reset button and think of new ways and ideas of how you can approach and shoot a picture differently. In a sport that gets shot to death each year by some amazing photographers keeping it fresh can sometimes be a tuff job. As a photographer you don’t want to get into a rut, which is very easy to do. You don’t want to go to the same tracks each year and just continually shoot the same pictures over and over again. I approach motorsport photography from a very different angle. I was never a huge fan of motorsport photography when I first started learning photography. I have always been a huge art fan and my main aim when photographing motorsport is to think, would I want this picture hanging on my wall at home? With the exception of the picture with James Courtney carrying Charlie Schwerkolt after winning at Sandown. I would rather not have that one hanging on the wall. When you see the simply amazing work of guys like Drew Gibson, Darren Heath and James Moy it is easy to get inspiration to create a picture that combines motorsport with art. Yes, you have to shoot your stock pics and pics for client requirements but once that job is completed you can start to get creative. I find that I will generally shoot my most creative pictures in the last 10 minutes of a session. 2010 was a brilliant year, working with some amazing people, great Australian photographers and getting to shoot some amazing action all over Australia. What will 2011 bring?
Phillip Island, V8 Supercar Flag
Sydney 500, James Courtney
Hamilton 400, Jamie Whincup
Bathurst 1000, FPR Team Member
Sydney 500, Andrew Jones
Phillip Island, Jamie Whincup, Steve Owen
Test Day, Jacques Villeneuve
Sydney 500, Steve Richards
Townsville 400, Alex Davison
Phillip Island, TVF Team Member
Clipsal 500, James Courtney
Clipsal 500, Lee Holdsworth
Gold Coast 600
Sandown Raceway, James Courtney, Charlie Schwerkolt
Clipsal 500, Jamie Whincup
Syndye 500, James Courtney
Hamilton 400, Todd Kelly
Winton, Pit Lane
Hamilton 400, Garth Tander
Gold Coast 600, Andy Priaulx
Townsville 400, James Courtney
Queensland Raceway, James Courtney
Winton, Alex Davison
Queensland Raceway, Jamie Whincup
Sandown, Transporter Detail
Bathurst 1000, Jason Bright
Gold Coast 600, Steve Richards, Will Power
Sandown, Pit Lane
Queensland Raceway, Restart
Test Day, Yvan Muller
Sydney 500, Will Davison
Sandown, Lee Holdsworth
Bathurst 1000, Charlie Schwerkolt
Bathurst 1000, Drivers Line Up
Winton, Shane van Gisbergen
Winton, James Courtney, Adrian Burgess
Gold Coast 600, Shane van Gisbergen, John McIntyre
Phillip Island, Steve Richards
Sandown, Paul Dumbrell
Clipsal 500, Jonathon Webb
Gold Coast 600, Scott Dixon
Sandown, Jamie Whincup
Phillip Island, Shane van Gisbergen, John McIntyre
Sandown, Will Davison, Michael Caruso
Clipsal 500, Jamie Whincup
Winton, car of Paul Dumbrell
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As we speed towards another season of racing it is a good time to have a look back on the V8 Supercar career of James Courtney through the lens from 2005 to 2009. James started his V8 Supercar journey in the same year that I started photographing the V8 Supercars, 2005.
In 2011 James Courtney will return to where he first tasted V8 Supercars in 2005 at the Holden Racing Team. After an endurance drive with the Holden Racing Team in 2005 James turned full time V8 Supercar driver the following year for Stone Brothers Racing, the rest is history.
2005
Bathurst 1000, co driver with Jim Richards for the Holden Racing Team
2006
Bathurst 1000
Gold Coast
Bathurst 1000, podium with co driver Glenn Seton
Queensland Raceway
2007
Phillip Island
Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway
Bathurst 1000
Phillip Island
Queensland Raceway
Phillip Island
Oran Park
2008
Tasmania
Oran Park
Queensland Raceway
Clipsal 500
Oran Park
Gold Coast
Gold Coast
Tasmania
2009
Sandown
Townsville 400
Clipsal 500
Townsville 400
Hamilton 400
Queensland Raceway
Townsville 400
Phillip Island 500, co driver with Steven Johnson
Sydney 500
Phillip Island 500, co driver with Steven Johnson
Sandown
Winton Raceway
Clipsal 500
Sydney 500
Townsville 400
Gold Coast
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Whilst all talk was of the championship contenders at the Sydney 500, one man was just going about his business. Lee Holdsworth who has not won a race since 2007 had an almost perfect weekend. After taking pole for both races Lee took home victory in Sunday’s race. A victory that was snatched from the hands of Shane Van Gisbergen after his car ran out of fuel on the final lap of the race. Amazingly it was only Lee’s second race win after taking out the round win back at a very wet Oran Park in 2007. Lee is a guy that I would tip along with Gizzy to be at the top many times in 2011 and very much a contender for the 2011 championship.
