My two great passions are photography and cars.
After spending way too much time watching the work of other automotive photographers I started shooting my own stuff; one thing led to another and, well, now I shoot cars for a living. Not bad for a car enthusiast, huh?
But even if shooting cars takes up to 90% of my time, I still very much enjoy going to car shows. Without anyone else telling you how to take the pictures, I feel the freedom that every photographer desperately seeks. Plus, living near Modena and Bologna in Italy, home of the so-called ‘Motor Valley,’ it’s quite easy to find car-related events here and there.
So, what better way to spend a rare free weekend than go to the track and shoot some rare cars.
Every year, Top Gear magazine organizes a few car shows at race tracks in Italy. The latest one was held at Autodromo di Modena, not a particularly famous track, but in Modena even grandmas love fast cars.
I was so pumped to get out to the event; I heard that Horacio Pagani himself was bringing along some cars (and I’m a sucker for Pagani) and Top Gear was also celebrating its anniversary. It was shaping up to be the perfect day.
As soon as I arrived at the track I was welcomed by the sight of two Huayras – a BC and a Roadster – parked in the middle of the lot just outside the pitlane. Along with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, American classics (why not?), French hatchbacks and even a few Mazda RX-7s, it was an amazing sight.
But something was odd. I had this strange feeling like I was forgetting something really important, like when you’re about to board a plane and you just know that you left something important at home. Never mind, I’ll remember eventually… But more important stuff was going on: the two Paganis had been fired up and they were approaching the track entrance. It was a sound I won’t easily forget.
In the middle of the afternoon the bomb dropped on me – I had completely forgotten I had a date with a girl in the evening, something planned days before. Of course, there was plenty of time to go home, change and meet her. The Huayras were about to enter the track; what petrol-head could resist? Ten more minutes and I would be on my way, right?
Wrong. The hours flew by, I was still shooting pictures with one hand and texting a lame excuse with the other.
Long story short, eventually I felt guilty and the next day I told her the truth. She kindly told me to f**k off. And yes, I’m still single. But hey, I got some sweet pictures of, not one, but two Paganis.
Andrea Panisi
Instagram: andrea_panisi
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