News / Blog - Motorsport News

Wow, that was a special Hill Climb at the Val des Terres....

Our local competitors continued to lower the records on a hill that was presented in perfect weather. We keep our fingers crossed that all the other events this summer have the same dry days.

I have had a quick check through the results and I think this is the list of record-breakers. Please let me know if I have missed someone or made an error.

The names taking their place in the Club records are: Lee Corbet, Zef Eisenberg, Angus Torode, Scott Rayson, Paul Priaulx, Brin Harrison and Jack Le Tissier. That is quite a list for one meeting.

There were also many notable performances with competitors getting within fractions of a second of the old times.

I have been continuing the task of editing the latest pics. As I mentioned in my last blog, there has been a lot going on over the last few days. Combine this with such a big entry for the Hill Climb and I have more work than normal :-(

But it is nose to the grindstone and I've just been able to make a few updates.

Keeping this web site up to date and offering such a full coverage of local Motor Sport takes a huge amount of time. There is also quite a large cost to run the web site and keep my equipment serviced etc. My photography is my only income.

Perhaps I can drop a little 'sales pitch' into this blog and remind you that you can buy a favourite pic (or two!) from as little as £4.00! Of course (I think) a print is always the best way to see any picture.

I know that loads of my pics are copied from the web site... maybe you will consider purchasing a few - and you get rid of that horrible WATERMARK then, yippee!

The latest Gallery features the Cars from yesterdays Hill Climb including a sequence that shows the moment that the rear wing failed on Steve Brehaut's car which launched him into the bank at the top of the straight...
VIEW PICS OF THE CAR CLASSES AT THE HILL CLIMB

It's been all go this Bank Holiday weekend...

The Motor Sport racers have been out to play and we have all enjoyed some fabulous weather.

So I have had little time for much else for three days. But the varied race formats has kept things interesting.

Saturday set the scene with Sand Racing on the beach at Vazon. This was a nice 'taster' for the British Sand Ace Championship in a few weeks time. The beach was in perfect condition. Let's hope we can repeat this for the big one!

The Sand Racing pics are the first added to my Galleries.

The others that will follow are the Karting Championship and a very busy Hill Climb. Keep checking for updates during the next few days....

Oh, nearly forgot... there was also a fantastic gig by The Recks at the Fermain Tavern... pics will follow.
VIEW PICS OF THE SAND RACING

It was hard to believe that only one day had passed...

After spending a couple of very enjoyable hours in the sun yesterday photographing the Guernsey Powerboat Association's Championship racing... everything went wrong today!

The contrast couldn't have been greater. It rained all through the race, there was a strong breeze and it was dull and grey. The unavoidable result was dull and grey colours in my pics :-(

But that is what was on offer so that is what had to be worked with.

I think the biggest disappointment for me (even more than the persistent rain) was that I couldn't get into the shooting position that I had planned.

My intention was to find a vantage point on the sea-side rocks below Castle Cornet. However I soon found out the the rocks were incredibly slippery after the rain and there was every chance that I would end up smashing seventeen grand of cameras and lenses.
Not a good idea.

So I took the high view and shot from the castle's ramparts. I also turned the poor light into an opportunity and tried to capture a few slow shutter panning pics... now that is a challenge hand-holding a 600mm lens whilst exposed to all that the weather can throw at you!

I recommend not giving up when you think things are far from ideal. Try and turn conditions into an advantage. In this case I dialed the shutter down to about 125th second and used my 600mm lens. The resulting 'pans' give a feel of the racers speed. Sure its a difficult technique to master but it's rewarding to come away with a few successful, pin sharp shots.... Especially after all the discomfort :-)

See what you think of the days work that is now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF POWERBOAT RACE-4

We live on a beautiful Island. However it couldn't be described as large!

Inevitably this can lead to pressure on the available open spaces as the other notable charm of our residence is the huge and varied amount of sports and hobbies that the population pursue in their spare time.

