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Photographing Formula 1 Through A 1913 Camera Creates Incredible Art

The Golden Age of racing may well have been and gone. No longer are V10 Formula 1 cars a realistic idea, and damn how I miss Group B rallying. But there are endless archives of videos and photos from the era that are free to browse all over the place. YouTube itself must hold millions of hours of racing alone. But what happens when we run out?

We turn to photographer Joshua Paul, who is in the habit of using a camera from 1913 to photograph modern motorsport. The results are incredible and ooze cool. As you can see from the photo below, the camera is an incredible design from the top down shooting to the materials used. It makes you really appreciate what we’ve got in our pockets these days.

Take a look at the photos below and, while not all of them are from 2019 (they stretch back a few years), they’re incredible.

But what is it that makes these photos incredible? It surely can’t be too difficult to recreate this effect digitally? Black and white, higher contrast, a bit of grain? I believe it to be one thing.

With digital cameras and phones, we have the ability to store several thousand photos, sieve through them to find the best, then edit them all in one evening. Take away the digital aspect and you have to be consumed by the moment. You can’t go around shooting with infinite ammunition, you need to focus and only when the perfect moment comes along, you take the photo.

In that case, you’re not just seeing a photo, you’re seeing the emotions of the photographer. You’re not seeing a photographer hunt for photos that look nice, you’re seeing a photographer hunt for something that reflects their passion and love for the sport, or whatever they’re taking a photo of.

You can find more photography like this on Paul’s Instagram. I’ll embed a photo below so you can click it and go from there. Enjoy!

 

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]

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