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How to sum up my weekend in just a few words...?

Busy, boozy, bikey and bandy.... yeh, I know that's bad English but hey, it's late and I'm tired!!

I been running around like the proverbial mad photographer for three days and nights solid. My fifty-nine and a half year old body is now feeling the strain.... but it was great fun whilst it lasted :-)

First up it was the first day of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club 2-day Motocross event at Pleinmont. There was a really good turn-out for the racing and some fantastic action to capture. We also had every season of weather in one day... definitely could've done without the heavy rain!

Next it was a twelve hour stint at the 2014 Vale Earth Fair. This time the rain held off - although it did threaten to visit us on a couple of occasions. I spent my time between the several stages and the real ale bar (that's where the boozy bit comes). A night tucked up in my sleeping bag after so much beer was never promising a good nights sleep :-(

Then Bank Holiday Monday I was off to the GMC&CC Hill Climb.

The day began with heavy, heavy rain! I was rather pleased that I had to spend a few hours in the morning submitting pictures for the Guernsey Press.... I missed the worst rain!

All this photography has left a back-log of editing to do (no change there then).

I've made a start but the next couple of days are also going to be pretty busy as I attempt to add my pics to the Gallery before going off to photograph Jersey Live again! More busy, boozy and bandy then!

First additions to hit the web are the 2-day Motocross pics...
VIEW PICS OF THE 2-DAY MOTOCROSS MEETING

• A4 Standard Print
  
• Digital 7" x 5"
  
• A5 Standard Print
  
• Digital 1024 Pixel for Internet
  
• A4 Bevel Mounted Print
  
• A4 Bevel Mounted & Framed Print
  
• A3 Bevel Mounted & Framed Print
  
• A2 Framed Custom Designed Montage
  
• 16" x 24" Canvas Print
  
• A2 Standard Print
  

I've spent a little time analysing my picture sales and the list shows the top ten by number of sales.

This sort of in-depth look at where a business is succeeding or failing in its provision of services is an important part of running any company, big or small.... and I definitely qualify as the later!

I'm a one-man-band and proud of this with no ambition to change things. I've clearly lost my youthful drive and ambition :-(

In a 'previous life' I was a director of a fairly large (by Guernsey standards) retail business. I was responsible for the development of extra retail areas which offered the opportunity to extend product ranges. I also spent many, many hours a week analysing the sales performance and stock control.

I guess that when you develop a 'habit' over a period of 35 years it is a little difficult to break it. So this is how I found myself with a couple of hours to spare and a thirst for analysing my current source of income.

My business model is built around the desire to offer the very highest quality of service and output... from capture to the supply of the final print. You will note that I say 'print', not digital file! I'm a bit old fashioned about this and, whilst I do sell thousands of digital files, I firmly believe a quality print takes a lot of beating

It was this desire to supply the very best prints that led me to purchase the Epson 4800 printer. All my prints are produced 'in house' where I have total control of the processing and I love the quality that this pigment printer produces.

I also hand cut the board mounts that have proved to be incredibly popular. They really protect and display a print so much better than a basic un-mounted one.

Of course, having the mounted print framed as well really does the 'proper job'. I encourage you to consider just one framed and mounted print instead of perhaps buying three basic prints. The result is so much more special! Again the framing is done 'in house'.

So, as I said at the start, the intention of my analysis was to give me actual figures of my picture sales... and the results were almost exactly what I expected. So was it a waste of time then? No, not at all. As I mentioned it is always important to keep on top of new developments and then make changes in your business model.

And I have come to one conclusion after studying the figures and I will be responding to it during the next few months.

Basically it is the observation that most sales are for the cheaper options. Of course they are. I'm hardly surprised - neither are you, I guess!

But as a photographer it is a little disappointing. I really enjoy seeing my pictures displayed in the best way. An old creased and tattered print at the bottom of a draw isn't how I intended my work to end up.

So my aim for the future is to encourage, at every opportunity, the sales of the larger prints and particularly the mounted prints... or better yet the framed prints. I'm certain that my customers will have far greater satisfaction with their purchase... and the 'feel good' factor of their purchase will last for a lot longer. That has to make good business sense.

This doesn't herald a signal that I'm getting greedy or trying to make my fortune (some chance!).

No, I want to see that my customers are satisfied and enjoying my work in the most presentable way.

You have been warned.... The hard-sell starts here!
TAKE A LOOK AT THE VARIOUS PRINT OPTIONS AVAILABLE... BUY BIG, BUY FRAMED!

