Motor Racing Photography

[khyndart in CA]

I do not know much about motor racing photography but I certainly enjoy what the photographers produce.






(Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

There must have been something in the water around Morrinsville but from my era we have seen the works of Terry Marshall and Nigel Watts produce wonderful photos and also others such as Ross Cammick and Ray Green etc.give us photos that are so amazingly clear.
Sometimes I think we just take them for granted and I wanted to have this thread to say thanks to all that risk their life and limbs to bring us great photos.
It has not always been the safest place at the track !
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( Ken Hyndman )

[Ross Hollings]

You have taken the words out of my mouth Ken,stunning photos ,thanks guys.

[BMCBOY]

I would have to admit to a few "scares" over the years I was serious about motor racing photography, but never very close to being hit. I think it was sensible to be sure you had somewhere safe to run to if a car suddenly left the road -which they could do with no apparent reason sometimes!
Perhaps after a good amount of experience you could almost anticipate the direction a car might travel after spinning or hitting a wall perhaps, but when a car rolled in a rally situation they were always a bit dodgey. I always liked a stout tree around to get behind if I could.
We certainly had a lot more leeway those days to stand where we liked, but there were always a few twits around who didn't have a clue what a car could possibly do and stood in very dangerous positions. As usual people like that stuffed it up for everyone else with the result that now photograhers are fairly limited as to where they can work from.

Here's a few shots I have collected off the net that were of interest to me

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[BMCBOY]

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[ERC]

As a total amateur, those kind words are much appreciated. Until recently, just about everything I took was from the paying spectator areas, so no photographer's pass.

Everything pre 1983 was without the joy of an SLR or even a telephoto lens of any sort, no rangefinder, light meter either!

The local exceptions were when flagging and we had enough of a crew for me to be on stand down for the occasional race.

More recently, I have had the good fortune to be on the organizing side often enough to be able to sign the photographer's indemnity, but I still derive great joy from getting good photographs from the spectator areas

Now that everyone has an i-pad/tablet/phone, etc. with camera capability, those with a genuine interest in taking photographs may do so for their own enjoyment.

I may have the opportunity to take more after the end of this season and am trying to ink in a visit to the Goodwood Revival this year, mainly to be able to take a load of pictures without a patient wife or a disinterested brother to consider!

I'm glad the time and effort (particularly scanning the old stuff) is appreciated by more than half a dozen - (uploading restrictions do slow things down too). Still wading through cataloguing slides and that is proving to be a real mission needing at times a lot of detective work and a prodigious memory. Scanning comes later.

[Grant Sprague]

Wooooooow .....

[Allan]

It was often said in days gone by that the size of the late Jack Inwood in ones photos determined how close to the action one was able to get.

[khyndart in CA]

When I worked in Santa Barbara I had the opportunity to meet famed motor racing photographer, Jesse Alexander. After years around racing his hearing was not much better than mine and we would stand and shout at each other about races from the past !
He gave me a selection of his photos and I want to share some with you.
The first photo in this thread shows the ill fated Peter Collins chasing Mike Hawthorn in their Ferraris during the 1958 German Grand Prix at the old Nurburgring circuit. Peter Collins crashed later in the race in front of Hawthorn and died from his injuries.
Jesse was there that day and captured this scene of Peter Collins in Ferrari # 2 about to pass an early F1 Cooper. (this was the first race where Bruce McLaren's skills were first recognized )

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Mike Hawthorn was devastated to lose his good friend Peter Collins and decided to retire from racing.

Here is a photo Jesse took of Mike Hawthorn a few weeks later at Monza. Sept. 1958.
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Jesse Alexander photos.


( Ken Hyndman )

[neale]

They are great photos, I have always looked at photos like that & envied them being able to get so close to the action.
I know its nearly impossible to get that close to the cars this day & age, but there are always some photographers willing to put it all on the line to get the shot.

Here are a couple my photos of photographers pushing the boundaries at Bathurst the last year

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i401/Neale_Bayliss/misc%20photos/_DSC3590_zpsm4ncx8ee.jpg

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i401/Neale_Bayliss/misc%20photos/16293009720_bd59bf07d4_b_zpsizmyxwaw.jpg

[khyndart in CA]

Neale,
Those are great photos at Bathurst. Thanks for sharing. I love the writing on the wall. ( YEEHAH !)

With the lenses of today, photographers do not have to hang out like they used to.
( Looks like a lot of competition !)

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(Ken Hyndman )

[Allan]

What would be interesting to see is the pictures taken by the 9 photographers of the same incident (should one have occurred).

[khyndart in CA]

3287032871Jesse Alexander signed photo of Dan Gurney in the 1962 Porsche 804.
It had a flat 8 air-cooled engine that produced 180 BHP at 9200 RPM.

Jesse Alexander photo.

It was a beautifully built race car for its day but had little success.



Here is a YouTube movie of the one race that Dan Gurney won in this car at Rouen, 1962 French Grand Prix.
There are some wonderful shots of all the drivers from that era. Enjoy both clips. Part 1 and Part 2



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7YpsWmsqVs






( Ken Hyndman )

[khyndart in CA]

August 1958. German Grand Prix.
Another Jesse Alexander photo showing Phil Hill driving at the Nurburgring in his Ferrari.
Again the photographers are right at the edge. One slip could make it a rough day at the track !

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Jesse Alexander photo.




