How long have you been photographing motorsports? About five years now. My parents are into rallying in a big way and they got me hooked on the sport. I combined that with a growing passion of photography and the rest is history! What photography equipment do you use? I started out with a Fuji Finepix 6900 Zoom, then progressed onto a Fuji S7000. Last year I bought a Nikon D70 (digital SLR) and am extremely happy with the results it produces. Next camera? Who knows but I am pretty sure it will be another Nikon! Favourite / least favourite photographic assignment?
 | | Photo: Mark Sayer |
It sounds cheesy but I enjoy all the events I work on and in all weather conditions. I guess one that sticks in my mind was when I attended a press day for a rally in Grizedale Forest (Cumbria) and was treated to a 4 mile ride through a forest stage in an Evo - possibly the most exciting thing I have done (well that you could publish!). Working at the Autosport Show this year was a lot of fun too - it made a change to be under a roof away from the elements! Who is your rally hero? Colin McRae has to be number one! Although all the UK drivers deserve stacks of admiration - it takes a great deal of spirit, ambition and guts to to what they do. Have you ever driven a racing car? I competed in a "12 car" rally in 2003 and won first place novice. I was also placed fifth overall which was quite surprising as it was my first event! What are the challenges of motorsports photography? I guess the biggest challenge of any kind to a photographer is to try and get that image no one else got: cars airborne, big splashes and mud flying make for great shots. The other big challenge is knowing when to move! Many photographers believe in the magic media tabard - a garment of clothing that will protect them from cars whose driver got it "a little wrong" - in my opinion those white vests are danger magnets - there have been a few close calls over the years! Do you have any tips for anyone wanting to photograph motorsports? Buy the best camera you can afford, you can pick up so many great cameras now relatively cheaply. Be very patient with your results and don't give up - photographing an object moving at high speed through a forest is not easy and lots of images will more than likely be deleted but when you get 'the' shot it is all worth while. And be ready to get out of your warm bed very early on cold Sunday mornings... there is nothing like the smell of bacon frying when you are stood in the middle of a forest at sunrise! To take a look at some of Mark's photographs follow the link below. | 