Lee Holdsworth taking victory at Oran Park in 2007.
The boys and girls down at GRM are some of the most fun loving in the paddock. When your team is run by the amazingly charismatic and colourful Garry Rogers it is no wonder why. Having a brilliant character like Garry in the paddock is just what the sport needs.
When out shooting at events I always look for any good trees to shoot through to give the picture some colour or framing. The Sydney Olympic Park track surprisingly provides some great opportunities for this type of shot, with a few elevated spots around the track making for a great view of the action below. This allowed for this clean and green picture.
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As the 2010 V8 Supercar championship concluded at the Sydney 500 two weeks ago Ford fans were again left with mixed feelings after learning that their top championship winning driver would be leaving for Holden in 2011. James Courtney’s departure from Dick Johnson Racing has not come as a surprise but his name will be added to the names of drivers to depart the Ford brand after taking the championship. Seeing Marcos Ambrose depart from Stone Brothers Racing at the end of 2005 after taking back to back championships for a career in NASCAR, Jamie Whincup after two championship wins moved to Holden as well, admittedly not through his own choosing and now James, Ford fans will be looking to their ever dwindling driver base in 2011 for possible championship hopefuls. Guys like Mark Winterbottom and Shane Van Gisbergen will still give the Ford faithful hope in 2011.
As for the final event of the year, it was one to remember. What became an epic race on Saturday, thanks to rain in the latter stages of the race producing a trail of carnage around the Sydney Olympic Park track, left young Jonathon Webb to emerge to take an incredible first race victory. Earlier the top three in the championship merrily followed each other into the wall, only five minutes after I had left from shooting right where all three threw it away.
As a photographer you always try to keep in mind what a driver’s style of celebration is, so you can be ready for their reaction to winning and be in the right spot for the shot. Jamie Whincup will generally stand on the side of the car giving the fan a fist pump or two, James Courtney has always jumped strait on the roof to really celebrate, Garth Tander will generally not show a great deal of emotion. Webby did not disappoint making for some top pictures as he celebrated his maiden win. It was a great moment for Jonathon and his team and for V8 Supercars to have a new young winner in the series is just simply good for the sport.
At the end of an event such as the Sydney 500 you are always left looking for one picture that sums up the entire event. This photo of James Courtney on the podium after taking out his first V8 championship for me sums it all up. This shot is my favourite champagne picture of the year. James has also bought back real emotion and joy to winning and showing what it really means to win a V8 Supercar race and championship.
The 08/09 champion is left to wonder what might have been.
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As the 2010 V8 Supercar championship approaches its climactic end, the penultimate event of the year was one filled with drama and emotion. Going into the event we had four drivers in the hunt for the championship and now we have two. The final battle between Jamie Whincup & James Courtney for the crown of V8 Supercar/Australian Touring Car champion of 2010 is going down to the Sydney 500. More on that later.
Each year when you return to tracks around Australia it seems that more spots are taken away from the photographer. Wether it is for track upgrades or safety concerns we are sadly loosing great shots. This year at Sandown we lost another place with a new sound barrier fence having been erected all the way from turn one to turn three. This takes away the always great start shot and some very nice panning opportunities along with numerus other shots. At a track that is not that friendly to the photographer this was not the best way to start the weekend. But it also must be said, that whatever the owners of permanent race tracks around Australia can do to keep improving the facilities and the safety of their track whilst keeping residents who live near the track happy is a welcome move. Shooting at a track like Sandown even with some restricted shooting areas is much better then shooting at a street circuit.
The week-ends two races both had very emotional winners. With Paul Dumbrell taking out his first V8 win in race one and James Courtney taking an emotional win in race two with some relief thrown in for good measure. The raw emotion after James’s victory shows how much this means to the whole team, especially as Dick Johnson Racing is going through some tuff times. This photo is not so much one of art but one of pure emotion. If James takes the title in Sydney it is going to be one hell of a party!
