Access Pit Lane, Track, Media Centre... Part 3

The month of June is dominated, as it is every year for sportscar folk, by the race twice around the clock held in France - the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This year the focus was even more centered on the month of June, as the test days were moved from their usual early May date to just two weeks before the race itself. This was done to accommodate the needs of the American Le Mans series and its competitors, with the result that those of us working at the event would spend some 12 to 14 days in the region.

As with any shoot, my first step had to be careful planning or, as my colleague David Lister calls it, the "5- P" rule, Planning Prevents Pi** Poor Performance. This is essential whether you are going alone to an event such as Le Mans as a professional, a keen amateur or a semi- pro.  (I assume you will fall into one of these categories, otherwise you would not be reading these words.)

The planning process involves several areas and topics, such as travel and other essentials, that are not strictly related to photography. Some are covered in detail on websites such as http://www.clubarnage.com or http://www.beermountain.com (no prize for guessing that this site is British!), so I will not deal with them here. The two main topics of planning will be what equipment to take, and where and when to actually start taking pictures. For someone like myself the "what to take" is easy, everything, and a backup if possible. But for those of you intent on enjoying the event in other ways than photography, bringing the right amount of camera gear along is important. The heavyweight tripod for those time exposure shots at night might seem like a good idea at the time, but after several hours of carrying this extra baggage around, any "return" will seem small. So the message is to keep it simple:  one body, two lenses maximum (wide angle and telescopic), and plenty of digital media and spare batteries.

This choice of equipment will also be determined by the range of topics open to the general public. Insurance and safety requirements mean that debris fencing and increased distance from the track are now facts of life; so accept that and plan accordingly. There is no point in trying to get the same results as those trackside close- up shots of the cars as they compete, but capturing the event atmosphere should be possible whether or not the photographer has a media credential or not. It takes imagination and vision.

During the Le Mans week there are many opportunities for the general public to get close to the cars and drivers in a way that has long ceased in Formula One. Scrutineering and Administrative Checks happen in the middle of the city during Monday and Tuesday. Every team along with the cars and drivers have to present themselves for this process, which is an ideal time to get as many detail shots as are required, plus those all-important portraits of the drivers along with the odd autograph or two. Similarly, on Friday evening there is the drivers’ parade through the streets where again photography is possible. During the days leading up to the race, there is considerable access to the pitlane to get the close-in stuff, plus interact with the teams.

I had the pleasure of working the 2005 Le Mans race with David Lister, a top snapper in his own right. We spent many hours over a few beers working out what we were going to do and when. But, central to this was a set of criteria that I have worked out over the years of covering the event. From my perspective, there are five must- have themes to illustrate at Le Mans:

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The start is pretty much the same every year; the cars with the packed grandstands in the background. There used to be a classic Le Mans shot from the bottom of the hill, on the run down from the Dunlop Bridge to the Esses, but modifications demanded by the motorcycle lobby to this part of the track ended that alternative.  So the money shot is with the grandstands, crowd and leaders. Yet, even something this simple requires thought! There is limited space for all the photographers, so things are on a first come, first served basis. Be prepared to stand out in the sun for an hour or two waiting in the right spot. Also to be considered is the choice between landscape and portrait. What does your assignment dictate? For those without passes who can somehow evade the fences, it is best to shoot wide to get the feel of the crowd and the size of the field. You can get shots before the cars set off on their warm up lap. Other topics could be other members of the crowd - or even those old faithfuls, the Hawaiian Tropic Girls!

Atmosphere is a much looser brief, but no less difficult for that. There is so much going on at Le Mans that trying to get a flavor of the event into your photography is difficult, but worthwhile. Using the countryside where the track runs on public roads is effective, but time spent navigating the way to each of the spots can be considerable and the helpful Gendarmerie are ever more inventive in their one-way systems. The various parades create chances for the offbeat shot. Fernando Alonzo does not pose in the back of a vintage car on the Friday before a Grand Prix, but you will find Tom Kristensen doing so - waving to the fans and actually looking happy in this role. Also, the crowd participate themselves with such bizarre groups as the Chopper Display Squadron and the Red Sparrows. Beer and exhibitionism go hand in hand and no one would have it any other way.

Sunset is a crucial time, as the light hits a sweet spot that makes the pictures look saturated and really warm. This year I decided to try and shoot into the setting sun to see how the digital cameras with their ability to capture details in the shadows would fare. I was impressed and pleased with the results.

Similarly, sunrise is also a difficult but essential time to capture the action. The climb up the hill to the Dunlop Bridge with all the gear after a week of photography required gritting of teeth, but the reward was a great sunrise; no excuses this year.  Shooting against back light is easier these days with the ability to review the results on the back of the camera rather than have to wait until processing, so minor adjustments can be made on the fly. Try to vary the exposure by looking to exploit the ability of the camera to capture shadow detail. This is done almost by feel rather than science and has worked okay for me.

Sunset and sunrise are really important as they are unique to 24 Hours races and give a strong visual image of the changing conditions experienced by the competitors.

During this year’s race I had to prepare and transmit a major edit for one of my magazine clients, which had to be at their picture desk by 6.00 p.m. Sunday - only two hours after the flag drops for the end of the race. This meant that after the exhilaration of capturing a real sunrise, the drudge part of the job (staring at a screen while really tired and editing the thousands of images) came into play.  However, the purpose of being in France was to turn the effort into money, which will not happen until the product is delivered to the customer, as with any other form of business. So stop complaining and get editing.

The finish shot at Le Mans is always especially important. With Tom Kristensen taking the final stint in his Champion Audi on his way to an all time record of seven, yes seven, overall victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours 2005’s, the victory salute would be really significant. The problem is how to cover this? The Audi victories of 2000, 2001 and 2003 were celebrated by Tom Kristensen’s teammate Emanuele Pirro in fine style. The 2004 victor, Seiji Ara, hurtled across the line at full speed, leaving most of us empty handed. What would Tom do? Also, there were great shots to be had of the teams as they crowded the pitwall to pay their respects to any car that made the finish. So, a gamble is made and you try to see all the action at once. I did manage to nail a finish shot which I was happy with, whirling the 500mm around like a dervish trying to get track and team action simultaneously.

Another 24 Hours at Le Mans (number 26 by my last count). The greatest race in the world without any doubt - to watch, compete or photograph.

John Brooks, June 2005

John Brooks uses:

Cameras:
Canon 1D ll
Canon 1Ds ll

Lenses (all Canon):
16-35mm f2.8
24-70mm f2.8
70-200mm f2.8
300mm f2.8
500mm f4.0

Storage:
A variety of memory cards by CompactFlash, MicroDrive and Secure Digital, totally 14 GB.

PC:
Sony S2XP laptop

More images by John Brooks may be found at:
www.SportsCarPros.com

© 2005, John Brooks (All Pictures)