( Ken Hyndman )

[seaqnmac27]

Monaco run up from Ste Devote 1962

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[GD66]

That's a tricky one, but Siffert DNQ in '62. Could even be as late as 1965.

[ERC]

Agree. In 1962, BRM ran the short nosed stackpipe and by the looks of that, it is probably 1964. Looks like Ginther front right (white helmet) with Graham Hill just behind.

Clark was on pole. Fifteen starters and just 9 finishers - which looks about right as that pic is just about the whole field.

[seaqnmac27]

sorry, was meant to be 65

[ERC]

OK. Must be Stewart in the white helmet and that means the car left rear must be Ginther in the Honda. Which raises the question as to what is the car, right rear? It looks to be a lot like BRM 261, with that rear plate over the gearbox - but there wasn't a third one entered!

[seaqnmac27]

ok so i thought it was 65, but try 66

[khyndart in CA]

I would say it is 1966 which was the first race for Bruce McLaren in his McLaren Ford. The BRM at the rear in # 15 post photo next to Jo Siffert's Brabham-BRM is American driver Bob Bondurant.

Qualifying order for that race which only had 4 finishers !
# 1 Jim Clark. # 2 John Surtees. # 3 Jackie Stewart. # 4 Graham Hill. # 5 Lorenzo Bandini. # 6 Denis Hulme. # 7 Jochen Rindt.
# 8 Bob Anderson.(Brabham Climax) # 9 Richie Ginther. # 10 Bruce McLaren. # 11 Jack Brabham. # 12 Mike Spence. # 13 Jo Siffert.
# 14 Jo Bonnier. # 15 Guy Ligier.(Cooper Maserati) # 16 Bob Bondurant.

The start of the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix. (Another Jesse Alexander photo )
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p.s. I think Jesse Alexander photographed from a much safer place than the photographers up from
St. Devote in photo post # 15. They were brave or crazy to stand there on an opening lap, especially the guy sitting on the curb !



( Ken Hyndman )

[ERC]

Yup. 1966 it must be. Just goes to show that when dating photographs (which I am trying to do), it can be a real struggle without some other references. What I thought might have been Ginther's Honda looks now to be a Cooper Maserati, which is a little bit clearer on a web search which turned up a slightly larger version of that very photograph.

I have had to go back to a pile of Whenuapai slides and work out which marshal's point I was on to try and sort out the year!

Pukekohe, being the regular track for me as a marshal, is twice a difficult without a race programme. Sometimes, you have to look at external factors such as foliage, the weather, track developments and it isn't easy, so when there is a request for a date, a correct answer is invaluable.

[khyndart in CA]

Monaco 1966.
This must have been before cameras had big lens and the photographers had big ......
At least the guys on the right look like they are a little prepared behind the hay bales.
The guy sitting on the curb just amazes me ! He must have had a good insurance policy.
Now Nigel, Ross, Ray and others, would you have positioned yourselves in that spot ?
WOW !
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( Ken Hyndman )

[ERC]

No Ken, I wouldn't and even now, on the rare occasions I am allowed virtually free access, my first thought is always - "What do I do if there is an errant car?" That means being able to drop down behind the Armco, a pile of tyres or even behind a sign or tree! First of all though, you have to take a pic...

Not sure what the others would do but from what I have seen in recent years, photographers are either more safety conscious or officials make it quite clear where they cannot stand.

[Oldfart]

No Ken, I wouldn't and even now, on the rare occasions I am allowed virtually free access, my first thought is always - "What do I do if there is an errant car?" That means being able to drop down behind the Armco, a pile of tyres or even behind a sign or tree! First of all though, you have to take a pic...

Not sure what the others would do but from what I have seen in recent years, photographers are either more safety conscious or officials make it quite clear where they cannot stand.
Or on occasions officials with little knowledge make it clear you can stand in a dangerous spot, but not in a really safe one? :)

[khyndart in CA]

I have to admit that over the years I have not been aware of much harm coming to a race photographer and you have all gone to great lengths to bring us the best photos possible.

I do remember Jesse Alexander telling me a marshal died next to him at the start of the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix.
The marshal was killed by the dislodged right rear wheel of Richie Ginther's BRM when it collided with the Lotuses of Maurice Trintignant, Innes Ireland and Trevor Taylor, as well as Dan Gurney's Porsche at the Gasometer hairpin on lap 1.

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Jesse Alexander photos. Monaco Grand Prix. 1962.







(Ken Hyndman )

[seaqnmac27]

The proximity of photographers was my point in posting the pic from Monaco. Ken you are right, the guy sitting cross legged on the footpath sure is brave!

[seaqnmac27]

Maybe a touch... touched too!

[khyndart in CA]

In- car photography has altered slightly since Graham Hill tried this arrangement back in 1965. (He looks really thrilled at doing this !)

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In 1962 he was lucky to survive a crash he had at the Nurburgring circuit when a camera fell off his BRM and he ran over it.
So putting the camera on his helmet probably made him feel better.
In 1962 Graham was involved also with this Shell film of Hermann Lang driving a Mercedes W125 around the full 14 mile circuit.
It is great viewing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hsz84DZsyCg


(Ken Hyndman )

[GD66]

In 1962 he was lucky to survive a crash he had at the Nurburgring circuit when a camera fell off his BRM and he ran over it.



The camera fell off de Beaufort's Porsche ahead of him and he ran over it.

[ERC]

The camera Graham ran over was a cine/movie camera. Post #29 is a 35mm still camera.