TAKING CORNERS

SILVERSTONE CLUB CIRCUIT

e excellent photographs that accompany many of the race reports in MOG are the work of Tripos Media, and Bob Bull gives us a li le insight to the art of ge ing the right picture at the right place.

WORDS Bob Bull PHOTOGR APHY Tripos Media

First corner is Copse, a very fast right hander, cars stay to the le on entry before heading for the apex

he Silverstone circuit has a number of T confi gurations ranging from the full Grand Prix layout, down to the Driving School track. e National, or Club Circuit is used by most Clubs organising a meeting at the circuit, however, uniquely Silverstone can accommodate two diff erent events on the same day, as the lower half of the Grand Prix layout is used for the South Circuit, a fully resourced facility separate from the National version, and when two events are run on the same day, you can hear the sound of racing cars in all directions, which can be confusing.

When working as a photographer at any particular circuit, there are a number of vantage points from which to take your pictures, and most snappers have their own

A fi eld of Morgans demonstrate the correct (?) line through the turn …

favourite spots. For instance at Silverstone you will always see a number of photographers clustered around the Complex which incorporates Brooklands, a le hand corner at the end of the Wellington Straight, and Luffi eld In‘ and ‘Luffi eld Out’, which allows a variety of shots, as it takes the cars in a sweeping U-Turn, meaning that the best of the prevailing light can be utilised depending on the time of day. I suspect its proximity to the Paddock Bar might also be a factor. Even the Papparazzi do not have unfe ered access to every part of the circuit, as certain sections are labelled ‘Red Zones’ and deemed too dangerous for photography. is is probably a sensible

Flat out before preparing to brake for Brooklands

Drivers stay on the right for the only le hand corner on the circuit, most taking all of the road

precaution, as it is all too easy to be squinting through a lens, and fail to spot the wildly careering car coming your, way, e fi rst corner, on the Club Circuit is Copse, a fast right hander with plenty of run-off and a deep gravel bed for the over enthusiastic, it is also convenient to the Paddock area, and has easy access to both the inside and outside of the track, and of course, frequently sees an opening lap kerfuffl e. From Copse there is a long run down to Becke s, at the bo om end of the circuit, a favourite spot of my own. I have noticed that it is rarely visited by the majority of photographers on duty, (perhaps because of its distance from the Paddock Bar) while the

gap between the edge of the raised banking, and the safety fence is narrow, and stony underfoot which is not an deal base when trying to capture a speeding car, particularly if ‘panning’ Despite the disadvantages, it off ers a number of angles to shoot from meaning a nice variety of images, as cars appear from your right, giving frontal, side and rear views, before taking the right hand turn that leads onto the Wellington Straight. A more popular spot is the inside of the corner, as this is easier to reach from the Paddock, and it allows a nice shot of the cars leaving the corner and heading down to Brooklands Corner. Here is where the majority of Photographers can be found, which is unsurprising for the reasons mentioned earlier. Personally I like the inside of the corner at the end of the straight as you can see the drivers working hard, and the suspension even harder, plus when the sun is in the right place, you can get very good quality pictures, with the BRDC Grandstand, and the marshals in the background, adding atmosphere to the image. A major advantage of this area is the ease of capturing multiple corners during even the shortest of races, as it is a short walk from corner to corner, enabling a wide range of angles, once again giving the variety wanted by picture editors. From the Le Hander at the end of the straight you move to the Right Hand ‘Luffi eld In’ which allows some excellent frontal shots, especially on the fi rst lap when the cars are still

It is usually worthwhile taking a stroll through the Paddock, as there are always interesting sights to record with the camera

Staying on the right side of the marshals is a good idea for the photographer

bunched up. In addition there are opportunities to catch cars from the rear, and from the front with only a few steps between, ideal for the more idle snapper. Moving along the banking takes you to Luffi eld Out, which leads onto to the fi nishing straight, and the chequered fl ag. e outside of the fi nal corner is also a good place to shoot from, and is usually well populated with photographers, e infi eld of the Complex is one of the Red Zones, a pity, as prior to being banned to photographers, a few years ago, I took a lot of very good actions shots from its many angles.

Photographic opportunities for the spectator are virtually non-existent, due the high catch fencing surrounding the circuit, however, as access to the Paddock is free, it is well worth taking your camera along.