PaddockTalk's 2008 Fab Photos - Sam Tickell

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

It is that time of year again – time to choose my favourite photos. 2008 was an odd year for me. It was a year that I was able to take on more photography assignments and thanks to others in the Ptalkphoto team, I learnt a huge amount. But it was also a strange year in that I was unable to make it to the number of events I would have liked. The Australian sportscar scene – which is my preference, imploded and rebuilt itself in 2008 but it did mean that I was unable to do some events that I otherwise would have. But, no doubt, 2009 should be a great year.

As for 2008, an honourable mention goes to this photo:

Honourable Mention

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

Taking this photo was a little hard to take as Will and I come from the same city and, well, Toowoomba ain’t that big. He was super-quick all weekend and looked on course to break his Gold Coast curse. I was standing in the second half of the track and he was leading, then he didn’t come round. My first though was ‘what’s happened now?’ So I walk for a while longer and this is what happened. It was gutting, and I wasn’t even the driver…

So, to my countdown.

In at number 5:

No. 5

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

I was fortunate enough to be present at a round of the short lived Pirelli Gran Turismo Series. Birth and death in 2008, this Series was for supercars. I was given almost unrestricted access to the garage area and this photo shows the teams in their garage during the race weekend. Being in the same space of Ferraris, Porsches, Vipers and Maserati’s is a good thing. Although this Series no longer exists, sportscar racing in Australia should be improved for 2009.

In at number 4:

No. 4

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

A little experimentation here. It was support category time at the Gold Coast Indy and the sun had gone away (probably for a storm!) and it gave me the chance to experiment. Not to everyone’s taste but it was a bit of fun.

In at number 3:

No. 3

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

Up on high-rise looking over the track and a beach – what could be better? With the morning sun coming in off the ocean, you can see the reflections of the wheels on the road. You can also notice Briscoe adjusting his helmet – a brief introduction on how many things racing drivers can do at speed.

In at number 2:

No. 2

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

What’s that? The antics of racing drivers before the start. I am not too sure what Rahal was showing the Bartercard girl but by the looks, it was worth a look. Proof that some racing car drivers have not lost their sense of humour.

And the winner is:

No. 1

Credit: PaddockTalk/Sam Tickell

I love this photo! It was in qualifying at the Gold Coast Indy and Dixon was on wet tyres on a drying track. Going through the BP Chicane, maybe not cutting it as much as some others. You can see his visor in the mirror as he leans into the corner. I love this shot – the wheels, the contrast in colours, the driver and more. And just for the record, this photo was not photoshopped, except for a minor crop and a slight increase in colour saturation. In any case, it is definitely my favourite photo for 2008.