This assignment brings together all the work throughout this course (The Art of Photography 1) and looks at illustrating and narrating a story. I chose a subject which interests me and that I could learn and show a greater understanding of than I have previously been able to.
I enjoy the noise, atmosphere and tension which goes with motorcycle racing and have always thought that my end photos ought to be more interesting than just bikes out on track. I follow a couple of websites related to the British Super Bike (BSB) championship www.londonbikers.com and http://www.britishsuperbike.com These sites have photographers who take a different angle on photographing a race meeting and have given me ideas and inspiration on how to undertake this project. BSB have their own media team taking photos, conducting interviews and capturing the racing for the television. These photographers have full access to the pits and trackside. They tend to concentrate on the action and main events; they do not follow one particular rider or team and do not tell a narrative story.
I looked at featured articles in motorbike and mountain bike more to give me an idea of space required to fill and insert photos. I decided to keep an A4 format like these magazines to create a magazine article with my photo story. I considered a target audience that include people interested in motorbikes such as Ride readers or local motorcycle groups. I considered the style of photos needed for the article should be conventional with a few creative pictures to keep people interested. I thought if it was too creative, it would be difficult to link it with the narrative.
I had the opportunity to attend the pre-season testing day at Donington Park in March 2013. I purposely chose to tell a story about pre-season testing because there are several photo opportunities available and preseason testing in the UK was hitting the headlines following a rule change from the organisers. I reflected back over photo opportunities available at a practice, qualifying and race day and wondered how it would differ. I expected the day to be similar to a practice day with people busy in garages, fewer spectators, less hospitality for teams, no trade stands or refreshments, no brolly dollies and no pace car. By making a detailed plan and narrowing down the content on the day when I saw exactly what the potential was, I was able to put together a relevant picture story. As I knew where one of my weaknesses would be, I took a portable device to view my photos half way through the day and enable me to take different photos if necessary.
My full list of potential photo opportunities included:
- Testing on track – single / group of bikes / different positions and angles
- Pits – fans queuing for pit walk / autograph hunters / aerial view of spectators? / close up of riders / mechanic and bike / brolly dollies / press and media / pit board / timing
- Lorries – hospitality / Pirelli / helmet workshop
- Spectators
- Meaningful messages - red lights / flags
- Action – crash / rider looking frustrated / van picking up crashed bike / debris on track
- Marshals – working / resting
- Facial expressions – happy, frustrated, concentrating, relaxed
- Bike parts lying around
- Fuel
- Tyres
- Kit – helmets / gloves / leathers / boots
- Riders and mechanics – pointing at bike / sitting on bike / relaxing
Throughout the day, I found myself using three cameras set up differently; each with a different lens. I discovered there was little time to change settings between one situation and another unless I was stationary for a period of time. Using more than one camera gave me more confidence to get in and achieve the picture I wanted on most occasions. I selected a garage with favourable conditions and mechanics with the right facial expressions, doing the right job and set my camera to the correct settings. I had to wait until the picture looked right before taking it.
Page 1 Title page
Photo: 1/60 f5.6 ISO400 32mm
I chose this as the establishing image because it shows action and captures the spirit of the day. One mechanic reads the computer analysis and the other adjusts the bike. I also took this from the right hand side of the bike, showing the rider looking on, but the photo was too cluttered. I left space above the subject to add a title and the dark floor allowed me to add an introduction to the article. I had observed that some magazine photos have a gradient applied to them. I darkened the top of the photo in photoshop which helped the title stand out. I experimented with the words in one and two columns, and decided they looked better spaced out in two columns, synonymous with magazines like What Mountain Bike. The difficulty I found with garages is that photos have to be reactive because there is only so much set up and track time allowed. I was an onlooker to someone’s work and have to work around the changing situation as the scene unfolds. The garage door is open at both ends to allow viewing and light in. This created lighting problems because the back of the photo becomes overexposed. I avoid using flash in these situations; working with a high ISO and a wide aperture instead, to take the photos without flash which would be off putting for the mechanics and riders.
