Australian Photography – September 2019

(Jacob Rumans) #1

MOMENT


OF IMPACT


We work for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix
promoters, and a key image for them is obviously the
start, with the Singapore logo on the bridge above the
track. In 2017 I was tasked with getting this image.
I first shot the starting grid before walking down
to turn one, and up into the grandstand, which has
an area for the photographers. It's also head-on to
the corner.
Using a 70-200mm lens allowed me to perfectly
pre-frame and pre-focus the shot to include the
Singapore bridge logo. It was then just a matter of
waiting for the five red lights to go out; the cars to
start the race and fill the bottom of the frame, and
the job would be done – or so I thought.
The two Ferraris decided that night they would
drive into each other and end their F1 World
Championship challenge for 2017, and I was in the
perfect position to shoot the whole sequence as they
spun towards me.
This frame is very early in the accident, whilst the
cars were under the bridge, but it ended with two-
time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso flying over
another car right in front of us at the first turn.
The normal reaction from the photo tower after
something like this while everyone looks around,
is “Wow!” - quickly followed by “Did you get it?” I
selected the best four or five frames and sent them
from the camera to our onsite digital tech, and the
shots were being used online before the cars even
restarted the race.
The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand
Prix 2019 will be held from September 20-22, with
more information at singaporegp.sg.

CANON EOS-1D X MARK II, EF70-200MM
F/2.8L IS II USM LENS. 1/1000S @ F4, ISO 2000.

BEHIND THE LENS


PHOTOGRAPHER: STEVEN TEE
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