Please can someone help me with this arithmetic?

'Sums' was never a good subject for me at school.

When you factor in how many years ago I was attending Capelles school wearing itchy grey woollen shorts and actually practising 'adding up' it may be understandable why I now consider it something of a taboo subject!

So this is how you can help me.

I am wondering how on earth I managed to take so many pictures at the weekends first Vale Castle Sprint?

This is how you can make the calculation.....

Take:
The number of competitors
Multiply by
The number of runs
add
The fact that it was a new track for me to shoot
add
The amount of new corners and angles for me to try out
add
The great weather (after a wet start)
add
The fantastic and entertaining full day of motorsport action
add
The brilliant Nikon D4s cameras - which will shoot at 11 frames per second if you get trigger happy

...and the answer is:
WAY TOO MANY PICTURES!
Oh, I seem to have worked that out all by myself :-)

In the final analysis I'm actually beginning to wonder how I took so few!!!

Big thanks must go to the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club for organising another great new event which I reckon deserves to become a regular feature on the Guernsey Motorsport calender. What do you think?

My pics are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST EVER VALE CASTLE SPRINT

Welcome to my office.... well technically maybe this wasn't my office but it sure was my workplace for a few hours!

How good is that! The only air-con was the natural kind and the only glass that I was looking through was a 200 - 400mm Nikon lens, nice.

Cue the envy and loathing... I can handle that :-)

If it makes it any easier for you, I can promise that I know how lucky I am to be able to call this sort of photography my full-time (nearly proper) job.

Of course you only get to see the end results of my work. You don't see how long I actually spend in a tiny office staring at two screens.

But I'm not going to show you that side of the job. It'll spoil the illusion!!

However it's quite safe to say that (unfortunately) my job doesn't consist of endless sun, sea and natural air-conditioning :-(

Just to get back to the illusion though... pics from my office are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF POWERBOAT RACE_8

The weekend was a busy one....

With three major motorsport races to cover over the weekend it meant there was little time for anything else but clicking the shutter and editing the pics!

As always, it is only whilst sorting through the captures that I can recall some of the moments... somehow you loose a sense of 'being there' when looking through a lens!

I'm pleased to say that all the racing must have been to a great standard... I can say this with certainty. I've now seen the pics that prove it!

Take a look at the latest updates of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Hillclimb pictures by following the link.

I'm suprised that they came out OK as I was taking the pics just after getting off the small boat that was my wobbly platform for a few hours whilst photgraphing the first of the weekends Powerboat races.... all through a 400mm lens!

Sky, sea, sky, sea, boat, sea, sky, that more or less sums up what I was seeing!!

When I got to Le Val des Terres (late) it was straight to work and the world was still 'wobbly'... this was not helped as it was 4pm before I remembered that I really should have something to eat. But I survived!

I'm pretty sure that in the case of the pic that illustrates this blog it was Dale Crowsley who was having a wobble, not me :-)

Here are the Hillclimb pics......
VIEW THE LATEST HILLCLIMB PICS

Two Guernsey Powerboat Association races and a Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Hillclimb all packed into two busy days... that's just how I like it!

There was no time to stop for lunch and my first beer of the day had to wait until the end of the Hillclimb... that's not so good!

But, hey, you can't have everything, shame.

These two days are still lined up to be pretty special if you like your Motorsport and the first gallery updates are now online as I have added pictures of the Powerboat Race-7.

The Hillclimb will have to wait until tomorrow - I wouldn't want to spoil you with too much action all in one go! Oh, I have to get some sleep as well, eh.

Follow this link to view the latest updates:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF RACE-7 OF THE POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

Spectators were treated to a Grandstand view of the spectacular Avon Tyres - TTC Group National Hillclimb Championship when it arrived in Guernsey for the weekend.

Rounds nineteen and twenty were completed in the most extraordinary, changeable weather conditions. Luckily the worst was thrown at us in the morning which allowed time for the summer sun to go to work on drying out the track.

Perhaps the perfect tarmac surface never had time to dry under the mid-hill corners but that was no dampener on the racing and by the top corners the competitors were able to push as hard as ever.

This was where the specially built raised seating area near the finish line offered a fantastic view for the lucky ones who could find a spare seat.

The added benefit was that the packed crowd played off each other to raise the level of excitement making the applause louder than I can remember for any previous Hillclimb.

