We have been lucky enough to cooperate with Roland Harrison since the beginning of last year and his photos are just simply stunning. Read here what he has to say about The Thrill of Motor Sport Photography.
How did you become a photographer?
My first interest in sport started at an early age as an athlete and as a coach. My passion for photography started later with the advent of the digital age. The freedom to experiment and practice with digital photography opened my eyes to the creative possibilities and marrying this to my passion for sport seemed the natural step. After working for a long time in the sporting profession, I decided to take the leap of faith to become a professional sports photographer. Not a step to take lightly by anyone.
I suspect my path to becoming a professional is not unlike many others. A number of years honing a variety of skills and more importantly your eye for composition and telling a story. I can honestly say that you never stop learning and the breadth of creative opportunities in sport photography still captivates and motivates me to do better every day. I find all types of sport a creative challenge to photograph and my approach always starts by learning as much as I can about the sport and how it is played. Only by knowing the sport can you truly seek imagery that portrays its essence and experience the thrill of motor sport photography.
What do you like about it?
I always get a thrill, even now, looking through my images to see what is revealed through my efforts. Regardless of the sport I always try to portray the essence of the sport in an exciting and dynamic way that captivates the viewer. It is an endless struggle that I love to do. In motorsport, there are many opportunities to capture the sport and not all on the circuit. Keep your perspective and eyes open to all opportunities that present themselves and you will truly see things you missed before.
What makes you tick?
As to some insight in to how I work, my workflow does vary from sport to sport and depends on the urgency and creativity required. In motorsport, it proves difficult to process images whilst working on the ground due to equipment portability and also safety concerns. I always ensure that I capture the best images possible in camera before any post processing. I utilise the various industry standard tools to be efficient and effective including Photomechanic, Photoshop and Lightroom.
Highlights of your career?
My work has enabled me to capture a variety of sport in this country and abroad and I would say my highlights include: Le Mans 24hr, British GT Championships, FIG Gymnastic World Championships, ICF World Canoe Slalom Championships, NFL American Football, Premiership Football, Endurance events and much more. You can see more of my work on Virtual Motorpix’ blog: Our best photographs of 2015 – part 2 as well as read my blog at xciteimages.com
Final words
Finally, all I would like to say is: Don’t stop believing in yourself and what you can achieve. Never stop learning and try to go beyond what you think you are capable of and always work as the photographer you aspire to be.
Written by: Roland Harrison (check out more of Roland’s work on the VMP website)
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