2022 Begins at the Roar

Well, what an experience that was!

Working at Daytona International Speedway in January for the IMSA Roar and the Rolex 24 was a blast.

While the intricacies of sportscar racing can be fascinating to the enthusiast, that level of dedication is beyond my motivation. Instead, I enjoy seeing the glistening metal, smelling the burning rubber, hearing the throaty roar of a race engine, and being embraced by the world of racing.

Saturated by the atmosphere and surrounded by victorious aspirations stirs something deep within me. But, of course, for me, it was a job, but not a job that steels time or life but a profession abundant with fulfilling moments.

I'm open to new ideas and techniques, really anything that brings to life the thoughts that arise in my head—imagining solutions to create reality from the intangible. That's a big part of my work, art, and craft.

These are a few of the photos I enjoyed making while buried in the viewfinder during the first days at Daytona.

First, let me talk about the Roar.

For me, the Roar has always been the beginning of race season, so attending was something I had been looking forward to for many years. I had been scheduled to go in the past, but things fell apart as the dates grew closer, as often happens when countless things have to go right.

Many teams use the weekend as a formal test for the rest of the season. It's like tasting the sauce before dousing your entree. It gives your graph a frame of reference, and it's the first tangible measure to track improvement.

Some teams and racers take a light approach. I imagine these people are the same ones who lazily finger the snooze button on the nightstand at 7 AM. Others frantically are already behind at the beginning. Probably the same fanatics that are already deadlifting more than their weight at the all-night gym just past 4 AM. The balanced race team appears to have set their alarms with enough time to complete morning ablutions without fear of delay while reviewing their scheduled plan for the day. Upon occasion, I find a team that either their calendar was broken just before the new year. Or quite possibly (considering some attendants travel from the far side of the world), the struggle to arrive has been compounded with poor health, lack of preparation, and an "I didn't sign up for this." attitude.

I enjoy watching different people from different cultures, and the opening rounds at Daytona provide plenty of diversity. Morning routines vary from an espresso to a health shake. Some enjoy a refreshing jog or the early drag of a hand-rolled cigarette. And some revel in the pleasant banter of their native tongue while others nurse the solitude of peaceful reflection.

Whatever it is that spurs these contestants on their pilgrimage to Daytona; it's something to be respected. For me, it's a job, but it's a job I thoroughly enjoy. I took a few memorable photos during the IMSA Roar event. Please enjoy, but remember that they are copyrighted and may not be captured or downloaded.

Another New Begining

2022-01-19

I'm back in the air again today for the first time in 2022. Early this year because it's my first time attending the IMSA premier rounds at Daytona International speedway. I am looking forward to working through the Rolex 24 hour race with a bit of trepidation just because I haven't had to work for that long continuously at a racetrack before. Do I have a plan? Of course. Will everything work out? Who knows, but that's part of the excitement. I have to be ready for whatever changes creep into the design. After all, that's how we evolve (at least according to Darwin). The first weekend is the "Roar before the 24". I have a few clients that I will be working with over both weekends, but during the Roar, I will spend a lot of time photographing things that mark the beginning of a year in racing. Drivers and teams will need headshots. Often total body headshots (I know the term is a little oxymoronic but what I mean is that the photo is taken against a pure white background so that the image of the driver can be "cut out" in Photoshop, and an editor or graphic designer can place the image into other forms of media. I have done this for the past few years since I am the series photographer for a few different racing programs, but this is an opportunity to do things a little differently. I will take a small amount of creative license, which I am looking forward to doing.

I have invested quite a bit of money on the gear required to up my craft to a higher level; offering more services to clients is always a good thing, as long as the level of professionalism remains exceptionally high. I am confident that I will provide a level of service that prospects will notice favorably and benefit from widening my skills and products.
Sadly, This is also the longest time I've been away from my adorable wife, who keeps the home fires burning. As much as it is challenging to have to work away from the comforts of home, knowing she is there and I will see her smiling face again soon brings me joy.

A change of pace

2022-01-19

This is my professional photography website. I am devoting more time and resources to offering services and marketing myself and my craft to people and companies that could use my abilities.

That being said, this is MY blog.

It will be a place where I express what I want to say.

Sometimes I will express what I feel needs to be said.

I don't want to write on social media accounts to hope for people to engage with my thoughts and ideas.
I don't want to rely on an algorithm for people to find me and to see what I'm working on or writing about.
This is my website, and I pay for it. I'm dismayed by the vain hopes of gaining likes and hearts on platforms that manipulate their "free" social forums to usurp our precious time and attention.
I will continue to have a small presence on a few social media pages so that people who seek me out can find me. Still, I'm not interested in any gain for having thousands of followers or hundreds of random double taps on one of my photos.

I'm a professional photographer who works hard at his job and makes a difference in this world. Often with my art and sometimes with my words.

This blog, this blank page, this is where I can share unabashedly with the rest of humankind without being hounded by time (or life) stealing apps forcing me into their boxes of happiness pumps to keep my eyes on what they choose.

