News / Blog - Motorsport News

Continuing the Sun, Sea, Sand, Speed theme I have now added a Gallery featuring pictures of the weekends Sand Racing on Vazon beach.

It was good to see Martyn Guilbert out again on his Slider. That guy is one rider who makes a great action pic... makes my job easy!

Follow the link to view the latest pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST SAND RACING PICS

When is a boat not a boat but more like a plane?

Answer, When it's a Racing Powerboat!

Air offers less friction than water so I guess the less time you spend in contact with the wet stuff the faster you can go (potentially).

I'm sure it is a bit more complicated than that but seeing how hard the racers try to spend as much time airborne as is physically possible I can't be too far wrong.

The second Guernsey Powerboat Association race of the weekend was again treated to suberb, sunny weather. A little more swell outside St Peter Port added to the action and I captured as much as I could.

Big thanks to Chris Stonebridge for finding space on his small boat for me... (NOT 666 SLAYER that Paul Etasse races, shame)!

So I was lucky to get out on the water for a second day. However I needed all my years of shooting experience to nail the shots whilst using a 400mm lense on such a wobbly platform.

Loved the challenge though... see if you think it was worth my efforts...
VIEW PICS OF RACE-4 OF THE 2014 GPA POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

Always entertaining... but maybe the 2014 Autocross Club Fun Meeting was the best ever? There was a fantastic turn-out of cars & spectators. The weather was a special bonus :-)

If I had one disappointment it had to be that the jump wasn't used very much. I'm guessing that a 'racer is always a racer', even when doing it for fun! Why risk losing a place when taking the jump?

Shame, it can make a great pic!

But there is no argument that Chouet Beach on a sunny Sunday surrounded by maniacs driving old Bangers is a pretty exhilarating place to be.... mind your back mister.... they come at you from all directions!

I've added a new gallery of pics. Don't forget you can get any pic from as little as £4 - bargain :-) The digital file is bigger than this web-site displays, you don't have that horrible watermark... and you can sleep at night knowing you haven't nicked your pic from this photog, win, win, win.

I also promise that all funds received will be invested in Real Ale ;-)
VIEW PICS OF THE 2014 AUTOCROSS FUN MEETING

Sun, sea, sand, speed, sex!... now I'm getting carried away a bit

But I certainly enjoyed the first four, anyway.

Today (so far) has been a Motorsport day which included Powerboat Racing and Sandracing. (First four applied).

Later this eve it will be a bit of Metal at the Fermain Tavern.

Guernsey enjoyed a superb day of sunshine today and (for once) I was able to get out of the Studio/Van to soak up a few of the rays. The morning Powerboat race was over the Fermain/Lowerheads course and I was offered an ideal position on the Finish Line boat which gave a backdrop of Castle Cornet. That was the first box ticked :-)

In the afternoon it was the sands of Vazon beach that called. I managed to capture some of the Sandracing action. Those pics will follow.

First pics of the Powerboat pics are now online:
VIEW PICS OF POWERBOATS RACE-3

I'm pleased to report that (after a couple of early showers) Round-2 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Summer Kart Championship resembled the title... a Summer Championship!

After the first race meeting which was held under very wet skies it was quite a nice change to have a warm sun on my back. Lets hope that this is the weather that will continue throughout the Championship. I have everything crossed - including my camera straps :-)

I managed to capture some of today's action and the pics are now on-line here:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-2 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSIP

The last week has been quite a blur. I have chased around to give coverage to so many events.

It has been very enjoyable. However I guess that most people (including 'casual' photographers) have little concept of how long the full processes take from the actual 'capture' of an image to the end result of having it published in Magazines, Newspapers and this Web-site. When all aspects are taken into account it is easy to see where the time goes.

You start by planning ahead. I have contacts with business clients and picture editors. Their requirements are noted and the day is planned. Simples, eh!

Then it is a case of keeping to the timetable hoping that everything runs on time. Having completed the days shoot the edits can start. Priority has to go to the print deadline work. This means a dash back to the office and a quick edit through maybe hundreds of shots to select the required pics. These have to fit the brief. Maybe specific action or subjects, upright or landscape format, close crop or wide view. All pics then have to be tagged with relevant details.

Often the first edit allows you only twenty minutes or so. You learn to work fast. All the time avoiding getting too many sandwich crumbs in the keyboard as you as you multi-task. Not bad for a man, eh!

Once the immediate edits are complete and e-mailed to the picture desks/client I turn the attention to the web-site updates. Once again speed is of the essence and the efforts taken to capture the best image 'in camera' will pay off as this greatly reduces the edit and processing time.

