Frits van Eldik

Dutch photographer Frits van Eldik is one of the world's finest motorsport photographers, travelling the world documenting the frenzied action of elite race car events.

The Canon Ambassador has a high-octane drive to photograph the energy, grace and drama of motorsport from unique and creative angles, capturing the speed, power, precision and aesthetic style of the machines, while also paying homage to the stunning race locations.

In between Formula 1 race weekends, Frits covers a range of different motorsports, including Moto GP, Formula E, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) and even Junior Rallycross. Although technically they're almost as demanding as covering Formula 1, he enjoys the freedom offered to a photographer at these events.

Despite tackling many of the major events on the motoring calendar each year, Frits has lost none of his passion for creating pictures at speed. Decisions on how to shoot action, portraits, landscapes, news and more are packed into sessions that last a weekend, a day or even an hour. Although he likes to work with prime lenses – including Canon 14mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm and 200mm options – travel restrictions mean he does have to pare down his core kit when flying around the globe.

In recent years, Frits has started printing more of his pictures as a result of seeing people's reactions to a physical copy rather than a digital image on a computer screen. He sees this as an exciting direction for his photography – and a world away from the rapid turnarounds expected of him in order to meet tight race-day deadlines.

A winner of five national and international photography awards, Frits regularly runs workshops and judges photography competitions.

What are some common myths about being a motorsports photographer?

"Most people think it's all about high ISOs and fast shutter speeds; in reality, it's about low ISOs and shutter speeds that are as slow as possible. Also, not many people see the amount of time invested before you actually take the picture – all the homework you do to make sure you're in the right place at the right time."


How many images do you typically take over a Formula 1 race weekend?

"I try to take as few pictures as possible. Deadlines are tight, and I don't want go through tens of thousands of images after a session or race. Luckily, I still think in terms of the limitations of the past: 36 frames on a roll of film. That being said, digital photography makes it possible to take more risks – sometimes you shoot 2,000 pictures in a day, sometimes 4,500 in an hour."


What advice would you offer to photographers who want to stay focused during a long race?

"You need to deliver under all conditions, and the best way to do that is with a smile. To stay focused, challenge yourself creatively. Nowadays, you can see immediately whether you're creating the image that you have in your mind, and that keeps the adrenaline going."


There are many agencies covering Formula 1, so how do you set about making your work stand out?

"It's getting harder to make something unique. Not only are we becoming more restricted in what we can do at a race, the skill level of my contemporaries is very high. A lot of the time you end up at the right spot to find colleagues who have the same 'brilliant' mind. That's one of the reasons I like to shoot other motorsport events."

"Motorsport photography is so much more than just capturing images of fast-moving cars. Aspects such as pit stops, the emotions of the drivers and potential news stories all need to be covered. Typically, you need to capture a sense of action and speed, whether that's the cars on the track or mechanics at work. However, the key thing is to first concentrate your efforts on delivering what your clients want. If they require pictures of their guests in front of the garage, that's what you need to focus on. It's not all glitz and glamour!"

Facebook: @fritsvaneldik

Instagram: @frits_van_eldik

Website: http://fritsvaneldik.nl/