FAQ
Q. How do I become a Formula 1 Photographer?
KEEP READING! .... Or take the Paddock Focus F1 Workshop --- > LINK
Q. How did you become a motorsport photographer?
I've ALWAYS loved motorsport. I would look at every page of F1 Racing Magazine growing up, but I rarely read the articles. I would instead feverishly flip through looking at the stunning photos from top motorsport photographers, and STUDY the images. What did I like about those images? What did I dislike about others?
In 2008, I was given an entry level DSLR for my 21st birthday as a sophomore in college. I quickly took to taking photos of my college swimming events, other college sports at my university, and some of the horse races I was riding in as a jockey (yes, I was a jockey).
As I learned photography and built a strong network of people I knew from shooting those small events, I started getting paid to cover bigger sporting events and horse races beyond the ones I was personally riding in. Horse racing transitioned to covering low level dirt track races in Kentucky & North Carolina, karting races, track days at various places and attending many MANY races as a fan with a camera.
All of that slowly turned into covering professional car races for smaller clients and a little money, which evolved into the career I have today. I became a full time photographer (i.e. no other form of income) in 2014.
**I want to reiterate something. I started with photography in 2008. I wasn't credentialed to cover a pro car race until 2011, and wasn't a full time photographer until 2014. That's 6 years of photography between starting to take photos and going full time at it. It takes time!!**
Q. What Camera should I buy for motorsport photography?
A. I wrote a whole blog post about this to help you. But it's not what you think the answer is. Read it and hopefully you'll learn more about why the answer is different from person to person. https://www.jameypricephoto.com/post/what-camera-should-i-buy-for-motorsports-photography
Q. What was the first professional car race you covered with credentials?
My first pro car race was Kimi Raikkonen's 2011 NASCAR Truck race debut at Charlotte Motorspeedway! I "cold called" an agency in England and asked if they wanted someone to cover it, and they said "SURE!" I got a few hundred dollars and a foot in the door to two world's I had always dreamed of being in: motorsport and more specifically, Formula 1. It was a weekend I'll never forget.
Q. How can I become a motorsport photographer and shoot all the big races?!
I teach a photography workshop series with my colleague Drew Gibson. Together we have decades worth of experience and have spent tens of thousands of hours trackside covering the biggest racing events in the world, for some of the biggest clients in the world. We teach you how you can get credentials to events, and start earning money from racing photography. You can learn more on our workshop website HERE -- https://paddockfocus.teachable.com/
Q. Ok. I definitely want to become a motorsport photographer. Where do I start?
There is no school or apprenticeship program to attend that will start your career toward motorsport photography. The Workshops I teach are the only program I know of that is specifically designed toward helping you start your career.
The best, and ONLY way to start is by going to races as a fan, and bring your camera. As racing fans, we are so incredibly lucky that most tracks and series ENCOURAGE you to bring your camera gear to the races, share it with the wider world on social media. Do research on your area of the world, or region and see what you can attend and start going to races. But remember, that the bigger the race is, the worse the access will be for you as a fan. For example you will not be getting anywhere close to the paddock, drivers or cars at an F1 race, but you would quite easily do so at an IMSA or SRO race, or track day event. Learn your craft at smaller events. Thank me later.
Q. Do I need a press credential to take pretty photos?
NO, YOU DO NOT! Most professional racing photographers spend a good part of our day during a race weekend shooting from general admission fan areas and grandstands with you! Most tracks in the United States, and a good bunch in Europe are amazingly fan accessible that you don't need credentials to make the same images I can WITH credentials. This excludes most of the F1 tracks. So go to smaller venues to build your portfolio.
Q. Which has been your favorite race to cover?
Le Mans 24, Nurburgring 24, Daytona 500. Indy 500. The atmosphere. The cars. The tracks. These are some of the biggest races in the world. It is all so challenging and so special. I'm so thankful to have covered Le Mans several times in my short career, and to have been once as a fan in 2012. It will forever hold a special place in my heart. Monaco is amazing as well. Having F1 cars whizzing by that close is one of the coolest things you can ever experience. The manic atmosphere of the Macau GP is fun too. The track is wild.
Q. How can I get a press/media credential?
Press credentials are given only to those working members of the press/media with clients or an assignment specific to that race. You will only pick up team/driver/sponsor clients after many races, and potentially years of working around a specific series or sport. Start by going to small races, and build your photography portfolio of images, and meet people along the way. If you aren't comfortable meeting people, and talking to people, this may not be the career for you, even if you are the most talented photographer on the planet. Ultimately taking pretty pictures isn't enough. You have to be able to sell your pretty pictures.
Q. How does one become an F1 photographer?
I STRONGLY recommend you take our Paddock Focus : Guide to Formula 1 Photography. You can find more information here --> https://paddockfocus.teachable.com/p/formulaone
In short, think of becoming an F1 photographer the same way F1 drivers become F1 drivers. Learn your trade at the small events (Do I sound like a broken record yet?)
Lewis Hamilton didn't become Lewis Hamilton, 7X F1 champion overnight. He spent YEARS karting and racing in junior formulas like karts, F3 and GP2 before he raced in F1. You need to do the exact same, but with your camera. There are no shortcuts to anything in ANY business. If you want it, put in the work to make it happen. It is an extremely competitive world and your talent with a camera is only one very small part of the equation.
Q. How many races have you covered in your career?
Thousands. Too many to count.
Q. Why do you post so much on social media?
If you don't look at social media as a free way to market your business, then you're not very good at business. Social media is a free way to build my brand and my business, and share my images and get more business.
Q. What do you carry in your camera bag?
Camera brands are irrelevant. They are all more or less the same. That said, I use:
2x full frame sports body cameras
1x small mirrorless camera
500mm f4 VR
70-200mm f2.8 VR
24-70 f2.8
14-24mm f2.8,
24mm f1.4
35mm, f1.4
85mm f1.8,
135mm f1.8
LEXAR CF Express Memory Cards
Q. Can I intern for you? Or just carry your camera bag?
As much as I'd like to say yes, I do not have the need or the ability to take on interns. If you are wanting to learn more about photography, the best way to learn is by doing. Go to as many races as you can as a fan, enjoy it, but shoot it like you want to be there working it. That means work the angles, walk miles and miles, chase the light, tell stories, and don't quit when it starts raining or gets hot or cold. You wont be able to quit when you're a pro, and often, those times when everyone else quits, is when the best images are made. The best version of a mentorship that I offer is with the Paddock Focus Workshop series I host. https://paddockfocus.teachable.com
Q. Do you sell prints of your work?
Absolutely. If you don't see what you're looking for in my web store, or want something more specific than what I'm offering, shoot me an email. jameypricephoto.com/prints
Still have questions? Spend some time and listen to the numerous podcasts I have been interviewed on. Here are some of the best ones with a few longer form documentaries on youtube.
WORKSHOPS
https://paddockfocus.teachable.com/
FRAMES VLOG Series
A behind the scenes look at the life of a motorsport photographer
VLOG Frames - Ferrari Formula 1
VLOG Frames - PANDEMIC DAYTONA
VLOG Frames - F1 Canada & Le Mans 24 2019
Podcasts & Interviews
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(Podcast) CCF1 - What it takes to be an F1 Photographer : Jamey Price
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(Podcast) PorscheSport - Jamey Price
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(Interview) Road&Track - What it's like to Photograph an F1 Race