Supersport bikes at a wet Brands Hatch - 2011 (Photographs)

I've been meaning to build this post for quite a while but like most things have never got around to it. Well, today is a day I can move another one of those items in Trello from 'To Do' to 'Done'...yippeeee.

2011 was a jolly long time ago really but I can remember it like it were yesterday. It was between the arrival of my first daughter and my second, the year time pressures were a little worse than before the latter part of 2010 but brilliant compared to late 2012 when D2 arrived. The weather was miserable, I got soaked but walked away not believing what I had seen that day. Many of these riders are barely of school leaving ages - astonishing bravery.

I've split the post into three . First I've posted some photos taken when the weather was dry, second are photos I tried to save - that is they originals weren't great so I tried new things with them. Finally we have the photos taken when the weather really couldn't get much worse.

Dry
1 This is the classic shot from inside of the Druids hairpin. The inner safety fence is only a matter of meters from the a pex of the corner so you can get in nice and close. This was framed centrally.

2 The second shot is much the same but this time the frame is tilted which can sometimes add a little something. It's a Marmite shot - some love it and others hate. Selective colouring has been used to remove all colour from the shot except that that of the bike and rider.

3 Finally just an example of how close you can get. The concentration to ride these bikes at speed must be immense let alone doing it in the wet and when racing.

Trying to save

4 Here was a photo taken at the lower end of the lenses capability of zoom making it quite wide for a motor sport photograph. It has obviously been cropped to try and bring in a focal point.

5 Another wide photograph that didn't really work straight out of the camera. This is a photograph I will revisit again one day as I think it's a little dark. I quite fancy getting a canvas print of this once I'm happy with it.

6 Finally a case of boosting contrast and pushing the colour up. Not quite sure why I'm sharing this as it's one that I'm not really happy with.

Wet
7 Now the bravery really sets in. Look a that spray!

8 I really couldn't get my head around how the riders were still travelling at such speed whilst still getting a decent amount of lean on the bike.

9 There weren't just you usual racing bikes covered in fairing fairing. This one was pretty naked and this guy was really pushing.

10 On occasions you just dream of getting that centred shot straight out of the camera. I think this one is pretty boring really. It captures a sense of speed but not much else.

11 These I widened the zoom on the next two to try to get a greater capture of the speed but also how terrible the weather was.

12

13 I seem to recall the chap in blue had a bit of a moment mid corner and on the exit couldn't quite believe how on earth the other rider had got around the outside of him.

14 The next two show how committed the riders were under breaking. These guys are under breaking heading into Druids.

15

16 Another selective colouring shot but this time I left the colour on the track markings.

17 Again very wet indeed.

18 This chap had asked me to take some shots of him during the races. I seem to recall I didn't see him much and when I did he was going slow enough to give me a nod.

19 Finally another centre frame of somebody pushing hard on the next of Druids. The lighting can make it very difficult to get a balanced shot.

I hope you enjoyed!