Today was a good example of how we share our spaces so well.... whilst enjoying a sunny day.

Leisure activities included, for some, supporting Guernsey winning the Muratti for the first time in quite a few years, others were in Herm for a beer festival (I was VERY close to joining them)!

Instead I was on the water half way to Herm.... so close yet soooo far ;-)

But that wasn't too much of a hardship as I was offered a ring-side view on Goldie's Rib for Race-3 of the Guernsey Powerboat Association's 2013 Championship. The spirit of sharing our spaces was evident as we headed to our allocated marker whilst the Rowing Club completed a race. Everything had been timed perfectly as you wouldn't want to mix Powerboats with the oarsmen!

To make my day a near perfect one the sun showed its face and I was offered a large visiting cruise liner as a backdrop to make some of the shots a little more interesting.

So well done to our little Sarnia Cherie (If you don't live in Guernsey, that's the term of endearment we use for our little Island) , you did us proud again.
VIEW PICS OF GUERNSEY POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE-3

VIEW AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP PICS
How about that for a quick turn-around..... Karting in the morning followed by Autocross racing in the afternoon... and the pics are already on-line!

There is a reason though, I've made a rash promise to my missus that I will get out into the garden next week to re-discover the lawn.

I was caught off-guard obviously. But now the damage is done there is NO way out :-(

So it has been full speed ahead on the picture editing and now Monday is free for chain saws and mowers.

What I really need now to keep me out of the garden are a few 'urgent' orders for prints. Maybe even a request for a Tallpicture :-)

I'm sitting next to the phone and checking my web-site orders page in anticipation, hint, hint!

VIEW PICS ROUND-2 OF THE KART CHAMPIONSHIP

If petrol runs in your veins.... or methanol if you are a Slider rider, you don't turn down a chance to race!

Guernsey's 'National Holiday' is always fixed on May 9th which was the day the Channel Islands were liberated from occupying forces at the end of World War II.

This year the tides seemed to offer the chance to get a few hours of Sand Racing on Vazon beach. So that's where I found myself and it turned out that it was the sunniest part of the day. Nice :-)

It would have been nice to see a few more sliders but the numbers were made up by the new Moto-X Class which is proving popular.

I enjoyed the bright light which helps make the colours more vibrant. There were also a few wet patches so it was fun trying to time a competitors splashes.... always adds a bit of drama!

I've already added picture galleries featuring the racing:
VIEW PICS OF THE LIBERATION DAY SAND RACING

One thing is certain. Even on a Bank Holiday with several major events going on, Motor Sport can still command a good crowd of spectators.

Certainly the beautiful day would have helped - but this could be said of each of the events.

The loyal Motor Sport supporters were treated to a day of highly competitive racing with more than a handful of new records right across the Classes.

It is also a fact that amongst all the thrills an occasional spill is almost regarded as a requirement by some spectators.

The first concern is always for the safety of the driver or rider but after the event and with the knowledge that everyone is OK the talk gets around to how spectacular each crash was.

It is the unlucky competitor who has to nurse a few aches and pains (their ego also perhaps) and they are left with a 'project' to get back on the road.

I was saddened to see (and photgraph) Nigel Ozanne's crash at the top of the straight. Nige races on a budget and this was the last thing he needed. However this popular guy really loves his racing and he has bounced back from worse.
Next time he should make sure he bounces off the bank instead ;-)

We all had a reminder that our sport does have its dangers when Ian Le Messurier had a spectacular crash in the esses. His transport was more plane than car for a few seconds. Ian is not someone who looks for attention but he was certainly the centre of it for half an hour whilst Sarnia Rescue and two Fire engine crews worked to remove him safely from his car. The good news is that Ian has no serious injury.

Once again, like Nigel, Ian and his twin brother Paul are as keen as they come for their Motor Sport. It is highly likely that we will see the boys back on the start line quicker than you can say Bank Holiday Hill Climb!

