I often think back to one of the first photo meetings I attended at Road America. Our photographer liaison for the track was explaining the usual dos and don'ts in a smallish hut designed to be the photographer's workstation during the current race weekend. Towards the conclusion of the rehearsed speech, he began to praise the venue that was in his charge. It became obvious that his attachment to this racetrack was deeper than an obligation, he felt an enduring reverence for the rich history of motorsports that had graced the asphalt at Road America.
There I sat, attentively wondering if I would see what he saw around the four miles of the racetrack. I stared at the giant topographical map on the wall behind him focusing on the circular orange sticky dots marking photo holes in the catch fences. I started to imagine the abundant beauty all around the track, hoping I could capture it for others to see.
In closing the meeting he said these words, "If you can't take great photos here, you need to change professions."
It came off a bit cocky, and perhaps it was a challenge. Years later I think I understand it better.
Taking pictures of exotic cars, be it open-wheel, prototypes, historic racers, or sports cars is taking photos of beautiful objects that are dazzling, sexy, and colorful, mixed with speed and danger. Having a great subject usually yields great photos.
At Road America, it's all that and so much more because of everything around you. The track itself plays an important part in every photo, and discovering the hidden gems along each path makes Road America an exciting and evolving experience each time I work there.
He was right, and I have only scratched the surface of Road America.
The Corvette bridge before turn #6 and the surrounding area provides many opportunities for photos. The above photos were taken during the practice sessions. The overcast conditions muted the colors and contrast of the cars a bit, but it's my job to make them look their best in any condition.
At the end of the front straight, the cars pose nicely in front of either a disappearing Pit Road or next to a few different Road America signs. Something I forget once in a while is that these cars look great going away. Bonus pictures!
RACE DAY!!!
This brings us to Sunday and the Sonsio Grand Prix At Road America. I was in the flag stand for the start and it was quite a thrill to be standing high above the field as they took the green flag. Thanks to an early caution I was still there as Jimmie Johnson came into his pit box for a minor adjustment and Simona De Silvestro pitted for a full tire change. I stayed for a few laps to photograph a little front straight action.
Soon after things got underway I headed to the Corvette bridge again. I don't usually revisit a section of a racetrack that I have photographed earlier during a race weekend, but I had been hoping that I could capture something special and it could not have worked out better. The view through the bridge makes the subject stand out because the background is far away from the racecar. During practice, it can provide a lush green canvas, but I wanted something different. I wanted a crowd, and I got one. Since the crowd was far removed from the subject the out-of-focus background became a sea of colors that gave a stark contrast to the sharp racecars as they crested the hill.
And again (I had to keep reminding myself) these cars look great from behind as well. One of the things I like about this photo specifically is the distortion. Of course, I want every photo to be sharp and in focus but... the haziness from the exhaust plays a key role in this photo. It brings to life the heat of this fire-breathing IndyCar.
Next in my plans was another use of this amazing crowd that had gathered to breathe in the excitement at an IndyCar spectacle. After turn #5 the asphalt climbs towards the Corvette bridge. The open area I would be using as my background was full of motorsport enthusiasts, just as I had hoped. Panning cars here is fun because I usually can rest a little bit because I'm seated (or kneeling) on the ground so that I'm close to level with the car which pushes it up in the photo and into the crowd.
Time to tackle turn #5. It's deceptively difficult to take a photo that I like here. The obstacles add up...
1: The pavement is dark and radiates a lot of heat so it often confuses the focus tracking on even the best cameras.
2: The background (crowd) is close to the subject so using depth of field to showcase the subject is limited.
3: Panning with a car that's turning presents a lot of motion that isn't being panned at all.
4: The cars aren't moving that fast here so to get enough motion in each pan means using quite a low shutter speed.
5: Waiting until the driver accelerates is very important because the movement of the suspension will distort the car even more.
On the whole, I was disappointed with what I kept from the exercise, and these two were by far my favorites.
I would only have time for a couple of quick stops before heading to Victory Lane for the end of the race so I headed for the exit of Canada Corner (Turn #12). The picnickers along the elevated backdrop enjoying the blue skies and green foliage set the scene perfectly for racecars.
And then it hit me, the skies I was missing from the overcast practices the day before could be photographed again. This time welcoming the picture-perfect clouds and bright blue sky would invite a sun-soaked view of this beautiful track that is Road America.
And then it was over. I hurried to Victory Lane for the celebration and confetti. Until next year.