Page 2 and 3
Photos
Unpacking 1/180 f11 ISO100 35mm
Poster on door 1/1000 f4 ISO400 24mm
Man with helmet boxes 1/180 f11 -1exp comp ISO100 70mm
Alex Lowes 1/500 f4 ISO400 92mm
Mechanic at work 1/30 f5.6 ISO400 130mm
Fuelling up 1/60 f5.6 ISO400 40mm
Insert fuel pump 1/60 f5.6 ISO200 110mm
I arrived at the event about half an hour before testing started. I know the racetrack having been several times before and have visited BSB practice, qualifying and race days so I had a plan of what I wanted to capture. As this was the first event of the season, riders were collecting new helmets (helmet boxes) and team kit was being delivered (unpacking). The weather was very sunny and bright which shows with the dark shadows. By use of sidelighting, I captured the man with the helmet boxes without shadow on him making the colours look bright. His shadow on the floor adds interest and drama to the photo. This photo was taken for inclusion onto a page of smaller photos so I was concerned with the size of the man. However, the picture would be interesting if I had captured all of the shadow, but the meaning on the page would not have so much impact.
Unpacking uses sidelighting too. Most of what needs to be seen is visible – the boxes, the mechanic and the van door with the team name on. On closer inspection, a man is removing kit from the van. The logo on his fleece shows up well because it is white, and the light which falls through the gap at the top of the van door falls as edge lighting onto his fleece and jeans making him stand out from the back of the van.
Walking along the garages I noticed the poster on the door “Donington the heart of British Motorsport Personal belongings left at your own risk Keep valuables safe”. Someone had added “you are in the north” to it. I saw an unchained push bike and two people looking into the garage as if to say “what can we pinch?” It reminded me of photos I had seen by Williams and Teasdale 2005 in “What makes Britain great?”
I spotted rider Alex Lowes talking to someone. The peak of the baseball cap on his head enables his face to remain in shadow and see the position of his eyes. The body language interested me. There is conflict within this photo when looking at the two people because the chap wearing the Honda fleece is looking at the rider and talking to him, and the rider is looking out of the frame.
The colours in the photo of the mechanic at work appealed because the inside of the lorry is yellow, the mechanic has ginger hair and there is red on his fleece and red parts (all similar colours). The blue box stands out like an accent colour.
Fuelling up shows a couple of triangles with apexes at the top. The rider, mechanic and bike form one, and in the middle, the fuel jug, funnel and fuel tank form another. I inserted a photograph of the fuel pump to illustrate how fuel was moved from the fuel drum to the filling jug and so to the tank.
The environmental portraits enable the viewer to associate with the bike mechanics who are crucial to bike set up and maintenance. I chose portrait orientation for all the photos on this page because they can be fitted into the columns and allow enough space around them for the text to flow with the pictures. The colours create harmony through contrasting colours; for example red, blue, green and orange, being next to and across from each other on the colour wheel. All the natural lighting photos were taken within a short space of each other and work with the three indoor photos.
Page 4 and 5
Photos
Pirelli workshop 1/60 f4 ISO400 24mm
Pirelli tyres 1/80 F5 ISO400 70mm
Fitting brake discs 1/125 f4 ISO400 50mm
Brake discs 1/90 f5.6 ISO400 200mm
Electric tyre warmer 1/90 f5.6 ISO400 24mm
Halogen heater tyre warmer 1/45 f4 ISO400 65mm
Blanket tyre warmer 1/45 f5.6 ISO400 20mm
Pirelli usually work from a workshop like a hospitality unit. Being that they were only here for a day, it made sense to use an empty garage. I used ISO 400 and F4 to give me a faster shutter speed without too much noise. I included the tyres in the forefront of the picture to add interest although the light fell on them and made them look grey instead of black. I went back later in the day and re took the photo when the light had moved round, but the stacks of tyres had been moved and the photo did not have so much impact. In hindsight, I should have taken the photo on partial metering and taken two or three with pictures focusing on different subjects to get the right exposure. I found that I had to be really fast and react to the next scene that appeared in front of me.