Next there is more captioning of pics. Then the uploading. Followed by the vital backing up and detailed cataloguing of all the days work. Why bother taking a picture if you can't find it in a few clicks when required?

In the analysis of this work-flow it is clear that the actual capturing of an image probably only takes twenty-five percent of the total time.

All the above processes have been in action during last week's work and I'm relieved to say that another job 'bites the dust' (sand).....

The latest update is for the GMC&CC Sand Race Championship. Pictures are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF SAND RACING - RACE-2

VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST TWO POWERBOAT RACES
I'm still not sure how I fitted it all in but it's now Tuesday so something must have happened for the last four days. I just can't remember :-)

Luckily I have the pics to re-assure me that I did get out of bed!

Actually, from what I remember of all the chasing around, it was all pretty good fun.

As I'm still catching up with the photoshoots this Blog is simply a quick note of the latest updates. I'll post a few more details of the busy weekend tomorrow.

The main new Galleries updated today are for the first two Powerboat Races and the GMC&CC Hill Climb on Le Val des Terres.


VIEW PICS OF THE GMC&CC HILL CLIMB

The North Sections which feature in the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Trials Bike Championship are viewed by a few of the competitors with trepidation.

The feature of this particular event is that it consists of many sections laid out around the northern coastal rocks.

These are challenging and unforgiving at the best of times, however if the day coincides with wet weather the whole event takes on an even more perilous edge!

Luckily this years meeting was held under dry skies which eased the tension a little.

I popped along to take a few pics on what was another very busy weekend for me. They are now on-line here:
VIEW PICS OF THE PERILOUS NORTH SECTION TRIALS

Also on the list of weekend photoshoots was Round-1 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Summer Kart Championship. You would be forgiven if you thought that it was just an extention of the Winter Championship (judging by the weather)!

However the changable conditions offered some great racing for competitors and spectators alike :-) View my pictures here:

VIEW PICS OF RACE 1 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

A Bank Holiday weekend is looked forward to by most people as a time to relax, chill-out a bit and basically enjoy time away from work.

Well it couldn't be more different for me!

But don't feel too guilty about this. I love my job. It actually consists of what I would choose to do on my day off anyway! That makes me very lucky :-)

The only down-side is that I have to pack a huge amount into a very short time. There isn't much time to sleep when there are so many deadlines to meet.

To give you some idea how I've chased around for the last few days, here goes...

Good Friday:
Web site updates were first on the list. Then there were Guernsey Press photo jobs including the GIAAC 10km Road Run at Grande Rocque and a big Guernsey Basketball League game at Beau Sejour. All pics had to be edited, captioned and submitted to a short deadline.

Saturday:
First it was another update to this web site then off to the first GMC&CC Sand Race meeting of 2014 on Vazon beach. This was followed by another edit GP submissions and a web site update. Then it was time to head off to the The Fermain Tavern for the launch of Last of the Light Brigade's new album. There were three bands on the bill so that was more picture taking. The line-up was fantastic and consisted of Coastal Fire Department, Robert J Hunter and his Band and the boys from Last of the Light Brigade.
Home-time meant another quick edit and a 2am finish!

Sunday:
OK, I'll admit that I did take a little time out for Easter celebrations with my family... noisy bunch too. That comes from now having two grandchildren and a 'grand dog' (although I think my own three adult children were the loudest of the lot!) Next was an unusual Sunday photoshoot of a gig. Again it was at The Tav. This was the first of three #triplestoked weekends. If the remaining two can match the atmosphere and quality of last Sunday's line-up we are in for more treats!
The quality of performance, sound and lighting was 'top-notch' and a real pleasure to photograph. The line-up consisted of Buffalo Huddlestone, The Recks and visiting UK head liners YesSirBoss. Another late return home still allowed time for a quick edit and another 2am finish!

Easter Monday:
What felt like a very early start (9am... very rock 'n roll, eh!) for the first Hill Climb of 2014. Thankfully it stayed dry and it was great to be back 'track-side' capturing the action. There was no lunch break this year so I was tired and hungry by the time I got home ready to relax. But, hey, no chance! It was back to the editing as I had more Guernsey Press pics to submit and I then made a start on the edit for this web site. Needless to say it was another late finish :-(

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed your casual weekend?

The pay-off for me is that the picture orders are already flowing in. And the best part? When you are back at your desk in the week I'll be out walking with the missus, maybe having a lunch or two at the Fleur du Jardin.

Then I'm sure I'll find time for a few beers at my 'town office', The Cock & Bull :-)

Like I always say, I love my job!