Lets hope the 'stadium' returns....

I've now completed the edit for both National Hillclimbs with the final updates showing the action from Le Val des Terres in Guernsey now online.

Check-out the pics here:
VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY ROUNDS OF THE NATIONAL HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP

WOW.... those were two amazing days of Motorsport!

When the MSA Avon Tyres - TTC Group National Hillclimb roadshow visits the two Channel Island hills we know we will be treated to top-level action... but this year had added drama that was worthy of a Hollywood film. You couldn't write it better!

We had loads of track action and excitement and also experienced all the seasons of weather.... everything from a heatwave to hail!

Of course it was Jersey who had the heatwave leaving Guernsey to supply the torrential rain and hail. However by the end of Saturday's racing we did prove that the sun does shine on the righteous Guernsey 'Donkeys'.... eventually!

We also came away from the two events with something special that the Crappo's couldn't match... not even close :-)

I have been sat down in front of my screens catching up with the two days of shooting as I have pics to select, edit, caption and submit to two National Motorsport Magazines - Autosport Magazine and Motorsport News.

Each of the publications are running Eddie Walder's race reports supported by my pics. Eddie reports and commentates on National Hillclimbs all around the UK but he certainly faces a big challenge to fit in all these meetings drama!

I've also had to submit pics to the Jersey Evening Post and the Guernsey Press.... but they are now sorted so the next priority is the website updates.

Pics of the Jersey MSA National Hillclimb are now online.....

Oh, by the way, did I forget to mention that it was a Guernseyman who won a Round of the National Hillclimb Championship in Jersey. Guernsey Donkeys are obviously fast as well as stubborn.

That's a local joke if you're not from the Channel Islands... our local arch rivals, the slower Jersey 'Crappo's' will get it ;-)

Well done to 'Guernsey's own' Darren Warwick for winning a Jersey round of the National Hillclimb Championship.

Pics from Jersey are now online. Guernsey to follow shortly:
VIEW PICS OF THE JERSEY ROUND OF THE NATIONAL HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP

After a week of beautiful blue skies the sun was reluctant to show its face today. What a shame as I had an afternoon on the beach pencilled in my diary.

In the end it wasn't quite the disappointment it could have been as a couple of other jobs came in and my time on the beach was cut short.

I did hang around for a couple of races so I do have a few pics to add to the Galleries.

Here we go.... take a look here:
PICS FROM A SHORT VISIT TO THE SAND RACING

'Motorsport Sunday 2014' was a great success, we must hope it becomes an annual event.

The St Peter Port seafront and Salerie car-park were closed for the day to allow the many Guernsey Motorsport, Car, Bike, Historic Vehicle and Model Car Clubs to showcase themselves.

The three Emergency Services also put on an impressive showcase of their vehicles and kit.

After a wet start to the day the sun came out and so did the crowds making this new event a great success.

I'm sure many of the visitors to Motorsport Sunday would have been suprised how much racing machinery is owned and raced by local enthusiasts... and what was on show was just a tiny proportion of the whole lot!

It was great to see the many different Clubs come together to promote the scene as a whole. The usual thing is for the Clubs to operate on their own. Fostering a community spirit must be good for everyone involved.

Let's hope this first effort will grow over the next few years...
VIEW PICS OF MOTORSPORT SUNDAY 2014

What's better than the roar of a loud, racing V8 engine?

Well, TWO of course!

...and the many fans of the Guernsey Powerboat Association's Powerboat racing championship were treated to exactly that over the weekend when Martyn Robert joined Dave Corbet with another V24 Class boat:-)

The second race of the weekend offered more favourable conditions for photography... at least it was sunny! The brighter conditions have a massive impact on the vibrancy we can capture.

For a start the sea actually looks blue, rather than grey, and the race boats colours really come alive. Just compare the picture in my previous Blog to see what I mean.

I chose a different viewpoint for the Sunday as I like to vary the shots. I also had to photograph the 'Motorsport Sunday' on the seafront.

There will be another mention of this brilliant showcase of the Guernsey Motorsport scene in my next Blog.

For now though, you can check-out pics of the two days of water-based racing here:
VIEW PICS OF THE POWERBOAT RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

After a week of editing Chaos Festival pics it was a nice change to get some fresh air out on Richard Turk Vaudin's boat.

Thanks again for the ride :-)

The occasion wasn't a holiday, honest. No it was strictly business, honest!

