ARTICLE: Trackside Focus and the Turning Point in My Motorsport Photography Career

I’ve always loved cars and motorsport. That’s never changed. The sound, the design, the atmosphere, it’s always pulled me in. I used to take photos at events on my iPhone, just for fun. Nothing serious, just a way to capture the moments.

Then one day I started to realise people actually seemed to like my photos. Friends, car owners, even strangers online were commenting on them. Looking back now, I cringe at what I actually produced, the composition, the editing, all of it. But we all start somewhere, and at the time, those early shots were what kept me going.

I’m in my late 50s and have had a full-time career for over 40 years, so this was never about chasing a new job. I just wanted something creative and challenging, something to put my focus into as I looked toward the future. Car photography felt like the perfect fit. I was already attending car meets and track days, so why not bring a proper camera?

Before I found motorsport photography, I’d attended a few photography workshops, mainly landscape-focused, just to get experience using my camera and learning the basics. Those helped me build confidence with exposure, composition, and editing, but I quickly realised my real passion wasn’t in fields or forests. It was on the tarmac.

At that stage, I was mainly shooting static automotive photos, cars at shows, private shoots, museum displays. I loved the creativity of finding angles and reflections, but there was no real motion involved. Deep down, I knew that motorsport was where the real challenge was. That’s where the energy, precision, and storytelling truly come alive.

By then I already knew how to use my camera. I understood exposure, focus, composition, and could edit confidently. What I needed wasn’t someone to show me which dial to turn, I wanted to elevate my photography and gain real trackside experience. I wanted to understand how things actually worked in that environment, the access, the etiquette, the workflow, and how professionals operated under real racing conditions.

That’s when I came across Trackside Focus®.

The Real Value

After researching it properly and speaking with Greg, the owner, what struck me was how different the offering was. These weren’t casual “learn your camera” weekends. They were structured, media-accredited experiences run by people who actually work in GT racing, for automotive brands and magazines.

I compared the domestic and international tours and weighed up the costs. They weren’t cheap, but they were complete. Accreditation, tuition, hotels, hospitality, logistics. Everything was handled. It was a proper professional setup, not just a guided photo walk.

What you pay for isn’t simply access; it’s immersion. You get thrown into the real-world rhythm of motorsport photography, the timing, the pressure, the need to work around people who are there to do a job. That’s the education most photographers never get.

For me, the cost wasn’t a question of whether I could justify it. It was whether I could afford not to do it.

What Most Photographers Get Wrong

A lot of photographers misunderstand what workshops like Trackside Focus actually are. There’s this assumption that it’s just another teaching tour, someone showing you how to use your camera or adjust your shutter speed. It isn’t that at all.

You don’t have time to learn how to use your camera in a professional setting. The pro photographers on these tours aren’t there to teach you which buttons to press, they’re there to help you refine your craft. It’s about light, angles, what to shoot, when to shoot, and how to handle yourself in a live motorsport environment.

If you don’t already know your gear, you’ll quickly fall behind. The focus here is on awareness, timing, and professionalism. You’re learning how to operate in a working environment, how to anticipate moments, move safely, and deliver results under pressure.

You’re not there to have your hand held. You’re there to operate like a professional. That means being aware of where you stand, reading the race, staying alert, and working efficiently without getting in the way. It’s about learning the unwritten rules, the stuff no manual or YouTube video will ever teach you.

It’s the difference between taking photos at a race and working within one.

Why It’s Worth the Cost

It’s easy to look at the cost of a workshop like this and flinch. But the reality is, you’re paying for experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else.

The accreditation alone opens doors that most photographers will never access. Add to that the tuition, the feedback, the chance to see how professionals operate under real conditions, and it’s a level of insight that accelerates your growth by years.

It’s not just an educational spend; it’s an investment in confidence.

After that kind of experience, you come home with more than good photos. You come back with a professional mindset, one that understands pace, process, and purpose.

You start to see your own potential differently.

Why More Photographers Should Be Doing This

What genuinely surprises me is how few photographers take this route. I often hear excuses: it’s expensive, it’s intimidating, or they think they can learn it all on their own.

