Welcome to our first post in the series of Meet The Team, so to kick it off I might as well put myself up-front.
(setting up a pole rig for a motion shot)
What's your role on the team, and what does a typical day during a race weekend look like for you? I am the media guy and control everything from the social media, live feeds, photography and video for the event. My day typically starts a lot earlier than most as I attend the Media Briefings in the morning that generally cover Health and Safety and do’s and don’ts on the track. This is followed by a swift breakfast before checking all the kit is ready to go. Working in the pits at the beginning to capture the final preps of the race day to the moment the car leaves the start line. If I get chance I will try to get out on track to get some footage, whilst running to remote pits to capture this process, whilst running the livestreams at the same time. In the evening I work tirelessly into the night to edit the highlights from the day and get those posted out to our social media. Then as the team are enjoying a team BBQ or the evening activities the camera is still by my side making sure that I can tell the story of the scene and not just the racing.
How did you first get involved in motorsports, and what drew you to your current role? I first got involved in Motorsports whilst covering events for Classic Ford Magazine, this got me access on track at Brands Hatch; which is just a stones throw from home. My main work before this was a very different discipline, although it involved photographing vehicles most of these were for editorial or advertising, so not really cars in action. The opportunity to be able to extend my skillset by working with such a legendary team to capture on track moments in such an extreme style of Motorsport is what drew me to this role.
3. Share a memorable moment from your time with the team so far.
I have only been with the team since January so still have moments to create as have only been to one race; however this was the race of all races “The King of the Hammers”. Out in the desert of LA it is one of the toughest races on the planet, it was definitely an eye opener into this style of racing.
4. If you could swap roles with anyone else on the team for a day, who would it be and why?
I mean let’s be honest, the one person most people want to swap with is the driver and I am no exception. Who doesn’t want to play with a 7 litre engine and more horsepower than you know what to do with? Plus, let’s be honest, it means you don’t have to jump out the car into waist deep mud to hook up the winch line!
5. Describe the most challenging aspect of your job, and how do you overcome it?
The most challenging aspect of my job is that I am a small team, I say team, I mean I am the only person in the media division. Therefore trying to make sure that all aspects of the event is captured is hard, as I have to make the decision whether I should be filming the moment or photographing the moment, a lot of this choice is based around my planning of how I plan to use the content in the future.
On top of this we have now introduced Live In Car Footage, so making sure that these systems are operational and streaming is a challenge. For now we utilise other freelancers on track to send us back imagery from areas that I am not able to get to, and have a couple of drone pilots to help capture video and photo from the air when we are permitted to do so.
6. Share a behind-the-scenes story or fact about the team that fans might not know.
photo credit: Pawel Stanislawowicz Everyone on the team have split personalities… seriously they have the non-racing character and the racing character. This is actually a really important trait as you need to “Switch On” when in racing mode to make sure that mistakes aren’t made, prepping a vehicle for the race isn’t just the difference between winning and losing but also the difference between life an death. It is this professionalism and the ability to be able to switch on which makes our team so successful.
7. Who has been your biggest mentor or inspiration in your career?
photo credit: Tim Wallace, Ambient Life
There are 2 people I need to give a shout out to, the first is David Tovey which I know no-one will have heard of. I met David when I was 18 and he taught me a fair bit about photography, there aren’t many people out there who are this helpful, these days I am the one teaching him.
The second person is Tim Wallace, not a motorsport guy but an amazing automotive advertising photographer. Tim’s work is amazing and I learnt a lot about lighting through following his work, on top of this he spent a good 2 hours on the phone with me answering all kinds of questions. Tim is genuinely a nice guy and if you haven’t seen his work it is worth taking a look at.
8. What's your favourite aspect of being involved in motorsports?
The people. It is the people that make motorsports, not just the racing. Well for those that are in motorsports it is, whereas as a spectator I guess it may be slightly different. The best thing about 4x4 racing is that everyone there, even if they are on a different team will help you out to get you racing again. The comradery is amazing.
9. If you could work on any other type of racing team, what would it be and why?
Probably drift, for me as a photographer I find stuff that shows movement in an image more exciting. Splashing through water, mud flying in the air, cars flying through the air just add that something extra that Formula 1 doesn’t have. Drift cars going sideways at 80mph with smoke bellowing out their tyres and popping exhausts is exhilarating and looks awesome in a photo.
10. What's the most unusual tool or piece of equipment in your toolbox?
The most unusual thing I have in my toolbox is a type of diffuser that goes on my flash gun, honestly it looks like a giant butt plug and gets many comments, however when you are photographing a group of people close up at night it is magical as it spreads the light more evenly.
11. Share one piece of advice for someone aspiring to work in motorsports.
Practice. Go to track days and practice, there are many points around a track that as a general spectator you can get to.
12. What do you enjoy doing outside of racing? Any hobbies or interests?
I am obsessed with fish, seriously anything and everything to do with them. Keeping them, fishing for them, scuba diving to see them and off course eating them, yum!
13. What's your favourite meal or go-to comfort food?
I love anything Italian, my wife makes an amazing Lasagne and I never turn down a decent pizza for a night in!
14. Can you share a favourite movie or TV show that you never get tired of watching?
At the age I am the Fast and Furious series is close to my heart, I grew up at a time when Max Power and Fast Car were the scene. Although my car wasn’t built for speed it was built for sound competitions and I had a ridiculous set up that hit 149db and won many EMMA Competitions. These movies were very relational and emphasise the fact that I mentioned before, it is the people that make motorsports, we are a family!
15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I have always wanted to visit Bali, mainly because of my obsession with the underwater world. It is a completely different place to my day to day life, very relaxed and a slow pace. Don’t get me wrong I am sure I would get bored there after 7 days but I see it would be a great place to unwind and be at one with nature.
16. Share a favourite quote or motto that inspires you.
“Live everyday like it’s your last” This doesn’t mean that you should risk your life everyday but you should celebrate that you have another day to live. You never know what is in front of you and I have seen so many people lose their lives suddenly that I feel I need to be living in the moment. Never take life for granted, it throws hurdles at you but this is how you grow mentally as a person. Life is a gift, live it!
16. Finally, tell us something about yourself that fans might be surprised to learn.
I am a twin, yes that’s right there are two of me! I am identical and the youngest by 3 minutes, my poor mother didn’t get much of a break. Despite all the things that I could have got up to as a twin I didn’t, we were very different people and even went to different schools. Independence is important, and creating your own identity especially when you are a twin can be a challenge. My one tip if you know a set of twins, don’t give them joint cards and birthday presents!
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