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The biggest race, the biggest stage, the biggest race weekend in the country, in a small country town called Bathurst. This race is the ultimate endurance test for drivers in Australia and also for the photographer. This is the most iconic race in Australia, but that question has to be asked, is it long enough? In terms of international endurance events, 1000km or around 6 hours of racing is not a huge amount of time. Compared to races like 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nurgurgering 24, 24 Hours of Daytona, Sebring 12hour, Petit Le Mans and events such as those which make this race look more like a sprint event. It is time to make the Bathurst 1000 a longer race? I think so.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16-35mm, F/7.1 at 1/2500sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/4 at 1/8000sec
Shooting an event of this size takes a lot of planning. Before each day you need to have a plan of where you are going to be for each session. Generally I will spend all of Thursday in the pits getting the driver head shots and general pit activities and only go track side for the last session of the day.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 300mm, F/2.8 at 1/1000sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16-35mm, F/22 at 1/3sec
The same goes for race day, arriving at the track before sun up to setup and shoot out to get the early morning preparations of the teams before the big race. This is the calm before the storm. The day moves incredibly fast as you have so much to do and places to be, before you know it, the chequered flag has dropped.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16-35mm, F/3.2 at 1/25sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 15mm fisheye, F/3.5 at 1/80sec
From there it is into the 20 minute warm up session. This 20 minute session is run under race conditions so all the team members have their full safety gear on. Which in the case of teams like 888 and FPR make for some great helmet shots.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/2.8 at 1/2000sec
Generally I will spend this time in the pits shooting driver changes, team members, drivers concentrating on timing screens. Following this session there is a small break before the driver’s parade and then the driver introductions.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16-35mm, F/22 at 1/4sec
This year the driver introductions were done brilliantly, providing some great photo opportunities. Then strait into the biggest grid of the year with the most headaches. Shooting the grid at Bathurst feels something like going shopping on Boxing Day, big crowds pushing with nowhere to go and with everyone wanting to get that item. Or in this case that photo. If you leave the grid with a handful of really top shots you are doing well.
Settings: Canon EOS 40D, 70-200mm, F/4.5 at 1/1250sec
Settings: Canon EOS 40D, 70-200mm, F/2.8 at 1/2500sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16-35mm, F/13 at 1/300sec
Settings: Canon EOS 40D, 600mm, F/4.5 at 1/1250sec
Running from the grid to turn one to get that start shot is always an enjoyable part of the 1000 weekend, after three long days it all comes down to this moment. The start. There is a massive anticipation for the start of this race, more then any other in the championship. Shooting strait on as the cars thunder towards you provides for a great start image.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 600mm, F/6.3 at 1/2000sec
Off course this being the biggest start shot of the year just about every photographer was at turn one or two. Thus missing the biggest crash of the year as Fabian Coulthard tyre gave out at the chase, Fabian thankfully walking away unscathed from such a monster crash.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/6.3 at 1/1000sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/16 at 1/15sec
After shooting around 20 laps at turn one it is back to the media centre to offload cards and grab some wet weather gear for the trek up the mountain. Generally I will spend around 2.5 hours up there during the race, working all around the outside of the track. Then back down to shoot the outside of the chase working my way back down to shoot the finish.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/3.2 at 1/3200sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/14 at 1/20sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 600mm, F/6.3 at 1/1600sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16-35mm, F/9 at 1/800sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/8 at 1/1600sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 600mm, F/5 at 1/3200sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 600mm, F/5.6 at 1/2500sec
The race finish this year was a special one as 888 finished in a formation one, two. I was positioned to shoot the jubilation of the team as Crag Lowends slowed as he passed his jubilant team mates on the pit wall. This always makes for a great end of the day image. From there it is a case of running at full pace back down to the podium before the fans jump the fence and invade the track.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/7.1 at 1/1000sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/7.1 at 1/1000sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/7.1 at 1/800sec
The atmosphere at the Bathurst podium is like no other. The chanting of the crowd and flags, the joy of the drivers who have conquered the mountain.
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 600mm, F/4 at 1/640sec
So the race is over, but the work has only just begun. With all the images from the day now having to be sorted out and sent out. I generally finish up around 10.30 at night. An 18.5 hour day for a 6 hour race and I am already looking forward to next year….
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 70-200mm, F/2.8 at 1/160sec
Settings: Canon EOS 1DMK3, 16.35mm, F/22 at 1/6sec
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by Chris Von Wieldt
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