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Speedway through the
RANDMASTER Anatoly Karpov once quipped: “Chess is everything: art, science and sport.”
Arguably, this statement could be applied to many other pursuits, although its perfect fit with speedway is inescapable. The best vantage point to appreciate all three facets of this statement is trackside, but close on the heels of being part of the live action are the images, either captured on video, or photographed.
• One of Mike Patrick’s most spectacular shots, Kenny Carter and John Davis colliding at Vetlanda in 1985.
The latter medium better catches those splitsecond moments that in the adrenalin-charged motion of the two-wheeled sport can easily be lost to the naked eye. This unique perspective allows the viewer to contemplate those moments when time literally appears to slow down for the participants.
Speaking recently to Scott Nicholls, he referenced this riddle by reflecting upon a series of high-octane crashes where he suggested that the laws of physics are momentarily suspended, allowing a clarity of thought to be processed about the impending doom before reality kicks in – heralded by a spin dryer sequence of sky, track, sky, track, sky, track, before hitting the safety fence.
Sometimes these moments of sporting drama become iconic portraits of fate. Although speedway has many examples to choose from, one of my personal favourites is the late Kenny Carter and John Davis coming together in Heat 6 of the 1985 Inter-Continental Final in Vetlanda, Sweden.
Spectacularly snapped by Mike Patrick, it brilliantly fuses elegance and ensuing catastrophe, as Andy Smith treads a precarious path in the background.
Armed with my trusty iPhone camera, I have often sought to grab a moment of photographic fame, but other than inadvertently capturing a photobombing bird, my efforts are pretty much mundane and forgetful. Professional photographers tend to get it right and I was certain that, although luck may play its part, such genius is more than simply being in the right place at the right time.
Turning to the talents of Taylor Lanning, I entered a fascinating world of creativity, compassion and critical thinking.
Taylor has been a permanent fixture on both domestic and international fronts for several years, but it is worth reflecting that he is only 21 years old; so where did this rapid acceleration to the first bend begin?
“The inspiration came from my grandparents who bought me a Canon camera for Christmas in 2012. My dad – who had started out in journalism as a speedway photographer at Eastbourne under the watchful eye of Alf Weedon when he was 13 – noticed that I took loads of images on my iPad when I was about nine-years-old.”
Taylor’s professional breakthrough occurred in the most bizarre circumstances when he snapped Tai Woffinden racing a gutsy four by four gasguzzling car driven by Taylor’s dad Phil (I suggest you read that previous sentence again!).
“The first speedway pictures I took were of Tai
Talented photographer Taylor Lanning offers IAN KIRKE an insight into life behind the camera lens
Woffinden at Leicester in October, 2013 when my dad did a story about him for The Sun newspaper after he’d won the World Championship. Tai was racing his bike against the Range Rover around Leicester with a broken collarbone! I loved it and from that moment I wanted to do it more.”
prize picture that goes viral?
Taylor expertly managed my excitable expectations and gently eased me back into the real world: “There’s no real answer; you never know when the prize shot will happen. In sport, I guess it’s about being alert at all times.
His chosen vocation became reality a couple of years later when the Facenna promotion took over at Glasgow. Although only 13, with public liability insurance in place, he was a regular snapper.
Taylor was also quick to praise Great Britain bosses Rob Painter and Vicky Blackwell, who appointed him as the official photographer in 2019, giving him the faith to take it up as a career.
I was keen to drill down to the technicalities of Taylor’s trade and although my own prowess consisted of no more than point and click, I suspected that his equipment haul was somewhat more impressive.
“A lot in two cases: Canon R6, Canon 1DX, one 70-200mm lens, one 300mm lens, one 16-35mm lens, flash, laptop, eight SD cards and powerpacks.”
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TYPICAL shoot commences at least 90 minutes before the meeting starts, in order to capture the calm before the storm, often epitomised by the meticulous track walk – a moment of relative tranquillity that is in stark contradiction to the action ahead, and where Taylor can capture a different type of mood music.
But can the chances of capturing the front cover shot be enhanced? What’s the secret to getting that
“It’s something I have had to learn to do over the years, never switch off, and constantly be aware of what’s going on around you. With pits stuff, I try to stay stealth-like. You get the best mood shots when riders aren’t aware you are taking them.
“With racing, I have set places I stand and move to from race to race to get a variety of imagery, and to second guess where the best shots will be. If it’s a big or close meeting, I make sure I’m in the right place to get celebration shots near the pits. In certain races it’s purely down to instinct.”
I was impressed with Taylor’s pragmatic take on his profession, which is ultimately judged by the handful of images that excite our emotions.
Bringing the conversation back to the domestic scene, I was curious to discover which is the best speedway venue for a trackside photographer, believing that it was probably about the best vantage point, but, as Taylor explained, it’s all about the light.
“Belle Vue and Poole are my favourites. I judge most tracks by how good the lights are. Light is the greatest commodity in speedway photography. Trying to shoot speedway when you are pushing every setting to the limit just to get enough light into the camera is hard and incredibly frustrating if you get a great shot, but you can’t save the image.”
42 speedway star February 17, 2024