I have just added new Galleries featuring the days racing:
VIEW PICS OF THE BANK HOLIDAY HILL CLIMB

Today I'm excited to say that this web site has broken through a new landmark figure.

We have now logged more than 4,000,000 viewings!

Yes, you read that correctly, that's FOUR MILLION VIEWINGS :-)

The latest MILLION has taken just over six months so we are well on target to match last year's figure of TWO MILLION in twelve months.

I posted a blog about six months ago when the THREE MILLION mark was smashed.
READ THE THREE MILLION BLOG HERE

At that time I tried to illustrate how the viewing figures could relate to time... how many views each hour or minute of every day. The results were quite surprising!

This time around I thought that maybe I would try to find how the numbers can be associated to something a bit closer to a photographer's heart. That is an actual paper print. But how thick is an average print?

The wonders of the Internet came to my rescue again and after a few minutes of research I had some figures to play with. It is difficult to find explicit references as there are certain variables - not least of which is the thickness of a sheet of photographic paper.

In the end I have been conservative and based my results on an 'average' that seems to be a fair and realistic number. From my searches I found the height calculated for a pile of ONE MILLION sheets of photographic paper varied between 350 ft and 480 ft.

So I am going to use a figure of 400 ft.

Now let's take things to the next stage and try to picture what this pile would look like.

Perhaps if you are a resident of Guernsey (our small but beautiful Island in the English Channel, near France) you will be familiar with the dramatic cliffs on our southern coast. The highest of these are about 350 ft above sea level.... that is less than the height of a MILLION PRINTS in this example.

Try and picture that... are you impressed yet?

No, well a try at this!

As you have seen, this web site has now had FOUR MILLION HITS since first launching. Take this number and work out the height of that pile of prints and we are talking TALL... LIKE 1,600 FEET HIGH!

If you find it difficult to picture how that relates to the real world, take a look at the picture at the start of this blog which shows the heights of some of the tallest buildings in the world.

NOW YOU MUST BE IMPRESSED!!

The shame is that these numbers are only picture views. They aren't going to make me rich, although I think I would be Epson's biggest customer if I had to produce a print for every web image viewed!

My Epson Stylus 4900 would be working night and day :-)

So a big thank you for spending time viewing my pictures. I am now chasing the next big number.... Pop back again soon.
READ ABOUT THE FIRST MILLION
READ ABOUT THE SECOND MILLION
READ ABOUT THE THIRD MILLION

It's been a while since I have written anything about the equipment I use and the workflow that goes into making the final prints that drop through your letterbox a few days after you place an order.

Today I'm not going to go into much detail about all my kit. However it might be of interest to know some key items.

I'm lucky to have the opportunity to use 'top-of-the-range' equipment from start to finish of the capture process. I feel that when shooting as a Professional Photographer, a high standard needs to be maintained all the way through from capture to the digital darkroom and on to the final production of a print.

I am a NIKON camera user and love the quality and handling that this brand offers.
My current kit includes a Nikon D4, a NIKON D3s and a NIKON D3.
NIKON creates the finest photographic equipment in the world as far as I'm concerned. I await your responses :-)

UPDATE 10-03-2014: I've now added the new NIKON D4s to my kit bag. First impressions are good but it will take a few weeks to fully test. Drop me an e-mail if you want to discuss the latest NIKON body EMAIL ME

I also use NIKON lenses and have too many to list but can call on everything from a 400mm f2.8, a 200mm f2, 24mm Perspective Correction, 200mm & 105mm Macro, 50mm & 85mm f1.4's and many others in-between through to the brilliant wide angle 14-24mm f2.8.
So I hope you'll agreed that there is no excuse to not capture the highest quality of image :-)

The digital darkroom work is carried out using the latest versions of Professional software like Photoshop and Lightroom and this is all viewed on twin 30 inch colour calibrated reference monitors.
All images are then Catalogued and referenced using IMatch allowing quick and comprehensive searching.
Lots of back-ups are then made.... you do back-up your own work, don't you?

