The inaugural f8 Motorsports Photography Workshop was held March 22-24, 2013 during the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA) Spring Club event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Laguna Seca was even more beautiful than usual with the wild flowers in full bloom and the normal brown hills a bright vibrant green. The ten students attending not only had perfect weather and spectacular backgrounds but also a great selection of historic race cars to shoot over the two-day event.
The students gathered at the track on Friday evening for a 2-hour class that covered shooting techniques, equipment, safety and media requirements. The experience of the participants was varied with a few having shot at Laguna before to one student who only wanted to learn how to photograph his grandkids’ sports events and thought that if he could learn how to shoot a race car at 150 MPH, then taking pictures of children would be easy. Jeffrey Dahl, Llew Kinst and Sports Car Digest’s own Dennis Gray offered personal insight from their lifetime behind the lens as well as hands on practice of different shooting techniques.
Saturday the group was split in half with some following Jeffrey and the others following Dennis out in the field and over the fence for their first time up close to the cars. Each student was given full media credentials and a photo vest to complete the experience of working as a pro. At lunch the conversation and excitement was almost as fast as the cars on track. Techniques were reviewed and a new set of locations explained for the afternoon shoot.
Once the last race was over everyone gathered in the track classroom where John Lamm of Road & Track spoke of his experiences and what to expect as a professional. The second guest speaker Allan Rosenberg spoke on the art of editing and post production. Allan is a master of taking images to that next level of excellence.
Sunday morning was spent shooting people in the paddock and then the students were allowed to take off on their own to shoot what and where they wanted. Over lunch, Pam Shatraw from Victory Lane talked about the ins-and-outs of working with publications and how to get into the business.
Group f8‘s first East Coast event will be held July 13-14, 2013 at Canada’s Mont-Tremblant for the Sommet des Legendes. A new Laguna Seca event has been added to the schedule and will be held during the Legends of Motorsports 50th Anniversary of McLaren, June 15-16. Judging from the grins on each student’s face, we would highly recommend attending. For more information, visit www.f8photoworkshops.com.
The Group f8 students submitted their best work for critique, with our 50 favorite shots displayed in the full-width view of our website. The remaining images can be found on the last page of the article, offering a comprehensive view of all the photographs submitted by the Group f8 participants.
HMSA Spring Club Historic Races 2013 – f8 Student Photo Gallery (no particular order)
Nick Colonna has the power down coming out of Turn 3 in his 1959 Lister Chevrolet. (photo: Victor Varela) Jeffery Giannini drives his 1968 Cheveron B-14 down pit road. (photo: Victor Varela) Chris Locke waits patiently in his 1963 Lotus 27. (photo: Victor Varela) 1973 #42 Chevron B23, driven by Francois Castaing. (photo: Victor Varela) Alex Curtis keeps the back end of this 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL in check, coming out of Turn 11 (photo: Victor Varela) Danny Baker’s 1963 Lotus 27 Formula Junior shows off its cockpit and instumentation. (photo: Victor Varela) Peter Giddings points the 1935 Scuderia Ferrari – Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 into the apex of Turn 11. (photo: Victor Varela) Chip Connor negotiates turn 8 at Laguna Seca. (photo: Andre Urruty) Francois Castaing – 1973 Chevron B23. (photo: Andre Urruty) Michael Sweeney’s Ginetta G4R uses all the available real estate at Laguna Seca’s Turn 5. (photo: Andre Urruty) Glen Oliveria exits Turn 11 in his 1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint in Group 2 during HMSA’s Spring Event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA on March 23, 2013. (photo: Doug McDonald) Peter Giddings powers through Turn 11 in his 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 in Group 3 during HMSA’s Spring event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA on March 23, 2013. (photo: Doug McDonald) Dennis Racine drives his 1966 Morris Mini Cooper S in Group 2 on the Rahal Straight at HMSA’s Spring Event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA on March 24, 2013. (photo: Doug McDonald) Alex Curtis drives his 1955 Mercedes 300SL in Group 3 past Turn 6 at HMSA’s Spring Event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA on March 24, 2013. (photo: Doug McDonald) Lynn Park in a 1964 Cobra sweeps through Turn 5 and Steve Park trails in a 1962 Cobra in Group 6 at HMSA’s Spring Event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA on March 24, 2013. (photo: Doug McDonald) Mark Cane in a 1966 Shelby GT350 exits Turn 5 at HMSA’s Spring Event at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, CA on March 24, 2013. (photo: Doug McDonald) Dennis Adair – 1960 Lotus Elite (photo: Marc Fontes) Jon Norman – 1971 Alfa Romeo GTV (photo: Marc Fontes) Joe Rossi – 1964 Porsche 356C (photo: Marc Fontes) Howard Swig – 1957 Monsterati (photo: Marc Fontes)
Pony Love – Camaro and Mustang (Photo: Kelly Silverthorn) Momo-sponsored Porsche 935 of Chip Connor (Photo: Kelly Silverthorn) Momo-sponsored Porsche 935 of Chip Connor at speed (Photo: Kelly Silverthorn) Details on the Lola T70 Spider (Photo: Kelly Silverthorn) 1964 Shelby Cobra driven by Chip Connor at turn 2 (photo: James Milne) 1959 Lister Chevrolet driven by Nick Colonna (photo: James Milne) Peter Giddings’ 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 (photo: James Milne) Charles McCabe in a 1965 Le Grand Mk 3B (photo: James Milne) 1959 Lister Costin driven by Erickson Shirley (photo: James Milne) Goodwood Revival 2014 – Goodwood Trophy
Tom Morgan – 1956 Morgan 4/4 (photo: Richard Schwarz) Noel Park – 1958 Gorvette (photo: Richard Schwarz) Don Stark – 1962 Lotus 23B (photo: Richard Schwarz) 1964 Cobra with Tim Park at the helm, taking the outside at Laguna Seca. (photo: Andrew Buckley) 1974 Porsche RSR with Dennis Singleton, on the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. (photo: Andrew Buckley) Not your ordinary Sunday drive. (photo: Andrew Buckley) This 1974 Porsche RSR is ignoring the adage to keep all four wheels on the ground. (photo: Andrew Buckley) 1953 Kurtis 500s with John Linfesty. (photo: Andrew Buckley) 1965 Brabham BT-18 at the top of the Corkscrew (photo: Nick Nickerson) Chevrolet Camaro leads the Shelby GT 350. (photo: Nick Nickerson) 1956 Alfa Sebring, Turn 11. (photo: Nick Nickerson) 1970 Porsche 914/6 (photo: Nick Nickerson) Greg Meyer’s Devin SS followed by Nick Colonna in the Lister Chevrolet (photo: Nick Nickerson) Erickson Shirley, ’59 Lister Costin (photo: Nick Nickerson) Nick Collonna takes his Lola T70 Spider into the corkscrew. (photo: Nick Nickerson) Steve Cook in his 1976 March 75B brakes for turn 11. (photo: Larry Albarran) Ted Stroscher in his 1955 190SL leads Alex Curtis’ 300SL out of The Corkscrew. (photo: Larry Albarran) Lawrie Alexander races his 1952 MG TD Special out of the Corkscrew towards turn 9. (photo: Larry Albarran) Chip Connor’s ex Denny Hulme 1974 IROC Porsche. (photo: Larry Albarran) A Lotus soaks up some early morning rays. (photo: Larry Albarran)
HMSA Spring Club Historic Races 2013 – f8 Student General Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
