In the aftermath of my last blog, I was left basking in a basket of compliments. I was pretty stoked with that. 

The images I took at the British Grand Prix were the first gallery I’ve ever presented that I’ve actually felt confident in. I was so pleased with the way they came out, especially after my tantrum on the Friday, (click here if you missed it) that I think I’ll be hard pushed to better them.

That is the challenge of course; to better them. No place better then, than another trip to Silverstone.

Except it’s not the same. It’s not F1. The colorful advertising, the crowds, the high spec presentation and wonderfully fast machines weren’t there. Neither were the spoils of the vacant blue sky.

However, feeling up-beat after my exploits at the Grand Prix, I took my trip up to the Classic with a renewed enthusiasm for the UK’s prime motorsport location.

Being fully aware that I’m going to have to wait another year for the glamorous facade to return, I went up to the ‘stone, expecting the usual – grey sky, familiar scenes and knowing full well that I would have to try something different to satisfy those urges for progression and variety.

Full aware of the constraints, I went with a relaxed confidence and a plan, to purposefully try to avoid that familiarity that I knew would thrown me off.

Instead of desperately trying to capture moments I wouldn’t be satisfied with, I spent my weekend focused on the unfamiliar, the scenes and subjects that I don’t get to see so often, to keep the frustration away.

While many other photographers concentrated on the numerous rarities that were seen all over a paddock, still baring the subtle remnants of the F1 behemoth a few weeks before, I looked closer, seeking detail and obscurities.

Now this may not be the popular thing to do, and it may not get me as many likes as a 1/8th pan of an F1, but for my own sanity, it was important to take a different step, rather than pursue what I knew would condemn me to another photographic hissy fit.

I spent the two days meandering around the garages, hovering around mechanics, getting told off for stepping into the pitlane and attempting to observe and capture unseen morsels of detail that are often overlooked or ignored.

it involved a lot of patience, much scrabbling about on bended knee and observation of specific moments in amongst the melee of spanners, drivers and punters. It’s not a easy either, infact I’d say that getting up close and personal is way harder than that capturing the speed and movement you see out on track.

But I enjoyed the consideration and experimentation that had to be applied to try and do things differently. It forces me to think, as I took a step out of the familar and that in turn provided a certain satisfaction.

Over my brief photographic experience, the one thing that I have always thought pertinent was to be different, to endeavor to generate images that weren’t the norm, to try and stand off of the expectation.

 As I explained in a conversation the other day, this is all about taking the best images I possibly can, and to enjoy doing it. If you don’t enjoy what you do, especially creatively, the ideas don’t flow, enthusiasm wanes and the quality of what you achieve will inevitably decrease.

For me, keeping that enthusiasm high is a must for bagging a decent picture, and I really enjoy the results when it’s up there.

Of course, I hope others do also, but just in case, there’s a few pans in this collection to make sure! I just can’t resist.