Practice make perfect. That’s what I say to myself every time I get in the car on the way to shoot an event. I have to keep telling myself that, as it helps me remember to keep thinking, even at the end of three days of shooting. Make the most of the opportunities…just in case you miss something.
This year, I purchased myself a weekend ticket to the WEC, knowing from 2015’s experience much action you got to watch, and how good the access to the circuit is, it was a perfect opportunity to really get stuck into some early season action and some serious practice.
Being able to tour the circuit, meant that there were plenty of new angles for me to try, together with some shots that I haven’t had the pleasure of, simply due to the open nature of the WEC attitude.
So I got stuck in, determined to make the most of the three days and to really get to know my new equipment, and what I might be able to achieve with it, apart from a set of stronger shoulders.
Despite the snow, rain, wind and eventually glorious warm sunshine, the weekend was a smorgasbord of photographic opportunities, and one that I really feel I took benefit from.
I did miss a bit of an opportunity, when Brendon Hartley had his off at Farm…
Being able to shoot opposite the infamous Club Corner grandstand, or looking over Abbey from inside of the circuit are areas that you don’t often get to shoot, and while my images may not have been the best, it was great fun trying to compose from these new angles, providing different view points.
I also took some time from the vantage point of the Village grandstand, especially during the race on Sunday, honing my panning skills and seeing how low I could get that shutter speed.
Jamey Price once advised me to slow down my shutter speed as low as possible, and while I find captures at anything lower than 1/20th very difficult, when you do get your subject crisp, the result and movement in the shots looks fantastic. Techniques I must persevere with.
I did miss a bit of an opportunity, when Brendon Hartley had his off at Farm; I was busy munching on scrumptious Nutella and Marshmallow pancakes, having been stood in a perfect position to capture the accident about 15 minutes earlier. I wondered why many people made a sudden bee-line to the fence, camera waving.
You live and learn.
But this is all practice, and I had a great time over the weekend, really testing my eye and my creativity, becoming more aware of my work and those techniques.
Even as the majority of spectators began to empty the grandstands, I was stood at the foot of Luffield, making the most of the lowering sun with fish-eye lens while the cars cruised round for a final time.
A fish-eye at Silverstone? Yeah why not…even being behind the fence it’s that dynamic thinking and the hunt for different images that keeps me going. it’s what I love about it so much.
I like to think that the practice is making perfect…steadily.
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