I liked the photo of the two tyres because they are curves have rhythm and flow. They add gracefulness to a page that includes action and potential action.
The mechanics collect tyres from Pirelli which have been put on the wheel. They then fit the discs. The photo shows action and concentration in the facial expression of the mechanic. The mechanic’s hair style creates an interesting focal point for the page and because the image is not centrally composed, it can be placed in the of the two page spread.
Brake discs were lined up on a bench ready to be fitted. By using a shallow depth of field only the large stack is in focus. I used a low camera angle to add impact to the photo. A sense of rhythm is generated because they are all laid out in a line. I used a diagonal and a shallow depth of field to add perspective.
A black bike with few sponsorship decals glowed red in the light of the heater which I thought added interest to the bike. I think the silver horizontal lines of the garage door add an industrial feel to the photo.
I included the two smaller pictures of the blanket and tyre warmer to show how other garages solve the problem of warmth. Although they are not interesting photos in themselves, they support the story.
As an overall page, I think that the colours and grouping of the photos work well together. I was in two minds as to whether to include the tyre heating pictures and narrative. The other pictures could be made larger. I decided to leave them in, only because tyre warming is such an important part of racing.
Page 6 and 7
Photos
View of circuit 1/250 f11 -1exp comp ISO100 32mm
Jenny Tinmouth 1/250 f11 ISO200 300mm
Insert Jenny Tinmouth 1/250 f13 ISO200 300mm
Ryuichi Kiyonari coming back into pits 1/350 f5.6 ISO400 50mm
Shakey crossing finishing line 1/500 f5.6 ISO400 300mm
Marshal with red flag 1/500 f5.6 ISO400 300mm
Marshal with red lights 1/1600 f5.6 ISO400 exp comp -1/3 277mm
I spent time choosing the photos for this page. I intended to show bikes in different positions on the track. As the track only has one left hand corner, the positioning of the photographer is imperative to add interest and impact to a group of photos. I looked at several web sites to see how I could improve my photos by standing in different positions and cropping my photos differently. It helps to know the track because one recognises the corners. The disadvantage with it being the first session of the season is that when work has taken place over the winter, the access points or fencing may have changed. However, unfinished gaps in the fences can prove interesting places to experiment.
I walked up the steps to the media box which is normally prohibited. This gave me a raised view of the pits and first corner. The photograph was taken at the beginning of the day when the blues of the sky were similar in colour to the blues of the racers and circuit walls. This photograph establishes the context of the area; the first corner of the race circuit and teams watching on the pit wall. It is not labelled as Donington, but to people who follow racing or know the circuit it is identifiable.
By inserting a blue racer onto the page, the colours remained similar and I think work well together. I was fortunate to have a few pictures of Jenny as she spends a lot of time out on track during the sessions. I cropped her in such a way that she has space to move into. By adding an insert of her, it keeps a theme going of Jenny. The colours remain similar. The position of her bike in both photos supports the view of diagonals being unstable and showing speed, creating a dynamic tension.
As the riders came back into the pits, I had access from a grandstand to give me an aerial view. This view is one not seen so often and shows off helmet artwork.
Race meetings include a system of colour coded flags and traffic lights with universal meaning: the red and green traffic lights of pit lane and marshals waving flags such as red, yellow, blue, green black and orange. If marshals are not present to communicate and wave flags showing the condition of the track or position of racers, the racers are unable to race. I included the marshals because of their importance and the acknowledgement that they are an essential part of motorcycle racing.
I felt compelled to exhibit more than one or two bike photos on this page because I think a reader expects to see more than one bike and bikes in different positions create interest. Contrasting reds, blues and greens work well together creating colour harmony.
