The first raceweekend that lasted one day.
Other responsibilities made it that only one day of this event could be photographed.
Besides requests from some riders I tried to test my camera which had a big repair and tried some other things.
Trying other spots around the track and during a session I tried something completely different.
Almost all of the photographers on the track own an 70-200mm, 300mm, some of them a 400mm, 500mm and even one a 600mm.
The lenses that I carry during a weekend or a 10,5mm fisheye, 17-55mm, 70-200mm and a 400mm the 70-200mm and the 400mm can be combined with the 1.7x teleconverter, but almost all of the pictures I’ve seen through the years I’ve come to the track it’s almost all the same as speaking of the Dutch Championship.
To reach a certain level to be able to shoot pictures which are completely filling the frame requires good skills and understanding of your materials. When others reach the same level it will be week in week out with same pictures, different angles, different locations on the track.
Assen is a circuit which is in comparison with the old track almost completely flat. Except for the corners Strubben and Stekkenwal which has some of his original banking. There are photographers who photograph in such an angle that it looks like Assen has a bigger flow than Portimao in Portugal.
In Assen there are no up’s and downs euhm except the abscence of Valentino Rossi at this years 80th Dutch TT that will be the biggest down not only for the photographers, but also for the fans around the track, besides of being an photographer I love the sport as a fan the smell of fuel the sounds of scraping knee pads and the burning rubber whilst doing a burnout .
There are 16 riders who will do their best, but without Vale it’s almost like beer with no alcohol or more related to me a camera without a lens. You need it to get the maximum out of it.
To get back to the speed challenge it was good to be back on the track itself after the streetcircuit of Hengelo it was nice to be at the place which you know well, but little by little I’m getting tired to see pictures that look all the same.
I like to be at an other level than the rest of the photographers not placing myself in a top spot no not really, only to do something different, other compo’s try something new.
Getting hungry and relive the passion that drives me.
A special word of thank will be given to Jans Wiering owner of Protrade!/Omnifoto
My Nikon body had an error and it came back on friday afternoon the day before the Speedchallenge.
When I got the call I was at work ( no not photography I still earn most of my income as an technician ), but couldn’t get time off to pick it up.
When I called Jans he knew I needed it this weekend so he asked at what time can you be here?
Since Heerenveen the place where I live and Groningen is separated by almost 40 miles it took some time to get there.
Jans his company is open till half past five and since he is the only personnel in this company he had other things to do after that time. He demanded me to come over and he would wait for me until I got my camera back.
I made it in a nick of time and got my camera back and was ready for the weekend. Upcoming weekend watching as a fan the classes doing their laps on Silverstone.