I was grateful for the chance to get out to one of the distant corners of the Guernsey Powerboat Association's race-course in what weren't perfect conditions for photography.

The boat was a perfect stable platform, however as is often the case we couldn't really get close enough to the action. Also the light was grey and dull.

But the show has to go on and I captured around one hundred and fifty action pics.

It was also interesting to share the boat with three other photographers. The fact that we were all confined to the same three metre square area and we all saw the same action it will offer an interesting opportunity to compare our results... we all have our own style of shooting.

I've uploaded my edit of the race. Check the pics here:
VIEW PICS OF POWERBOAT RACE-5

After spending Saturday on the beach I swapped the sand for tarmac on Sunday.

Not quite as nice, I'm sure you'll agree :-)

However whilst the thrilling action of the Sand Ace meeting was always going to be a hard act to follow, the Kart racing at The Track did its best to entertain.

Unfortunately (perhaps) I missed a spectacular roll-over by Andy Ward. He has only just returned to the Kart track but he wasn't injured or put-off by the 'aerial antics' as he re-appeared for a later heat.

I was a late arrival at the racing as I had several publication deadlines to meet for pics from the Sand Ace meeting.

However the action hadn't finished yet as during the Rotax Junior Max final there was some controversial behaviour when Blue and Black flags were seemingly ignored. As the racing continued the failure to pull into the pits went on to affect the outcome of the race and the safety of drivers.

Tempers were understandably raised and I don't envy the Clerk of the Course and his assistants in their role in having to make sense of the argy-bargy!

This occasional behaviour by young competitors is, I guess, inevitable when the adrenaline is running high but it was a great shame to observe and certainly doesn't show our (potentially dangerous) Sport in good light.

There are penalties that cover the failure to abide by the rules for good reasons as parents need to know that their children are competing in a controlled environment with safety being the most important thing.

I'm sure that things will have calmed down before the next race meeting... let's get back to fair, safe, fast, noisy and competitive racing. It's what we love about the Sport.

Pics (not of the action!) are now online:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-4 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

Sun, Sea, Sand and Ace Action.

That was what the weekend included for me and a couple of thousand Motorsport fans in Guernsey on Saturday.

It was fantastic to see such a high class entry for the 2014 Condor Ferries ACU British Sand Ace Championship held on the sands of Vazon Bay, Guernsey. It was also fantastic to see that the event attracted the crowd of spectators that it deserved.

I have no doubt that this unique Championship is held in high regard by the top riders who have raced on our sands. I spoke with many of the guys during the well attended social evening that followed the racing and I didn't hear a word of complaint... other than it is a shame we all have to wait a year before the fun kicks off again!

This praise of the organisation, friendliness and quality of the racing is a strong recommendation when it is remembered that most of the competitors have raced all over the UK and indeed the top venues in Europe.

So once again the small Island of Guernsey has proven that it is able to mix it with the heavy-weights and come out as winners!

Massive thanks must go to the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club and the many officials and helpers who made the day run so smoothly. Also the many Sponsors who enable the event to take place.

This photographer could barely conceal his enthusiasm whilst capturing the action. This event is one of the main highlights of my Motorsport photographic year.

I've now completed the proper edit of my pics after a rather stressful and fast preparation of a Slideshow of the unedited days work that I was requested to present for all the racers to view during the evening get-together.

Any photographers who are reading this Blog should have a little understanding that you would not choose to 'open up' your unedited work for appraisal. We can all capture some crap sometimes, eh?

Sand Racing can be quite a challenging sport to photograph - particularly if you have close access to the track - and it was with relief that I viewed the slideshow of pics for the first time along with the racers. It seemed to grab a lot of attention and good comments and I think my reputation as a Pro photog survived the experience :-)

I'm relieved to say that (even in the cold light of the next day) I didn't have too many 'fails'... phew!
VIEW THE 2014 CONDOR FERRIES SAND ACE CHAMPIONSHIP

Wherever you go around the world you can almost guarantee on one thing being a part of any community.

This will manifest itself in different forms dependant on resources, facilities and of course money!

What I am talking about is Motorsport.

A few things will also play a central role in all these Motorsport 'scenes'... men, competition, petrol, a love of speed and an ability to tweak your own racing machine.

Another feature of most Motorsport scenes is an element of a perceived 'restricted' access to all the fun.

My experience of the Guernsey Clubs and Motorsport scene couldn't be more different from that.

