Monday, 8 May 2017

Rally - Photo of the Year



We're not even half way through 2017 yet and already there is a clear cut contender for photo of the year. No, not the picture above, see the link below. However, the picture alongside is the guy who I reckon has already taken the picture of the year, Eddie Kelly.

Many of you will have seen his action stuff, although it really deserves a wider audience, but there's more to being a good photographer than being in the right place at the right time. Anyone with a modern digital camera or even a smartphone has a bluidy good chance of getting good pictures these days.

However, it's one thing to take a couple of good pics every now and again, quite another to achieve a consistency of quality. For those others who aren't quite good enough, there is Photoshop!

No doubt I'll get some schtick from Mr K next time I see him, but I rate him as one of the best motorsport photographers around these days. Not only does he have the artistic ability to spot a good subject and location, but he has the technical competency to turn that into an evocative and memorable image.

In the days of film and negatives, chemicals and dark rooms I was fortunate to be influenced and encouraged by Eric Bryce and the late Bill Henderson, and inspired by the 'Autosport' and 'World Rallying' photographer Hugh Bishop.

I would place Eddie amongst those, but he has taken his craft to new heights, literally. He's got one of those fleein' things with camera attached which takes aerial photos. Aerial photography on this scale is such a new thing that we are all mesmerised by the birds-eye view we see of ordinary, everyday things we take for granted, but like any other craft, some people are better at it than us ordinary folks.

Eddie's aerial image of Kames Motorsport complex at Muirkirk, as used on the Home page of East Ayrshire Car Club, is one such example. I'm fair jealous!



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