A Case Study

The Composition

I've mentioned before that one of the pleasures of Brand Photography is the variety of work involved. From shooting a Plastic Surgery one week to a Bowling Alley the next, then one day I get a phone call from Leo Nulty Promotions who needs some new PR images for his client....Nicole Drought, a racing driver from Roscrea. I'd never been to Mondello before so this was a treat for me.

The Photoshoot

Nicole was test driving a Ginetta G50 racing car which lent itself perfectly to the job I was assigned. She flew around the track, which made me gulp in admiration, as I picked my jaw up off the ground, I had to remind myself I was there to shoot some Brand photography!

Foot to the floor as the Ginetta, with Nicole at the wheel, flies past

You'll see that I used a panning technique for this shot. It takes a bit of practice to get it right but by combining, a shutter speed fast enough to get the car in sharp detail whilst slow enough to have the wheels blurred. Then you gently pan the camera as the car flies past ensuring the background is blurred too. It creates a great sense of movement.

Ginetta G50 being put through its paces by Nicole Drought

I probably spent longer on location than I needed to but sometimes the job is so cool that its actually a pleasure to be there. Nicole was a delight to work with, very relaxed and comfortable in her surroundings. It made my job so much easier that she was so in tune with the car and the track.

Nicole getting some advice from professional racing driver Connaire Finn

Nicole looking relaxed before taking on the might of the Ginetta

It was easy to grab these candid shots, I took loads, but, of course, my directive was to get those brand images that could be used for both PR and on her website. After testing we set the car up on the track at the finishing line and got Nicole to pull the poses. She's a natural to be honest which made my job so much easier as I'm sure you'll agree...

Results from the Darkroom

Up and coming racing driver, Nicole Drought poses for a lifestyle shot

Nicole looking calm, relaxed and assured