The truth is, you can’t replicate that level of exposure on your own. You can spend years standing behind fences, or you can spend a few days learning from people already working inside the system. One approach teaches you technique. The other teaches you professionalism.

Photographers are getting hung up on the cost and not weighing up the value. You’re not just buying access, you’re buying experience, mentorship, and credibility. The return is bigger than the money spent. It’s the difference between guessing what works and knowing what works.

And here’s the reality that most people miss: even if you somehow got media access tomorrow, you wouldn’t know what to do with it. You’d arrive at the circuit and have no idea where to park, how to sign on, or which access routes are for accredited photographers. You wouldn’t know where the safe zones are, how to move between corners, or how to coordinate with marshals. Most tracks only have a handful of access points around the perimeter, and it’s easy to find yourself stranded on the wrong side of a fence if you don’t know the system.

That’s before you even get to the working side, dealing with light changes, rain delays, red flags, or understanding how to safely photograph a live pit lane. There are a thousand small things that separate working trackside from simply attending as a spectator. Workshops like Trackside Focus prepare you for all of that.

It’s like learning to drive a car. You can study the rules, understand how the pedals work, and watch videos about steering technique, but until you sit in the driver’s seat with an instructor beside you, you don’t know how to drive. You’re not paying for someone to teach you what the pedals do; you’re paying for someone to teach you how to use them safely, confidently, and in the real world. Trackside photography works the same way.

Too many photographers confuse confidence with competence. They think because they can operate a camera, they’re ready for trackside work. But there’s a huge gap between being able to take a good photo and being able to function as a professional in a live motorsport environment.

That’s why I believe more people should invest in this kind of experience, not to learn the buttons on a camera, but to learn what it means to work professionally.

What It Taught Me About the Industry

I really only started to learn what it meant to be a motorsport photographer after that first tour. It opened my eyes to the realities of shooting in a live, high-pressure environment, and how much professionalism and discipline it takes to do it well.

Since then, I’ve taken part in a couple of additional tours in the UK. Those weren’t accredited, but they were equally valuable. They helped me reinforce what I’d learned and build solid working practices that I still use today.

Along the way, I met a lot of great photographers, people who shared the same drive and obsession for the craft. I made important contacts, many of whom I still work with or speak to regularly. That network became a big part of my growth. I also started getting noticed by magazines, brands, and teams, the kind of recognition that simply wouldn’t have happened without building both the experience and the credibility that came from those tours.

Being trackside changes how you see photography altogether. You stop thinking about single frames and start thinking in sequences, how one moment builds into the next. You learn to anticipate motion, not react to it. You start shooting for rhythm, not luck.

Even with experience, you quickly realise how much you don’t know. Every circuit, every event, every light condition teaches you something new. The best photographers aren’t the loudest ones, they’re the ones still learning.

Seeing the sport from the inside changes everything. You understand how much coordination and safety goes into each moment. You see the teamwork between marshals, photographers, and race control. You learn respect, for the sport, for the people, and for the craft.

If you’ve read my other articles about gaining media access and what to do after gaining it, this gives a good insight into what you can learn through structured, professional experience. Trackside Focus essentially bridges that gap between theory and reality.

It taught me that being a good motorsport photographer isn’t just about producing great images. It’s about fitting into a working ecosystem. When you get that right, everything else follows.

Final Thoughts

Attending Trackside Focus wasn’t just a workshop, it was a mindset shift. It pushed me out of the comfort zone of static automotive shoots and forced me to think, react, and plan like a professional.

It was one of the best investments I’ve made in my creative life. Not because it handed me success, but because it showed me what success requires.

If you’re serious about motorsport photography, don’t dismiss opportunities like this as “just another course.” It’s not. It’s the bridge between knowing your camera and knowing the craft.

If I were younger and serious about pursuing motorsport photography as a full-time career, this is absolutely the way I’d make a start.

And once you’ve stood on the other side of that barrier, media vest on, cars screaming past at 200mph, you’ll understand exactly why it’s worth every penny.

I try to pass on what I’ve learned to others coming into the sport because someone once took the time to do that for me. That’s how the craft grows, one photographer helping the next find their footing, just as I did. LEARN TO INVEST IN YOURSELF.

Find out more at www.tracksidefocus.com