But all the work and cost of capturing the sharpest, colour corrected images would fall at the final hurdle if the quality of the prints wasn't to the same standards.

This is why all prints up to the A2 SIZED MONTAGES are individually hand-printed by me in my studio on an Epson Stylus Pro 4900 Professional Large Format Printer using the latest 11-Colour Ultrachrome HDR Pigment Inks. This offers me total quality control of the final output.

This printer is regarded as setting new standards in colour precision offering one of the widest colour gamuts on the market and exceptional longevity of prints.

So be assured that when you order a print from TALLPICTURES every effort has been made to make it as good as it can get :-)

Details of the various print options can be found by clicking this link:
VIEW DETAILS OF THE PRINT OPTIONS

Let's hope that someone has remembered to tell the weather this year as Summer has arrived in the form of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Summer Karting Championship.

Round 1 hit The Track today and the weather was OK... so maybe the word did get out!

On the tarmac it was certainly a hot start to the racing with some very competitve heats which have already signalled the entertainment to come.

There will be regular racing at The Track during the next few months and I recommend a visit on one of the Sunday mornings. You will be guaranteed plenty action to watch. The race dates can be found on the new Club web site:
VIEW THE NEW GUERNSEY KART & MOTOR CLUB WEB SITE

I have added pictures from todays racing to my Gallery.
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-1 OF THE SUMMER KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP

As promised, I returned to the sands of Vazon bay when the sun shone!

After Round 1 of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club's Sand Racing Championship two weeks ago when the conditions were truly dreadful I'm pleased to say that things were much improved for Round 2.

OK, the wind was still a bit on the chilly side but at least it was dry :-)

Perhaps the improving conditions were the incentive for a couple more Moto-X riders to give beach racing a try and there was a good sized field for the Cadet Class as well. In fact the youngest of the racers produced some of the closest racing of the afternoon.

The sliders Class was dominated by Martyn Guilbert who found ample time to entertain the crowd with his wheelies.

If you want to make a diary date the next meeting is on May 9th at 11.30am. Fingers crossed for another dry and sunny one!

Pictures of the Sand Racing are now online:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-2 OF THE GMC&CC SAND RACING

No offence meant to the riders and drivers who took part in Round-1 of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club 2013 Sand Racing Championship, but that was a dreadful start to the season!

When you visit the beach you somehow expect that the water will be in the sea, not falling from above - driven by strong winds :-(

If you combine the awful weather with a pair of boots that have decided to leak and a waterproof jacket that no longer conforms to the Trade Description Act I admit that the overall result is something that I don't wish to repeat for a long time.

It is a fact that some forms of motorsport photography are rewarded by sticking around when it is wet.
For example it is possible to capture great pics at the Hill Climbs and Kart track when the heavens open. The 'roosters' can add something to a picture.

However on an exposed beach with the camera wrapped up in its steamed-up protective gear which greatly reduces your ability to even see any of the settings and then being restricted to the direction you can point the camera because of the driving rain, well, there is only one answer.

So I grabbed a few pics then did the obvious, I went home :-)

I'll be back when the sun shines :-)

My 'part-time' work is now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF SAND RACING ROUND-1

Thanks for noticing my pics....

I'm quite amazed at today's response to the latest pics that I have added to my Galleries (but it could have been even better - read on).
The site analytics show that well over 16,000 picture viewings have been made in the last nine hours. I find this amazing and I have been humbled by the kind comments that have been posted by many people.

***UPDATE*** Viewings actually topped 26,000 in a 24 Hour period!!!

Whilst the interest in my work is all very nice - we all have an ego you know ;-) I very nearly left the Hill Climb early when it became clear that I had missed the very spectacular crash at the top of Le Val des Terres when Michael Beausire double rolled his beautiful Fiat 500 Abarth.
The good news is that Mike is sore but fine... the Abarth less so :-(
I wouldn't of wanted to make that phone call to my father telling him what I had just done to his pride and joy!!!