I know that they are always looking for new membership and will offer all the help and guidance they can to any prospective new racer. But that doesn't change the fact that some people who might be keen to start racing find it difficult to make a first approach.

This one fact alone makes the establishment of annual Motorsport Charity events so important and useful to encouraging fresh faces into the Clubs.

Of course the main aspect of these Charity events is to raise money for local Charities and tens of thousands of pounds from previous years have been donated. This year the Heritage Hillclimb was raising funds for Channel Islands Airsearch & the Guernsey Motor Neurone Disease Association.

This year the days racing (legally) up Le Val des Terres was enjoyed by all the competitors who experienced first hand what it is like to be part of the Guernsey Motorsport scene. We hope the taste of the 'real thing' will get a few of you excited enough to come back again to compete in a full event.

You will then become part of a Global Club.

There is however one thing on my list of the 'certainties' of a Motorsport scene that might be on the change. For me it is difficult to imagine racing without the smell of petrol and the noise from a V8 but the special guest who opened the Heritage Charity Hillclimb also showcased the future, maybe?

Guernsey's own World Motorsport Champion and BMW Team driver, Andy Priaulx, demonstrated the new BMW i3 Electric car... and just to show he hadn't forgotten his way up the 'Terres he smashed the Electric vehicle class record! Not bad to say his last competitive race up this hill was in 1995 when he won the MSA British National Hillclimb Championship!

Once a racer, always a racer.

So are you going to join a Club? It really isn't a restricted area :-)

I have added a Picture Gallery featuring all the days racers. A donation of 25% of all picture sales will be made to the designated Charities
VIEW PICS OF THE 2014 HERITAGE CHARITY HILLCLIMB

Last Saturday proved to be a busy day for me.

It was the last of the days jobs that was the biggie... That was my coverage of the Full Boar Lock-In at Beau Sejour. There is no escaping a large work-load when you photograph twelve bouts of fighting!

That work was all finished and on-line a couple of days ago. But that still left the days earlier photoshoot on the familiar sands at Vazon Bay. This was Round-4 of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Sand Racing Championship.

That job is now complete with an upload to a new Gallery of action pictures of the racing.

All these updates have been fitted around a very busy week of other work. No wonder I enjoy the time actually taking pics... it's the only chance I seem to have to get out from behind the editing desk!

Follow this link to view the latest Sandracing pictures:
VIEW ROUND-4 OF THE SANDRACING CHAMPIONSHIP

Thanks for the response to my previous Blog. There has been some really interesting feedback.
READ THE ORIGINAL BLOG HERE

However I think I should qualify what I originally said. Having re-read the post I feel that it can be interpreted as a put-down to hobbiest photogs.

This was certainly not the intention. I strongly believe that many of the most creative and talented photogs are amateurs. They thrive on their passion for the subject and revel in the freedom of shooting for their own pleasure. The quality of their results prove my point.

In contrast, there is an inevitable constraint that comes with professional photography. This comes with tight deadlines, tight briefs (not the underwear kind) and the need to guarantee the reliable completion of an assignment for a client. I know my own work was more varied before I needed to work within the limits of a brief.

Getting back to the intent in my original Blog. It was aimed more as a question and observation of the changes and added pressures that fall on a pro 'tog trying to work in this modern era.

Now that thought could open another completely new debate.

The question: Has the fast move to Digital photography and the proliferation of camera phones etc. helped move things forward for Professional photographers?

I'll start the ball rolling by stating that there is no way I would like to return to the 'good old days of film and the darkroom'.

So it seems that I can't have things both ways, can I?

Please feel free to pull my statements to pieces, I love a debate.

Do you know what the best compliment you can pay to a Motor Sport photographer is?

Maybe an even greater compliment than parting with your hard earned cash to actually buy a picture!

Well let me help you. My latest updates to the Hillclimb and Karting galleries have generated quite a number of kind comments regarding my 'style' of Motorsport photography. I have been encouraged by this interest and I thank you.

It's now quite a challenge for anyone wanting to make any sort of income from photographing Motorsport. Perhaps the same can be said about all forms of photography? I also specialize in live music and festival photography and that discipline is just as challenging to make money at.

Modern technology has given anyone with a few 'bob' to spend (only people of my era - and British - will understand that quote) the opportunity to capture endless numbers of digital pictures at almost no cost.