So far I Have added new Galleries for the GIAAC 10km Road Run, the Panthers v Le Mont Saint Basketball, GMC&CC Sandracing and the GMC&CC Hill Climb.

Pics of all six Bands will follow shortly.
VIEW PICS OF THE GMC&CC HILL CLIMB
VIEW PICS OF THE GMC&CC SAND RACING
VIEW PICS OF THE GIAAC 10km ROAD RACE
VIEW PICS OF PANTHERS v LE MONT SAINT BASKETBALL

Last Sunday was another special milestone for this web site.

It has become a tradition that I post a short Blog to celebrate these milestones as they pass... so I will continue this practice:-)

The occasion worth marking is the passing of another 1,000,000 viewings. This takes the total views past the 6,000,000... yes SIX MILLION!

The latest million views took about six months. This seems to be the established average now the web site has settled down into a pattern. The next six months will probably show an increase of one and a half million if past behaviour is repeated. The summertime is busier for me.

The continued interest in my pics is really appreciated. I'm sure that few people will understand how much work goes on behind the scenes - that is the work after the short process of actually taking photographs - to make the regular Gallery updates that keep people coming back to look at my work.

The reward for me is way more than the small income from selling pics. I have enjoyed the appreciation given from the people I photograph. I also know that I am privileged to be able to commit so much time to what started out as just a hobby.

Each time I sit down and consider what to write to mark the extra Million I think back over the last few months. This made me recall a small order for a few digital pics, just last week. There was nothing particularly significant with this order. It certainly only paid for a couple of beers! But, the interesting thing was that the order was for a few pics that I took way back in 2009. That's five years ago!

I've always wondered how someone can wait for so long to order a picture. How do they even remember (or find) the pic after such a long time?

I tell myself that maybe the pictures captured a special moment in the subjects life. The purchaser might have seen the image when it was first added to the Galleries and it made enough impression to be remembered.

Maybe buying a copy of the picture, after all this time, will help them recall and share that moment with others for many years to come?

If I'm right that a picture can mean so much to a person, maybe I really do have the best job in the world?

Check the links below to read previous Milestone Blogs:
CLICK HERE TO READ PREVIOUS MILESTONE BLOGS

Spring-time was out in all its glory over the weekend.

I was lucky to be able to spend a little time on the beach... and I get to call it work :-)

The weather for Round-4 of the Guernsey Autocross Championship was wonderful. Chouet beach was a great place to be and the early start didn't seem to slow down how quick lunch-time came around and the need for me to move on to the next event.

Thankfully it was more of the same as I arrived at the Trials sections (on the beach) at Fort Grey.

Again the sun was out and the beach was a very pleasant place to be. But I knew I had to work at things to capture the best action shots so after a short time I headed in-land unto Andy Benstead's land where other sections were laid out.

This was the best move for me as I was able to capture pics that were both action shots and of value to me using my 'photographic eye'. What do I mean? Well a photographer can only capture the light and action before him and the light within the small wooded area of the Trials sections was low, warm and painted by shadows. No photographer could resist it!

If you were one of the competitors riding the sections, I hope you had fun and understand how a photog looks at the scene in front of them with a different eye...

I've added the Autocross & Trials pics to my Galleries. Take a look:

VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

VIEW PICS OF BIKE TRIALS

VIEW ROUND-4 OF THE WINTER KART CHAMPIONSHIP
There we go. Everything seems to be back to normal service :-)

So that means a few more Gallery updates.

The Guernsey Kart & Motor Club completed their Winter Kart Championship last Sunday. Pics are now on-line.

Also last weekend Elysium made one of their rare appearances at the Doghouse. There are rumours that this was one of their last gigs! If the Band breaks up that would be a real loss to our music scene as they have established themselves as masters of all things Pink Floyd. It also means that it is even more important for you to catch their next (last?) gig. You have been warned.

Click the links to look at the new Galleries:


VIEW PICS OF THE ELYSIUM GIG AT THE DOGHOUSE

Contrary to what some may be thinking, I haven't been on holiday. In fact I can't remember the last time I went on one! Perhaps the need for a holiday is reduced when every day (of work) seems a bit like fun. Lucky me!

You might have thought I was on a break if you have tried to view this web-site in the last few days... it had disappeared :-(

I won't begin to try and understand, let alone try to explain, what happened but it seems that some web 'DNS stuff' went haywire. By the way, the 'DNS stuff' was the technical term used by my professional web-site designing son. He knew he had to keep it simple if I was to understand anything.