Page 8 and 9
Photos
Helmet and bike 1/160 f9 -2/3exp comp ISO400 300mm
Tea and coffee 1/90 f5.6 ISO800 110mm
Timing screen 1/50 f6.3 -1/3 exp comp ISO400 84mm
Data analysis 1/30 f5.6 ISO400 70mm Alterations 1/30 f5.6 ISO800 50mm
I saw the bike with the helmet together and thought it would make a title page. However, I decided it did not encompass all of the day’s events. It is also the wrong orientation for an A4 document. It shows preparation, although the rider had disappeared.
Tea and coffee making facilities were provided by the garages for their staff. This was the only table with a teapot. Other teams such as Kawasaki had mugs in team colours. It provides a glimpse into team life and the disparity between private and corporate teams.
The photo of a timing screen is a key photo to my story which I achieved by keeping my eyes open. Although maybe not an interesting photo in its own right, it links in with the story.
I included the two people looking at the computer because the strong eye lines add impact to the photo. I liked the casual, relaxed way in which these two were leaning over the bike. This showed the difference to me between preseason testing where the aim was to set the bike up, sort out seating positions and record a baseline of data, compared to qualifying and racing which is much more stressful for the teams with the added pressures of crashes and replacing parts within a time limit. The same team had laid all the replacement parts on a red towel on the garage floor showing the care and attention to detail which goes into bike set up and maintenance. As an overall page, I think that the red and green colours are complementary with evidence of action.
Page 10 and 11
Photos
Spectators round track 1/250 f11 ISO200 10mm
Jenny Tinmouth autographing fan’s rucksack 1/125 f5.6 ISO400 50mm
Jacob Smrz autographing book 1/350 f4.5 ISO400 50mm
Alex Lowes with fan 1/1250 f4.5 -1/3 exp comp ISO400 70mm
Dan Linfoot with fans 1/750 f4 ISO200 24mm
Lunch time 1/500 f5.6 ISO400 80mm
Kiyo signing fan’s photo 1/500 f5 ISO400 70mm
View down pit lane 1/2000 f4.5 -1/3 exp comp ISO400 70mm
An early morning picture captured strong shadows and an empty track. A wide angled lens gave perspective and added to the feeling of space with only a handful of spectators. I considered positioning the horizon higher or lower, and decided that I could use the sky to my advantage to add a title or narration.
During the summer months, people take time to have picnics and campers bring cool boxes of beer to enjoy whilst watching the bikes out on track. The weather was too cold for that, but the café did a brisk trade in burgers.
As an overall page, having some of the colours in black and white allows the pictures to be seen instead of conflicting with one another. As fans are a huge part of the racing scene with supporter numbers growing year on year, I included a few fans as well as an overall picture of the business of pit lane during pit walk. The championship attracts different fans, from middle-aged women groupies to people who collect signatures on bags, coats, hats, tee shirts, books, to people who just want to meet their heroes. BSB is one of the very few sports where fans can meet and chat to their heroes which makes it special for spectators as the riders are very down to earth people. These photos capture this and the enjoyment of the riders meeting their fans too.
Page 12
1/60 f5.6 ISO400 32mm
This sums up the day. Job done by rider and his mechanics, all smiles and relaxed poses. The only negative for me is that there were too many people with cameras and so their eye line is not directly at me. I reflected that I need to push myself more to get them to look at me.
Throughout this assignment I have demonstrated and brought together compositional skills in individual photos as learnt for elements of design, I have shown different colour relationships and made the best use of artificial and natural lighting conditions in a planned and reactive environment. By selecting relevant photos, sized to fit, I enhanced the story I planned to tell. By using mainly conventional photos and a few creative photos enabled me to keep the readership as broad as possible. I think the narrative flows from page 1 to page 12 with the photos adding visual interest and giving the reader more insight into the world of BSB racing.
I really enjoyed this assignment as it brought together all the elements I studied throughout this module, as well as providing me with both a photographic challenge and a personal one where I needed to push myself into unfamiliar situations and stand my ground as a photographer to achieve the results I wanted. I have grown in confidence throughout this assignment and the lessons learnt will be invaluable to how I approach my photography in the future.
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