Without doubt, this was pretty much the most difficult thing I’ve ever had the misfortune of doing as a Speedhunter. When we kicked off the #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER program earlier in the year, submissions were few and far between and quality was generally lacking. However, as the weeks rolled on the numbers picked up but the quality absolutely exploded. Trying to narrow down the thousands of awesome submissions to just fifteen has been quite taxing. If you haven’t made it, don’t be disheartened. You were probably closer to being nominated than you’ll ever know, it was that close. Chins up and keep shooting. For now, here are the nominations…
For the full images, please click on the nomination’s name.
This nomination isn’t so much a photograph as it is a story. Controlling natural light can be a challenge, but the execution here is flawless.
Andrea’s capture of this Ferrari 458 just oozes atmosphere. The composition of the car on the left side of the frame, leaving room for the car to move into adds to it.
Taking a face full of dirt from Mads Østberg has paid off here. Again, an off-centre composition which shows the car’s route through the frame has completed a perfectly executed shot.
I was once told that the greatest photograph is often behind you. It’s easy to get carried away with action shots at a race meeting, but there’s also a different world worth exploring behind the scenes.
With the subject located in the centre of the frame, notice the use of leading lines to bring your eye to the car. Combined with superb colour toning and you can see why this image made it.
Filip has consistently delivered images of a high standard every week. This drifting shot is more than your regular drifting image. Using the silhouettes of people in the foreground to frame the car, along with a shallow depth of field has perfectly captured this fleeting moment in time.
From behind the barriers, Hussein captured one of my favourite panning shots of #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER in 2012. The muted colours contrasting with the prominent reds is just fantastic.
One of the earliest submissions to the program was Jeff Chin’s beautiful photograph of a Ferrari 599 preparing for winter hibernation.
Jordan has sent us in some stellar work this year including this incredibly clean and crisp shot of one of the RWB cars. I always enjoy when a photographer captures not just the car, but the lifestyle around it too.
F1 cars aren’t slow. In fact, they are quite difficult to capture but Kenneth done a sublime job capturing Alonso at the recent F1 USA event. Using the horizontal lines to create a pattern has worked here with great success.
The only diptych in this year’s nominations comes from Luke Huxham. The balance of the presentation along with the excellent captures was more than enough for this to get the nod.
A wet skid pan can be a nightmare to shoot but this didn’t stop Nick Reeves from getting up close and personal with this orange PS13. Shooting through the spray and capturing the intensity of the orange paint worked fantastically in Nick’s favour.
You’d be mistaken if you thought that with lighting conditions like this, all you would have to do is press the shutter. Extracting the absolute best from any condition is what separates a photograph from a snapshot.
I’ve often said that a photograph need not be technically perfect to be a good photograph. What this shot does is capture an atmosphere and mood like no other, you can almost smell the brakes and hear the engine noise.
The final nomination is proof that you don’t need expensive camera gear to capture a moment. Proof if needed that the most important part of a photographer’s arsenal is the twelve inches behind the viewfinder.
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Paddy McGrath
paddy@dev.speedhunters.com
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