One thing that an untimely breakdown like this does is remind me of how many viewings the Galleries have each day. The daily figure varies between 5,000 and the best ever of over 40,000!!

It also makes me feel 'wanted' (ah, sweet) because I received quite a number of e-mails from people complaining that they couldn't see their pics.

Now everything seems to be getting back to normal (hopefully) I have added a new Gallery with pics of the weekends Sprint racing at Vazon, enjoy:
VIEW THE NEW SPRINT RACING GALLERIES

There's no stopping the Motocross Championship now that it's on a roll!

The lost meetings due to the weather are now distant memories and the racers have enjoyed another cracking race with the track performing really well.

Today passed with the early showers rolling away leaving strong winds and each threatening cloud skirting either side of the track. Our luck has changed :-)

Combine this with no delays for 'hospital runs', like the last couple of meetings, and just about every box had a positive tick.

I've made a quick edit of my pics and they are now on-line.
VIEW THE LATEST MOTOCROSS PICS

The viewing figures for this website topped 14,000 yesterday!

That's quite a good number, I hope you agree :-)

What makes it even better is that I had only uploaded two galleries of the weekends work. There were actually six photoshoots in total that I completed over the two days.

So that means I'm still catching up with the other jobs... so there are still more new pics to come :-)

I've just ticked another shoot off the list as the Autocross Banger racing picture gallery in now on-line.

Follow this link to check them out:
VIEW THE WEEKENDS AUTOCROSS RACING

I admit that I'm quite amazed at the interest in this web site and my work... amazed but encouraged and pleased (time for a smiley I think).

:-)

I had a late night last night. Or should I say 'early morning' as it was past midnight when I began uploading the first pics from the busy weekend. I had a couple of Press submission deadlines to complete first but once I 'put my back into it' the time flew by and I found that the GMC&CC 2-Day Trials pics were soon ready for my web galleries.

Having uploaded them I did a bit of tidying up of the days work - again time flew by and it was soon 1.45am. During this period I had Google Analytics running in the background and to my surprise the new Gallery was taking loads of hits!

It begs the question 'when do you guys actually sleep?' I know, I was also one of those insomniacs... but I was working. What was your excuse?

This is no complaint from me :-) I thank all of you for the interest. It's probably just another example of what an 'immediate world' we live in.

The Motocross racers can also now collect their 'picture fix' as I have added pics of their racing...
PICS OF THE WEEKENDS MOTOCROSS

Those were two busy days. But great fun.

Once again I now retreat to my small office having had a brilliant weekend of shooting (the photographic kind, of course). I probably won't be seen again for a few days as I work through the shots of two Gigs, Motocross racing, Autocross racing and the 'biggie' of the weekend, the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club 2-Day Trials.

It was the Trials meeting that has worn me out - and I was only following around trying to capture the best action! To do this I have been up and down cliff slopes, rock piles and and all manner of obstacles. I've lost count of how many sections I covered.

However I'm sure my bones won't be aching like the riders :-)

The quality of the Expert riders was high with some of the sections needing huge commitment. This entertained hundreds of spectators around the course.

I'll be adding picture galleries during the next few days so check-out this Blog for updates...
VIEW PICS OF THE 2-DAY TRIALS

The weekend has seen me testing the latest addition to my kit bag in the form of the new NIKON D4S.

This recent update to the NIKON D4 only seems to offer a small selection of fairly minor tweaks. This leads us to the question 'is it worth the upgrade?'

Only time will tell. It will take a few months working in the areas that I specialise to convince me that the new purchase is justified! However I've never been disappointed with the NIKON updates so far. There are always the negative comments made on the Photography Forums by people who expect more. But I think they miss the point. Todays cameras offer amazing quality - big improvements cannot be expected with every new update.

I am happy if there are measurable improvements in the quality of capture in the genre of photography I work... namely fast moving sports, motorsport and 'live performance' photography - mostly in the low level and contrasting light that gigs & festivals offer.

Anyone who regularly pops in to read this blog should know that I am a committed NIKON user. I've never doubted that Canon (as the only serious rival producing 'full spec' professional cameras) can equal, better or improve on the equivalents in the NIKON range. But it's never bothered me which brand takes a temporary lead in the race to perfection. My own work still falls short of that 'perfect' goal so any of the cameras should serve me perfectly well :-)

What I do look for though is reliability, ease of use and the familiarity of a camera that is 'tuned into' my particular style of work. Nikon has provided these things for me over many years.

So now the big question is 'Why did I feel it was necessary to upgrade to the D4S' when I already shoot with a D4, a D3S and a D3?'

I don't have a fully justified answer to that!