With that, welcome... and feel free to interact with polite, intelligent courtesy.

The Last Lap of the Last race!

And there you have it folks. The F1 season came down to the last lap of the last race. If you agree with the outcome or think the championship was stolen from Lewis Hamilton, it was a great way to finish the year. Best of luck to Max Verstappen, the 2021 F1 champion.

2021 Circuit of the Americas

Anyone who knows motorsports, and also knows that I photograph motorsports professionally, asks if I have ever gotten to take photos at an F1 event. Over the past few years, I have had the privilege to be at the Circuit of The America's in Austin TX during the American GP weekend and had access to some of the event.

F1 never disappoints. From the excitement and crowds to the gallantry and spectacle. I'll be posting a few of the images I captured during the 2021 event over the next few days. Enjoy.

First, the iconic hill-crest tower photo from Circuit of the Americas. Nothing announces this venue like the observation tower hovering 251 feet above the racetrack. That's 417 stairs for a weary photographer if the elevator isn't working. I know, I've counted, multiple times. Looming that large in the sky sets this monolith in perfect perspective when a racecar crests the top of turn #9. From where this photo was taken it's almost 2/3 of a mile to the base of the tower. Navigating the Circuit of the Americas takes some practice.

Second,

This event was the premiere of this view. This pedestrian bridge over the racetrack is new for F1 this year. I have been a fan of this location for the past few years because it's a great "going away" photo. The bright green out-of-bounds area and the red and white rumble strips leading to the racecar lead the eye into the image. Racers often run wide here, entering this short straight from the left and bouncing over the rumble strips.

If there's no drama in the sky, the photo can be interesting as a closeup. Fortunately, I had some beautiful puffy clouds to bring another primary color into the scene. Also, seeing silhouetted people on the bridge brings an element of juxtaposition to the photo as they appear close to the racetrack. In reality, after the hillcrest, the angle down ensures plenty of space under the bridge. Even enough to snap the photo I posted yesterday, which was taken through the gap under the bridge.

Third,

One of the best parts of experiencing the Formula 1 circus at the Circuit of the Americas is the extra stuff that appears for the entertainment of the spectators. Every year that I have been to the event, first-rate concerts embellished this high-energy weekend. Performances by P!NK, Imagine Dragons, Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Billy Joel, to name a few. Additionally, there are food stands, outdoor works of art, and even amusement park rides assembled around and in the center of the racetrack.

The view outside of turn nine sets a nice scene to show Max Verstappen's #33 RedBull exiting the uphill left-hander. The grandstands are filled with fans, and the Ferris wheel in the background adds to the spectacle. Unfortunately, I don't often get to photograph race cars with fairground rides in the same frame. Often in the morning, if there's rain or even the threat of rain, fog and mist crowd out the distant view reducing it to a car on a track with a white background. So I try to take advantage of a clear day whenever possible.

Four,

Photography is a lot about thinking and planning.

For this picture, I wanted to include the iconic tower letting everyone know it was taken at the Circuit of the Americas, as well as the red, white, and blue stars and stripes painted around the circuit.

But how to direct the viewer to the subject? Panning, it's a great way to separate the subject from the background.

This is taken from the outside of the track just as the car enters the esses.

#motorsport

#motorsportphotography

#f1

Five,

Sparks, yeah, they happen. Are they cool in a photo? I guess sometimes, but there's a lot more information in a picture like this than small flashes flying behind a race car.

The pictures I take at a racetrack show different things to different people, and sometimes I'm hired to deliver photos to team engineers so they can study what happens to their chassis under conditions that can only be assessed during practice or race situations.

A photo like this, or a burst of photos capturing how the suspension moves and the numerous stresses or flexes of how the chassis reacts to the track surface, can give loads of data to racecar designers to alter the physical make up of a car to achieve higher speeds or better handling through portions of a race.

Sometimes a picture can be more than just a photograph.

Six,

The importance of the crowd. It's a double edge sword in my profession—the crowd breaths life and energy into all the high tension moments of a race weekend. There is an electric pulse generated by the hopes and emotions of the fans. It's hard to put into words what advantage a driver or team gains from a devoted following of cheering, flag waving, loyal fans.

For me they turn boring backgrounds into colorful pallets focusing attention on the subject. They also create an enormous amount of frustration by way of logistics and crowded pathways, not to mention the health restrictions that now dictate much of public events.

But I wouldn't want to loose the audience ever again. They are an integral part of the panoply, the atmosphere, the raison d'etre.

Seven,

Looking up to turn one at the Circuit of the Americas there's a spot that is race car dependant. Meaning that different types of cars that race at the circuit follow unique racing lines based upon how each vehicle is engineered.

A driver's choice of trajectory through part of a race track is often based upon tire condition, traction control, throttle mapping, weather, and countless other details. The shortest path is rarely the quickest, and that's where experience trumps bravery.

Atop turn one, there are many choices for a driver to make. Entry to the corner has lots of room on the track, but the exit is a different story. If someone runs a car deep into turn one, there's a fraction of a second when you can see the sky beneath the vehicle during the exit.