As a photographer those are the shots you just hope and wait for (we don't mean harm to anybody, honest). But of course you have to 'be there' to get the shot and I was at the opposite end of the hill. Bummer. Catch you next time Mike, promise!

In the end I stayed around and continued to try to capture some of the peak action moments from around the hill. I was even quite pleased with some of the pics... but still disappointed.

So thanks again for looking at my days work and for finding them hours before I posted this blog saying that they were online!

Got to love the Internet haven't you :-)
TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST HILL CLIMB PICTURE GALLERIES

Just a quickie this time as I'm preparing my kit for the final Motor Sport extravaganza of the busy weekend... the Bank Holiday Hill Climb.
So whilst the last of the batteries are being charged I have managed to prepare and upload pics of todays Autocross racing at Chouet.

My guess is that Peter Jory will be nursing a stiff neck at the Hill Climb tomorrow after making a complete roll-over - wheels to wheels (take a look at my pics). Pete even seemed keen to continue in the race but the regs insist on car and driver having a check-over first.

Not like the old days, eh!

Check-out all the action here:
TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST AUTOCROSS ACTION

Well I'm not complaining you understand, but having waited for the 2013 Guernsey Motor Sport season to start for proper, this weekend sees non-stop racing. Nice!

First on the list was the GK&MC Sprint meeting at Vazon coast road. It was cold.... very cold. Maybe it was even a bit too cold as there was a real lack of new records. I think we might have been spoilt by the last couple of seasons racing when so many new lows have been achieved.
It is far to early though to label the new season as ordinary yet!!!

With an Autocross race lined up for Sunday and the first Hill Climb of 2013 on Monday we are all going to be kept busy and entertained.

Talking about entertaining. Special thanks have to go to two competitors at the Sprint. Firstly to Richard Turk Vaudin who lit-up the rear tyre on his Hayabusa whilst warming it before a run. A mega burn-out would be good enough for most people... but Richard went one or two better than that by doing it one handed whilst creeping forward in total control. Stylish!
I got the pics.... job done :-)

But the prize has to go to Lee(three wheels on my wagon)Corbet who managed to lose a rear wheel half way down his run. The other one was also about to come adrift!
As no-one was hurt we can all have a laugh about it and I guess Lee is going to receive 'pay back' for his many years of 'taking the micky' out of other racers. Enjoy!
Full marks for style though as the tyre went though the finish and recorded a time, ha, ha.

It must have been my lucky day as I was also in the right place to capture pics of Lee's little mishap.
Sprint pics are now online:
VIEW PICS OF BURN-OUTS AND LONESOME WHEELS AT THE VAZON SPRINT

VIEW THE LATEST MOTOCROSS RACING
Last weekend seemed to herald the start to the Guernsey Motor Sport season for 2013.

Both the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club and the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club held events. We are also looking ahead to next weekend when the first Sprint and Hill Climb are booked in. It is non-stop Motor Racing from then on... just like the racers like it :-)

I have already posted pics of the GMC&CC 2-day Trials meeting so today's additions feature two of the GK&MC championships.

On Sunday the winter Kart Championship was wrapped-up at The Track with race three of the short series. The track conditions were pretty good for the karters. That is more than can be said for the Moto-X riders as they were welcomed once again by very muddy conditions.
It must be said though that the track did improve as the day went on and there is little that anyone can do about a dirt track that has suffered from record levels of rainfall and snow.

I don't think you will find a single competitor in any of the formulas that are raced in Guernsey who doesn't hope for a drier twelve months ahead! Fingers crossed, eh?

I'll be out and about (rain or shine) at just about every race of 2013. Make sure you look back regularly for the Gallery Updates.
VIEW ROUND 3 OF THE WINTER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

The Annual 2-Day Trials meeting organised by the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club is usually an excuse for an Island tour. This year was no different!

I don't know if a Trials bike has a mileometer but if they do the digits would have rolled around over the last couple of days.

