Encore: Action Sports - Auto Racing & Competitive Cycling Photography

What does it take to photograph elite athletes pushing their bodies to the point of collapse, or freeze the motion of cars hurtling by at speeds that blur the line between control and catastrophe?

Above Photograph © Camden Thrasher

Two of our favorite recent podcasts went deep inside those worlds: one with Phil Penman and Kristof Ramon on the brutal beauty of competitive cycling, and the other with Camden Thrasher and Jamey Price on the relentless sensory overload that comes with photographing motor sports.

While our video podcast studio gets its finishing touches, we’re revisiting our archive for an encore that pairs the best of both sports—from the many stages of suffering baked into professional cycling to the wild mix of visual stimulation and sleep deprivation that comes with shooting a 24-hour endurance race. In each conversation, you’ll find sparks of enlightenment that happens when photographers who thrive on adrenaline get a chance to really talk shop.

The excerpts here contain the highlights. Yet, the full episodes are also worth your time—links to those are in the timeline below.

And make sure to subscribe @BHPodcastNetwork to get our latest updates on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Guests: Phil Penman, Kristof Ramon, Camden Thrasher & Jamey Price

Episode Timeline

The Art of Competitive Cycling Photography, with Phil Penman & Kristof Ramon

• 3:25: Phil Penman’s background in competitive cycling and how this informs his photographs of the sport.
• 5:48: Logistics to shooting competitive cycling and perils of damaging photo gear.
• 9:21: Creative aspects to competitive cycling photography and how to get impactful shots.
• 14:00: The many stages of suffering in competitive cycling, and the pride riders take in having this photographed.
• 20:02: Technical aspects of cycling photography, understanding light, capturing speed, and learning to react intuitively to the action.
• 25:00: Gaining access and building rapport with athletes and teams.
• 31:28: The back story to Kristof’s book and how he identified suffering as a narrative element.
• 37:38: Starting out and getting credentials as a competitive cycling photographer.
• 41:13: Balancing the technical with an emotional response while building in certainties and calculating risk.
• 50:29: EPISODE BREAK

High-Octane Motor Sports Photography, with Camden Thrasher & Jamey Price

• 53:46: Jamey’s start as a jockey, plus comparisons between photographing horse racing and motorsports
• 55:25: Camden’s early years at auto races and exploring the mechanics of his father’s film camera.
• 56:55: The logistics behind working as a motor sports photographer and a race day timeline.
• 1:10:58: The thrill of endurance racing and how covering these 24-hour races differs from other auto racing events.
• 1:16:34: Camden and Jamey’s go-to gear and using manual focus for panning shots.
• 1:23:00: How to capture adverse weather or unique atmospheric conditions for great results.
• 1:27:15: Camera settings and creative techniques for panning, plus challenges to calculating relative distance combined with speed.
• 1:33:42: Varied limits to image use, copyright ownership, and licensing images to clients.
• 1:37:36: Parting advice to fans seeking to become a credentialed motor sport photographer.

Guest Bios

British-born, New York-based photographer Phil Penman has documented the ever-changing scene of New York City’s streets for more than 25 years. and he has quite a bit of experience in the world of professional cycling himself.

In his career as a news and magazine photographer, Phil has photographed major public figures and historical events. His reportage following the 9/11 terrorist attack was featured in major print publications and media broadcasts worldwide, and his work covering New York City’s pandemic lockdown is in the collection of the U.S. Library of Congress.

In addition to exhibiting at Leica galleries in New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, and London, Phil’s signature street photography has appeared in international exhibitions as far afield as Venice, Berlin, and Sydney. He also tours the world teaching photo workshops for Leica Akademie. Phil’s books, "Street" published in 2019, and "New York Street Diaries" published in 2023 both became best-sellers and have been featured at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Kristof Ramon is a pro-cycling photographer who covers some of the world’s most prestigious races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’ Italia, the Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubaix. Born and raised in Belgium, Kristof discovered photography while attending film school at age 19. He eventually followed his passion for cycling and photography and has focused exclusively on this sport since 2011.

Working under the name Kramon, his talent for storytelling and his ability to capture the atmosphere and raw emotion of racing makes his images stand out from typical race photography. Kristof’s reputation has earned him the respect and trust of many of the biggest racing teams and riders - which is why he’s able to capture such extraordinary in-between moments and behind-the-scenes images. The riders are always his primary focus, as evidenced in his close-up portraits of racers caked in sweat, mud, dust, snow, and grime. Kristof’s first book, The Art of Suffering, was released in June 2024 by Laurence King Publishing.

Camden Thrasher is a motor sports photographer with a distinctive ability to capture unique scenes of fast action. Growing up in Vancouver, Washington, it was the sound of engines from a nearby racetrack that first drew him to motor sports. After becoming a fixture at the track with his camera during high school, Camden studied automotive design and engineering in college, expecting to work as an engineer or on a pit crew.

But the money he was making as a side hustle with his camera convinced him to stick with photography, and he hasn’t looked back since. Using a unique slow shutter speed method, perfected over many exposures, Camden revels in showcasing the abstract qualities of gleaming metal, bright lights, and dynamic action that are hallmarks of this sport. Now based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Camden’s work has been commissioned by top racing teams and featured in a wide range of media, from print magazines to automotive branding campaigns.

Jamey Price is an automotive photographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, whose motor sports work has taken him to more than 25 countries, and across most of the continental US. Jamey's photography career began while he was competing as a thoroughbred horse racing jockey and exercise rider. During this time, he completed more than 50 races, notching 11 wins in the saddle. His life in horse racing was eventually compiled into the self-published book Chasing: Racing Life in England & Ireland. Yet, in 2011, Jamey’s photography career switched from horses to horse-power. Since he began chasing race cars, his images have been published worldwide in magazines, distributed by sports imagery wire services, and featured by top commercial clients. Additionally, Jamey is a LEXAR Elite Artist, since 2014.

 

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Host: Derek Fahsbender 
Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman
Video Editor / Technical Producer: Peter Maziarz
Executive Producer: Dana Glidden