“My name is Chris and I’m an addict.” Sad words indeed from a middle-aged guy who should be old enough to know better.  But, in this case the addiction is far more powerful than crack cocaine or alcohol.  For I have been addicted to motorsports since childhood. 

There is no cure, no twelve-step program, no treatment…all you can do is surrender to the allure of the sound of screaming engines, the smell of burning rubber and the thrill of watching a car expertly driven on the ragged-edge of disaster.

My journey down the road of addiction started when I was a young kid growing up near London, England.  I’m not entirely sure what triggered my passion but I do have memories of spending hours cycling to Silverstone, Scaling the fence and sneaking a look at the F1 cars of that time practicing.  My favorite viewpoint was at the mid-point of the Hanger straight.  Here, hiding in the bushes I would savor the scream of the cars as they hurtled past and I dreamed of a life in the glamorous world of racing.

As a teenager I bought my first camera, a no-name East German-made rangefinder that was completely manual.  I wasted many rolls of film before I eventually figured out how to use it properly.  The wait was worth it though and from that point, making images of the world of motorsports was a close second to my passion for racing itself.

My teenage years also saw me getting involved as a competitor on Motorcycles.  I was fortunate enough to have a fairly successful riding career and when injury put an end to my adventures in the saddle I morphed into roles as a mechanic, crew chief and eventually team management.  When I moved to the states in 1991 I was ready for a change and I saw an exciting opportunity in the emerging “Sport Compact” scene.  In typically addictive fashion I threw myself headlong into it.

Before long I was shooting and writing for many of the import and sport compact magazines and websites.  This eventually led to my current gig as Scion Racing’s official photographer. 

One of the questions I hear from people is:  “How can I get to do what you do for a living?”

It’s not as easy as it sounds…my advice is always the same:

1. Learn your craft.  The basic skills of photography apply to any subject, composition, lighting and knowing how to capture the moment in the right way at the right time are the foundations.  The rest is up to you.

2. Know your equipment.  Getting the most out of your gear is something that many people forget.  Owning the best cameras and a brace of super-long telephoto lenses isn’t going to make up for a lack of knowledge and experience.  Some of the best images are taken using very basic equipment because the shooter understands the capabilities and limitations of the equipment and uses that knowledge to his advantage.

3. Shoot, shoot and shoot again.  Practice is the name of the game folks. Carry a camera with you at all times and shoot whatever catches your eye.

4. Look for a different perspective.  At most motorsports events you are limited to shooting from a few locations for safety reasons.  This means that the other twenty photographers are shooting exactly the same angles   and getting the same images.  Think outside the box a little.  I often find myself lying in the dirt, climbing a tree or shooting from weird places.  Whatever it takes to get a different view of the action.         

5. Don’t ever loose your passion.  I have been doing this stuff for a long time and from time-to-time I’ll catch myself having a bad day.  Maybe I’m whining about the line at airport security or complaining about the amount of time I have been away from home?  All I have to do is think back and remember the twelve year-old kid climbing the fence at Silverstone to get a glimpse of a speeding racecar.  The long hours, endless travel and hard work that are the realities of this job instantly fade into the background.  I am doing what I love to do and getting paid for it.  You can’t ask for much more than that. 

Sometimes, it’s hard for other people to understand why you would stand for hours on end in the searing heat of Las Vegas in mid-August?  Why would any sane person hang out of a low flying helicopter dangling a camera and 300mm lens whilst trying to focus on a speeding offshore powerboat?  I always say it’s much better than having to work for a living…

Whenever I talk to my old Mum she never fails to ask me the same question she has been asking for the last thirty-five years:  “Are you still messing around with that racing stuff or did you get a real job yet?”

I have tried to explain but it takes a fellow addict to understand.

Working in the racing business is the ultimate high. You have to keep a healthy sense of humor because it isn’t always easy but at the end of the day, I count my blessings every time I go through the racetrack gates because I know I’m about to get my fix.  

As Motorsports Journalist, Peter Egan, once said:

"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty."  

-Chris