I've been shooting video for almost twenty years now (yikes!) and am reasonably handy with the NFS team's studio Panasonic HVX200 HD camera. At this stage I find shooting racing action pretty intuitive… I arrive at the track and instantly know where I want to shoot, what lens to select and what type of camera action is needed. It's all pretty fluid.
Now I've recently started to shoot photos too. I have my own film camera language that I've built up with my film/video career, but right now I feel relatively limited in my photographic skills. What I am trying to achieve with still photography and what I am going for in my head are two separate things unfortunately.
I'm happy enough to walk about a car show or a paddock area shooting snaps. What I do there is reasonably ok, but when it comes to action shots… well most of what I do isn't good enough to be posted on Speedhunters.
When I look at these Red Bull Citroen photos, it's pretty clear I have a long way to go!
I'm sure you can look at these photos and see that the shooters Red Bull employs are absolutely top caliber.
I'm sure it will be some time before I attain this command over the medium of photography… If ever!
I'm not sure I'd ever really want to go to a WRC event though… I'm too much of an urbanite for that. Think about all the hours in extreme conditions these photographers have to bear… no thanks!
They also have to face a lot of extremely dangerous shooting conditions to get their snaps. Although this photo was obviously shot with a long lens, it's still pretty clear this C4 WRC is flying straight at the photographer!
Which WRC event would you want to go to? Which continent? Tarmac? Gravel? Snow? Dirt?
And I leave you with this stunning vista… Cheers!
Images: Red Bull Photofiles
:Rod
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these are some amazing shots, where did you find them?
Inspirational
Dave they are Red Bull media photos.
Nice photos!!!
I live in Portugal and I have some nice photos from the last 2 WRC events held here...
I love the hard conditions to shoot and the only problem is that I don't have a media card or anything so it's really hard because of the security....
Anyway, I'm happy with my work, even if it's miles away from what I see on Speedhunters....
Cheers!
Damn! Seb Loeb FTW! Amazing photos. I'd love to have them as desktops but it ain't allowed i think:/
No more talks, just ENJOY!
Rod it isn't as bad as you think, especially if you are only shooting the top guys or something - you have to "chase" them round the stages! And not all the rallies are in the back end of nowhere!
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I wouldn't be too worried about photographing close to the action either, you won't find any more skilled drivers in the world than in the WRC. Shit happens, but peoples crash on circuits plenty aswell, and rocks don't appear on the racing line there, or the track doesn't get worse every time a car does a lap.
i hope one day I can shoot like that
2,6 and last are my favs!
"caseyjohnphotography said:i hope one day I can shoot like that" God, that makes two of us!
this image work is like the Planet Earth series.....excpet the wild life here is a Citroen?!?
Its so sad that Citröen doesnt made any cool versions of C4 :/
If you're not willing to hike to a WRC event, due to the "grueling" condition those photographer have to sustain.....how can you call yourself a true-hardcore fan?
I don't like shooting, besides, there is seem to be a trend these days about being a kickass photographer. Too many people on the same bandwagon......lame.
Anyway, if you want to stay "urbanite"....there is always HIN.
I definitely would love to go to either German WRC or the one in Japan
While I just shoot right now my local rally X, I hope some day to shoot a Rally America ,CRS, or WRC event.
And looking at the conditions, as a former member of the US Army Corps of Engineers, all I can say is I have been in worse and at least with photography I can have a beer at the end of the day.
2, 6, and 10 are awesome...
I went to the last Rally of Wales, my first WRC ever:- it was a really excellent. Completely different to going to a track, for a 'normal' motorsports event. Much more interactive, you have to do a lot of driving an mapreading etc to get to the special stages. Really good fun.
@ Alex.
LMFAO at comparing WRC to HIN!!!!! wtf
taking kickass photos = bandwagon jumping? This must be the longest bandwagon known to man than. Anyways awesome pics, its amazing how they are so clear and crisp while still being action shots
@ Rich, Alex was trying to illustrate the point that WRC is not as crazy sitting-in-the-mud-for-twelve-hours as Rod might think it is, and that if he is not willing to check it out then he had better stick to car shows like HIN (those are his words, not mine). So not really a comparison.
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But yeah Rallye events are by far my favourite motorsport events to go to, i've been to four now, and it's really not that bad! For one of them it was up 2hrs north of Ottawa in early February, that was one of the longest days of my life to be sure, but the race itself was very exciting. I got to the venue, found a spot, carved out a snow-chair and i was ready to rock! No 10-dollar beers, no hype men, and the best part of all you could even walk around during the service and meet the drivers. If i had the chance to go to a proper WRC event, i would drop EVERYTHING and do it. I suggest you should too, Rod
guess I'm a useless airchair expert then hahahaha....
The Mcklein rally photos are amazing. they have such a huge archive dating all the way back to the early 1900's.
esos autos son espectaculares y mas verlos en directo!!!!!! se ven en argentina en el rally!!!!
wicked
only ford and citroen are compete in pro-wrc (RIP sooby)
but man do they have some cool machines
I'd go to the Acropolis Rally, its brutal.