I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Since 2008 is coming to a close pretty soon, Rod suggested that we submit our opinions for the Speedhunters Top 10 Photos shot by other people, and another round of Top 10 Photos that each of us shot ourselves.

I think it was a great idea, and it’s been pretty fun looking at the photos that everyone has selected. I think most of my fellow Speedhunters submitted photos of subjects that moved them personally – I saw quite a few selections that I didn’t expect, so for me it was a great learning experience. Different people have different things that speak to them; that’s one of the things that I think is cool about Speedhunters. We can’t please all people, all the time, but we pretty much have something for everybody – since we tend to post content from many different automotive genres and different geographic locations. We will strive hard to keep this up, and expand for the next year!

Being a photographer, I think my selections tend to favor images that my eye was drawn to photographically. There was so much good stuff to choose from, it was really hard narrowing it down to only 10 photos!

Also, it may seem as if most of the photos I’ve picked were things that Rod, John, or Mike had posted… but I just wanted to mention that our good friend Jeroen just started shooting photos this year (in fact, the first time he was given the chance to play with a Digital SLR was when we were all together at the Spa 24H race in Belgium), but I think he already has a great eye photographically! All he has to do now is learn how to use all the functions of the camera, remove the dead animal from his engine bay, and keep shooting…

Okay, so let’s get this party started… earlier in the year, Rod found this photo of this Porsche 911 at the Nurburgring 24H race (above). I absolutely LOVE this photo. So much, in fact, I wish I shot it. This photo has such incredible lighting, with an incredible backdrop of an incredible racetrack. Ahhh, Nordschleife… I want to return. This place represents the purity and enthusiasm of motor racing. I feel so lucky to have experienced Nordscheife this year for the first time.

Here’s a dramatic photo of “Dorikin” Keiichi Tsuchiya at Le Mans, captured by the super telephoto Canon of John Brooks. Just look at the amazing clarity on the front of the car – from the splatters on the front, to the headlights beaming, to the super crisp sponsor logos, and super creamy blurred background. The most amazing thing about this photo isn’t the technical aspects of the pic though… what amazes me most is the fact that Sir Brooks was THERE to see this in person.

This is one of my favorite photos that Mike Garrett has posted. You may all be thinking, “What?? This? It’s more of an architectural photo than a car photo.” Yup. cars are cars, but I think this photo is great because it gives you a lot of detail, and a good sense of what it’s really like to be at the Toyota Amlux Showroom in Ikebukuro.

For those going to Tokyo Auto Salon in January, you should really stop by Ikebukuro and check it out. Find Tokyu Hands in Ikebukuro, then find the escalator (to the left of the Tokyu Hands entrance, if you’re staring at the front door from outside), then take the escalator downstairs. On the right, you’ll see a burger joint called Lotteria, and if you walk towards the left, you’ll see the entrance to Toyota Amlux, with the $880 dollar TRD bucket seats attached to video game consoles you can play for free. Bring a couple allen wrenches and ship me those bucket seats! K thx!

This photo is from an Irish Rally Photo Story that Mike G posted, shot by a photographer called Mole2K. Dammit, I love this photo! It’s challenging enough shooting in low light such as this, but capturing the jump (with sponsor logos in focus too!) with a long enough shutter speed to blur the background, with headlights shining into the lens, and illuminating the precipitation in front of the car… this is such an awesome photo photographically. Great capture.

David Lister shot this photo of this World Touring Car Championship
car… awesome composition. Even though some other Speedhunters seem to
be fans of the “super wide shots” where the car is really small in the
frame, I’m normally not a huge advocate of those types of photos (I
like to see the action up close)… but I really have to give props to
David Lister for this photo!!! Incredible composition, and I love how
you can see the brightly painted car pop from the dark racetrack, with
dark and ominous clouds looming above, and even lightning! What an
incredible capture! Big respect, Dave has skills! Awesome photo!

John Brooks + FIA GT cars = gorgeous photography. I think this photo is so bad ass! I just wish the silver Aston Martin was up front though; that one’s possibly my favorite car in the entire FIA GT series!!! Can’t hate on an MC12 though. Maserati definitely shows people what it’s like to Move the Crowd.

Rod posted this photo/rendering of Krystal and the R35 GTR, from one of the Need for Speed Pro Street game photo shoots. Our fellow Speedhunter Andy B tells me this is an actual rendering of the car in the game. Look how realistic the EA car modelers are able to make their renderings look! Damn, I wish I had skills like that.

BTW, I like girls like Krystal, and cars like the R35 GTR. Which one would you prefer to have waiting for you at home?

I gotta say, this is such a great photo of Mad Mike’s FD from Irwindale… our own Mike Garrett did a great job of capturing the feeling of speed an intensity here… I like how the logos are all sharp, but the foreground, background, and rear wheels convey speed, with the front wheels countered and smoke rolling off the rear… photos like this make drivers like Mad Mike into heroes.

I think this is a great action photo of Idlers Club Minis at Tsukuba; it’s definitely one of my favorite action photos from Mike this year.

Not just the photo “photographically”, but also the subject!!! I loved the cars in the photos from the JCCA Summer Meeting! It’s my goal to get myself to one of these events in the near future! I MUST see and hear these cars for myself!

That’s it for now, be on the lookout for another post tomorrow; we’re all snowed in here and I can’t go anywhere anyway!

-Antonio Alvendia