There is something completely different about photographing motorsport. You don’t really get to slow things down, ask everyone to hold a pose, or wait for the perfect moment. Everything happens quickly, and if you’re not ready, the shot is gone. Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time photographing the Western Australian Speedcar Drivers Association (WASDA), working closely with Golding Motorsports and getting up close with the world of Speedcar racing.
It was a great change of pace from some of the commercial and industrial photography projects I regularly work on around Perth.
Getting Up Close with Speedcar Racing
Speedcars are seriously impressive machines. They’re compact, aggressive, loud and built almost entirely around going fast on a dirt track.
From a photography perspective, they are also a lot of fun to shoot. The cars themselves have plenty of visual character, but it’s the combination of speed, dirt, lighting and movement that makes Speedcar racing particularly interesting. You can have a beautifully composed shot one moment and then have a car disappear through a cloud of dust the next. The challenge is trying to anticipate what is about to happen rather than simply reacting to it.
Working with Golding Motorsports
A big part of this shoot involved working closely with Golding Motorsports, capturing both the car and the people behind it.
Motorsport photography isn’t just about photographing cars going around a track. There is a whole story happening around the racing—the preparation, the drivers, the team, the details of the cars and all the work that goes into getting ready to compete.
Those quieter moments are often just as valuable as the action shots.
Getting images of the team and car away from the intensity of the track helps create a much more complete visual story and gives the team content that can be used across websites, social media and promotional material.
Photographing Speed, Dirt and Movement
One of the things I enjoy most about motorsport photography is that you have to work with the environment rather than against it.
Dust, motion blur, dramatic angles and imperfect conditions can actually make an image stronger. Trying to make everything perfectly clean and controlled would take away some of what makes speedway racing so visually exciting.
The aim was to capture the atmosphere of the racing as much as the cars themselves—the speed, aggression and energy that you experience when you’re standing trackside.
Motorsport Photography for Perth Racing Teams
Professional motorsport photography can give drivers, teams and sponsors a library of images that goes well beyond race-day memories.
Images can be used for:
Team and driver websites
Social media content
Sponsor promotions
Racing team profiles
Media releases
Event promotion
Merchandise and promotional material
Sponsor presentations and proposals
For teams and drivers, having strong professional imagery also gives sponsors something tangible to share and use when promoting their involvement in the sport.
Motorsport Photography in Perth
This WASDA Speedcar shoot was a great reminder of why I enjoy photographing different industries and environments. Every type of photography comes with its own challenges, and motorsport certainly doesn’t give you much time to think about the shot once the cars are on track.
For me, the fun is in trying to anticipate those moments and coming away with images that actually feel like the experience of being there.
I’m looking forward to doing more motorsport photography in Perth, particularly working with racing teams, drivers, clubs and sponsors who want professional imagery that captures both the machines and the people behind them.
