Autosport International 2013: The start of a new season

I was lucky enough to be issued with a media pass for the 2013 Autosport International show at the NEC in Birmingham on behalf of the RaceCarBuzz.com website. After a long 2 hour drive in the pitch black on Saturday the 12th of January, I arrived at the event ready to photograph drivers, racing cars and the live event arena.

Event photography at Autosport International

To this event I took with me a Canon 5D Mk2 (courtesy of Joel Rowbottom – thanks!) as well as my current favourite camera, the Mamiya C330F. Lenses for the Canon included the 70-200mm 2.8f L IS II, 16-35mm 2.8 L II and 24-105mm L. Film wise, I had a few rolls of Ilford Delta 3200, also courtesy of Mr Rowbottom Esq.

The privilege of the press

For media accredited individuals, a special room had been set up, complete with comfy chairs, free drinks and wifi. How nice! With my media pass, I was allowed to enter the event early, as well as all the different part of the show for free, which really helped me to capture some great shots of the action throughout the day. Staff were very helpful with any queries, and knew which areas of the show I could get to with my press pass.

Photographing the many, many stands

With so much to see at the event, I scoped out the various sections of the show so that I knew how much there was to see. This ranged from car manufacturers, stalls selling components, and stages where people would be interviewed during the day.

The new Radical RXC was a striking machine, and is the first closed top Radical to be released. The 24-105mm lens proved to be useful for most of the stand photographs.

I found that the Canon 24-105mm lens was ideal for most of the shots, offering a decent range of focal lengths from wide angle to close up. I wanted to use some flash so that I wasn’t reliant on ISO alone, but found that the ISO on the Mk2 was substantially better than my Mk1. Event at 2000ISO, shots were perfectly usable, and the substantial increase in resolution helped this too.

Star spotting

A special area for drivers to sign autographs was set up, and with my media pass I was able to access this area and get up close with the drivers. This was a great opportunity, and I photographed Gordon Sheddon, Paul Di Resta, Johnny Herbert and even Sir Jackie Stewart!

Photographing drivers while they were signing autographs at the event was a real privilege. Gordon Sheddon, 2012 BTCC champion, was most obliging.

The Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 II lens was ideal for the low light, long distance shots of drivers being interviewed. It’s easy to see why this lens is so revered, with its fast auto focus and superb image quality. Although it’s weight of nearly 2kg is not always an advantage, I’ve got use to lugging it around with the rest of my kit. Sir Jackie Stewart was one of the people interviewed on the main stage, and the lens had more than enough reach to get a decent photograph of him talking about modern Formula 1.

The great man Sir Jackie Stewart on the Autosport International stage during an interview. The 70-200mm IS II once again getting me clsoe to the action.

Very low light, very high speed

The live action area was a special one hour show featuring many different kinds of cars. There was very little light in this area, so photographing the action was a real challenge. At 6400ISO, I was right on the limit of what I could photograph, but luckily the Mk2 came through it well, and produced some half decent shots.

F1 stock cars once again providing a fantastic subject during the Autosport 2013 live action arena.

I’ve photographed the F1 stock cars at Sheffield’s Owlerton stadium before, and they once again provided a fantastic subject matter to capture at Autosport International 2013. Sideways, illuminated by neon lights and brightly coloured, the F1 stock cars are unlike anything else.

Using the Mamiya C330F at Autosport International

I’m hoping to take my Mamyia C330F to all of the events I photograph this year, and decided that this should include the Autosport International show. I always get a lot of attention while carrying this camera about, as it looks so unusual and intriguing to people. I frequently get people coming up to me and asking me about it, and I’m always pleased to tell them why I carry it and still use a film camera.

The display of classic F1 machinery was the ideal subject to capture on the Mamiya C330F.

I look for details in classic pieces of racing machinery, and the 95T Lotus of Nigel Mansell was ideal. The livery of this car is so recognisable, and instantly brings back nostalgic memories of the golden days of Formula 1 racing.

A portrait of a Grid Girl on the Ginetta G55 sports car provided one of the classiest photographs of the show. The Delta 3200 film in 120 format is an excellent film, despite it’s high speed.

The Grid Girls are always one of the most photographed features of car shows, but I wanted to use the C330F and Delta 3200 to create something a bit classier than the usual leering blokes with their arms around the models. This Ginetta grid girl sat on a G55 bonnet, and I used the square format to capture both the model and the motorsport context. I was really happy with the result, and it provided a tasteful photograph.

Final thoughts, other links

After the event, I processed my films, wrote my article for RaceCarBuzz.com and reflected on my first motorsport shoot of the year. I really enjoyed the show, and being part of the media press pass people was a great privilege. I’d like to thank Martin from RaceCarBuzz.com for allowing my to photograph the event on behalf of the website, and I can’t wait to take more photographs and write more articles in the future.

I want to continue to take my Mamiya C330F to other motorsport events through the year, as this camera is a pleasure to use. I am also considering creating a Blurb book of my motorsport shots at the end of the year, if the photos I create are of a good enough quality.

I have a Flickr set of my Autosport International Photographs to view, including photos from the C330F. I’d like to thank Joel Rowbottom again for his generous lending of his Canon 5D MKII, and the rolls of Delta 3200 that I took with me to the show.

Posted in: 6x6, Digital, Film Photography, Medium Format, Motorsport, Press