Speed, Motion, Blur

Speed, Motion, Blur

A Photographic expression of movement

For many of us, the attraction with motor racing is the visceral atmosphere created by sound, speed, smell and moments of intense urgency. One of my objectives when taking photos is to capture some of this and “Speed, Motion, Blur” is about that, showing on-track car action only.

When taking photos to express these sentiments I sometimes amuse myself by referring to them as “art shots” as there is a likelihood of a very low success rate, so mitigating inevitable disappointment with humour. This is because, often to achieve them, I need to be on the technical margins of success and typically this involves a critically low camera shutter speed along with considerations of camera angles, vehicle speeds, lighting, location, and above all else, patience.

A case in point is is the first photo, the multicoloured car. I am on the pit wall, virtually leaning over the car as it passes by at top speed, creating a deafening roar whilst kicking up a cloud of dust and grit in its wake. It took many passes to get a vehicle suitably in the frame with the right amount of blur, even at 10fps. I have another good shot where this car is completely in the frame but the one here is better because of the compositional interest created by a second vehicle following with another in the far distance.

Other photos involve less physical vulnerability, maybe just getting wet, or sunburnt! Tracking speed with a camera is touch-and-go and requires much fortitude and luck. I hope you enjoy the results…

The photos in this gallery are updated from time-to-time.