We take many thousands of images each year, always trying to make the drivers look cool. But beside each driver, you’ll see an instructor in the passenger seat, delivering advice and guidance at a rate that might sometimes seem as if he’s breathing through his ears. Here’s a few thoughts from instructor Neill Watson and a glimpse into the world of being photographed on track from a Motorsport instructors viewpoint.

We have a limited time with the guests before they start driving. After all everyone wants to get right out on track, who wants to waste time chatting to the instructor, never mind being photographed? From an instructors perspective, the chat can go something like this..

“Ok, so that’s how the paddle shift works” Mental thought, ‘please don’t call it a flappy paddle, it’s a sequential shift and I hate Top Gear’. “Into first, stop by the guy with the camera.” Sometimes it takes a direct instruction to get drivers stop and have a picture taken. After all, this is the first time some is about to let them take a Ferrari or a Lamborghini out on track and drive it hard, so excitement is natural. Despite some drivers saying that they won’t want a photo, its surprising how often I see them choosing one later in the day.

Of course, the last thing you may want is “Smile for the camera” at this point. I’d not call myself the most photogenic person in the world, so I’m quite happy not to be in the pitlane pictures, though sometimes I have a sore thigh at the end of the day from being beaten with Nikon camera bodies and photographers elbows as they reach past me for the shot to do their job effectively. Once out on track, I can pretty much forget about the trackside photographers. Unlike some event shooters, MI Images use high quality long lenses on track and position themselves cleverly to get a great shot with lots of car action, showing the driver behind the wheel, but still remaining well out of the way and safe. It’s one less distraction for an instructor and something that many event photographers forget too easily.

Marc’s often commenting about how sometimes the instructor in the passenger seat looks like he’s scowling. It’s not that we’re unhappy, more to do with the fact that effective track instruction requires constant commentary from the passenger seat and while we try to smile as we pass the trackside photographer, sometimes we’re half way through a comment or we simply have other things on our minds.

From a purely personal viewpoint, I prefer the still photos to the in-car videos you sometimes see. Most people tend to watch a video once or twice, then it gets lost at the back of the cupboard. The photographs on the other hand, can be printed, framed and hung on the wall, shared on Facebook and so forth. And best of all, you can’t hear my voice and your pals won’t see your mistakes!