There was a good entry for the 2013 2-day event and each day the sections were spread around cliff tops, beaches and valleys. I did my best to follow the competitors and was rewarded by the quality of riding. Once again the Expert riders impressed me with their skill and nerves. It was just a shame that the weather on Sunday was so bitterly cold on the beach sections as this must have put off some spectators.

The GMC&CC make every effort to provide a weekend of entertainment for the visiting riders from the Mainland and France. The formula certainly works as there were plenty of smiles... even on the exposed headlands.

See you all again in twelve months guys?

Pics of the 2-Day Trials are now online:
VIEW PICS OF THE GMC&CC 2-DAY TRIALS

Guernsey Motorsport competitors (and their partners at home) can be reassured that the local rescue unit has been putting in the hours to prepare for the new seasons Hill Climbs and Sprints.

Sarnia Rescue have just completed a well organised and realistic practice of their skills whilst giving Paul Le Pelley's once immaculate red and white Mini a last 'swan-song'.

Paul was kind enough to donate the Mini after he wrote it off at last years GK&MC Alderney Sprint. Thankfully Tim was OK after this big crash - but the Mini faired less well.

The donation of the Mini body to Sarnia Rescue offered the chance to practice the safe removal of an injured driver from a proper racing car... one that was fitted with full race seat, harness and roll cage.

Steve Marquis called on his previous experience as an airport fireman to set up a very authentic exercise that included an engine fire and a Marshal who had collapsed whilst running to the incident.

I was on the scene to 'get in the way' whilst photographing the team. I also captured a video from an overhead camera so the crew could analyse the whole procedure in a de-brief.

I have to say that I was very impressed by the professional performance of Sarnia Rescue. The extrication of the driver was very challenging and required great team work and the use of several bits of specialist kit.
It should be reassuring to all racers that this well trained unit and their rescue equipment are just seconds away from any type of incident you might have.

Remember to say a thank-you to the guys and gals next time you see them attending a race meeting. Whilst you have been re-building your kit through the winter months they have been putting in the hours fine tuning their rescue skills... oh, and remember that none of you can race without Marshals and Medics attending every meeting.

I have added a small selection of pics to the Marshals Gallery if you want to see how useful Tims old Mini was and what a fitting 'Motor Sport end' came to a once stunning race car:
VIEW A FEW PICS OF THE SARNIA RESCUE TRAINING EXERCISE

You have to look hard to find a weekend in Guernsey when there's no Motorsport action!

We are clearly a load of petrol heads (not super unleaded anymore!) on this little rock. Well I guess we have to entertain ourselves somehow :-)

So last weekend it was business as usual with the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club turning out at The Track for their Winter Kart Championship and the Autocross Club playing chase on the beach with their Banger racing Championship.

It was bitterly cold at both venues - but the beach took the prize for the most uncomfortable.
The thermals came out of the bottom draw and I can now agree that there is no such thing as bad weather, just wrong clothing!
After getting wet through at the last Autocross race I'm pleased to report that I was fully prepared this time.

Take a look at what can be achieved with the right clothing :-)
VIEW THE LATEST KART RACING CHAMPIONSHIP PICS
VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS RACING CHAMPIONSHIP PICS

The GMC&CC Trials at the weekend where held on sections based around one of Guernsey's prettiest coastal valleys, Petit Bot.
With the sun shining and a few early spring flowers brightening the hedgerows the afternoon was very inviting.

The Trials riders were out in force to enjoy a few hours of their favourite motorsport - but they had to deal with the result of the previous weeks of frequent rainfall... read MUD!

It is remarkable to see the riders negotiate muddy slopes on their bikes when it is almost impossible to find any grip when climbing on foot. It is also clear from watching the competitors that a confident and committed approach to each obstacle is the only successful way to clear a section.
As always, the Experts made it look soooo easy!

I returned home with minimal soiling from the abundant mud and with a few good pics... I'll call that a job well done.

Pictures are now online:
PETIT BOT TRIALS, A MIX OF SUN AND MUD