One way I look at it is that I am always trying to gain a small advantage over my competitors in the industry. New technology can help with this... a little. Also, if you are a working professional photographer and you factor in the likelihood that you will upgrade your kit at some time in the future then jumping into the latest technology at the earliest opportunity makes sense, at least to me. It means that I gain that technological advantage as soon as it arrives!

The update schedule that NIKON seems to follow also works well within a business plan. The new cameras arrive at approximately two year gaps. This offers a chance to 'retire' old cameras after four years of heavy use - assuming that you always require at least two reliable bodies at any time. No Pro would consider just having a single body with no backup.

Of course, if I'm honest, maybe the real reason I have flexed the Credit Card is that I'm just a boy... and boys like new toys, right?

So far I have avoided answering the question that any NIKON follower is probably wondering. 'How good is the new NIKON D4S?'

Well, my early impression is that it is fantastic for my type of photography... but so are the D4, D3S and D3!! Early use seems to confirm that the focusing performance and low light quality are indeed a step up from the older bodies, but it is far too soon to try and quantify this.

Maybe the real answer is actually unimportant!

The fact is that any Pro grade body will more than reach the level of quality needed by almost all photographers. Maybe this whole question and answer thing is a complete waste of time? Let me know what you think.

Some of the first pics I shot with the D4S are now on-line:
VIEW THE FIRST KARTING PICS TAKEN WITH THE NIKON D4S
VIEW PICS OF NETBALL CAPTURED BY NIKON D4S AT ISO 3,200

It's interesting to note that competition is something that pervades almost every aspect of our lives. Of course it can take many different forms from a friendly game of Pool with a good mate in the pub right up to the top levels of competitive sports.

But have you ever considered that competition also plays a part in many, many (even most) other areas of life beyond the obvious sporting associations.

I was reminded of this yesterday whilst photographing the Guernsey Autocross Club's Banger racing on Chouet beach. The weather conditions were horrible to the extent that I wondered why I was making the effort to take pics. It was then that it struck me what one of the aspects I enjoy about my photography is - the competitive side!

Photography probably isn't a pastime that most people see as a competitive sport but in its own way it can be just as hard-fought as any action on the track. Let me explain in a bit more detail.

Over the years that I have been working as a photographer I have spent time trying to capture the best action pictures. During this time a considerable number of other photogs have been trying to do the same thing. What we all share is a love of what we do and a personal drive to produce our best work. What drives us even more is that we obviously want to improve on the work that our fellow 'competitors' are producing!

This is a very healthy situation - everyone is a winner. Us photogs gain the benefit of a gradual improvement (hopefully) in the quality of our work and the Sports we photograph should also benefit from the general raising of the standards of the recording of their Sports.

I find the most fascinating part of all this 'competition' is the comparison that can be made between each photographers work. It never fails to amaze me how two guys can stand only feet apart whilst looking at the same scene and then capture completely different interpretations. It is great to be able to maintain a convivial relationship with other (competitors) photographers whilst sharing something that we enjoy so much. It was this aspect, whilst standing out on the exposed, windy and wet beach that made the effort worthwhile for me!

It is not my usual way to give a shout to one of my competition :-) However on this occasion I'll recommend that you do a search for Neil Harvey's Autocross pics from yesterday as they illustrate the point I have just made... variety is the spice of life, as they say!
VIEW MY PICS OF A COMPETITIVE AUTOCROSS MEETING

Well that's all of last weekends pics sorted, processed and uploaded.

What's next... oh it's another weekend! Where does the time go?

It will be a bit more of the same for me, Music and Motorsport :-)

I'm very lucky to photograph a great variety of subjects. It might not always look that way when you read this blog because most of my 'weekday' work is for private clients who don't wish to have their private lives and properties displayed for all to see on this web site. And there are a lot of pairs of eyes visiting each day with well over two million views a year!

This weeks photoshoots have included some promotional shoots, two Elevated property surveys, two major building projects (one now completed and the other as progress shots), the supply of stock pics to Agencies and Newspapers and the printing of a variety of orders. Oh, and I've finally started to deliver my Limited Edition Guernsey Hillclimb Record Book.

There is no doubt that working as a full-time photographer is quite a challenge as there are so many 'Facebook photogs' around. However if you remain flexible it can be a great way to make a living (just!). It can even help you keep up to date with the latest new kit...

A new Nikon D4S should be with me in a couple of days!

That should keep me motivated for a bit longer :-)

The latest pics are of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Winter Kart Championship at The Track.
VIEW ROUND-2 OF THE WINTER KART CHAMPIONSHIP