Digital photography allows a photog to fire away almost unlimited shots and then 'cherry pick' the successes. Call me old fashioned, which at fifty-nine I probably am, but I just don't 'get' this style of photography. I'm not sure that photographing action 'machine-gun' style proves that a photographer has any level of skill... apart from in editing, and even there, a photographer who shoots into the hundreds and thousands probably reveals that they have little sense of 'timing and composition'.

Add into this the capability of everyone to upload endless free pictures to Facebook and other free online galleries and you can see how this overload of images limits the ability of a Professional photographer to survive (meaning sell) his work. Who wants to pay for a pic when something similar is available for free?

This is a massive challenge to many professional photographers and is no different in 'little old Guernsey' than anywhere else in the world!

With the UK Motorsport Clubs and MSA seemingly relaxing some of their requirements to gain access to the Track/Hill/Beach this opens the opportunity for everyone to start taking pics track-side.

So where does this leave the professional photographer? Well a pro has to 'see' what the amateur doesn't. A Pro has to take full advantage of any access that they may still be able to gain to the track-side. A Pro must also work endlessly... meaning long hours. My experience is that hard work and persistence usually have to come before any form of success. That's a shame isn't it, but true!

Persistence, reliability, sticking to the job in uncomfortable situations and always trying to learn from your 'fails', mistakes and 'missed action' must always be part of your work ethic.

Also finding new angles to cover an assignment are important defining differences between a Pro and an Amateur photographer.

This takes me back to my original point and again I thank those who have contacted me to say that my work goes beyond simply taking pics of crashes and easy panning shots.

When a racer says that he can gather useful information about his set-up from looking at how his car is 'working' through a corner or how their racing line could be 'tweaked' after studying my work it makes me feel that I have added to and become a part of the racing scene. I am capturing real racing action. I'm not just cherry-picking the unfortunate racing 'offs'!

My chosen profession might not qualify as a 'proper job' (please don't tell my missus) but when I leave the house to go to 'work' it really thrills me and I wouldn't change a thing, despite the challenges.

This makes me a very happy chappie :-)

UPDATE:
Having considered this Blog again and taking into account the fantastic feedback I have had I've added a few more thoughts... A FEW MORE THOUGHTS... THE DEBATE GOES ON

The Kart Track saw its own share of Motor Sport action over the weekend. A long Bank holiday weekend is just too tempting to miss when you have petrol running through your veins.

Just think what a buzz the guys who substitute Methanol must get!

So for me the return to a bit of action photography was a pleasant experience after completing one of my other weekend assignments... photographing nearly 200 Brownies enjoying their 'Big Brownie Birthday Stay Away' at the Rue Mainguy Headquarters.

The Brownie Birthday was fantastic and the fun and energy that was put into making the event a great success, despite the weather, was a credit to all those involved.

The contrast between the various photo-shoots is what makes my job so much fun.

But back to the action. Sunday saw Round-3 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Summer Kart Championship. I was taking pics and it was difficult to know where to look as so much was happening on track... but as I've stated, I love Motor Sport action :-)
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-3 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

It was literally non-stop action on Le Val des Terres for the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Bank Holiday Hill Climb.

Well, perhaps that statement should be qualified. There were a few stoppages but they were all down to competitors 'off's'... and there were a few :-(

But as far as the running of the race meeting goes it was go, go, go all the way. This year has seen the introduction of there being no lunchtime break. A sad loss as far as this photographer is concerned. However there are pay-off's. We do get a lot of racing - and even an early finish :-)

The 'negative' (I'll explain later) is that it seems to be possible to squeeze up to six timed runs (plus a practice) into the new time slot!

So the racers certainly had their money's worth. Whether this amount of timed runs will become the normal is probably unlikely judging from the amount of spaces in the pits left empty by drivers and riders who seemed to be put off by the damp start to the day. We will see as the season progresses.

The result of all this racing is that I ended up taking more pics than ever before. I don't think I have lost the discipline to take as few shot as possible - but I must learn to keep control of the trigger finger as more pics means more work but NOT necessarily better quality (note to self).

I do however have a little way to go to match one of our local amateur photographers who told me he often takes Fourteen Hundred pics at a Hill Climb... ouch!!

As with most photography (especially when shooting silly numbers of pics) the trick is to make every shot count and get the exposure, cropping and timing all right in camera. This saves a lot of time later in the edit.

I turned around the edit of my (500) selection in just a couple of hours and they are now on-line.

Take a look to see what you think of my pics:
VIEW PICS OF THE BANK HOLIDAY HILL CLIMB