Latest picture on my screen saver 2012-09-25

Motorsport.com art director Eric Gilbert presents the photos that he actually uses as screen savers (and that he has actually shot, also). He presents those photos on his personal Facebook page and is now sharing them on Motorsport.com. Enjoy.

IndyCar Series, Fontana, California, 2012-09-15. Like little fire ants.

Up from above, the IndyCar Series field looked like a swarm of little fire ants, at the start of the IndyCar season finale at Auto Club Speedway: small, fast, aggressive and golden. And many of them.

In all honesty, I really feel like I took a chance with this start shot. You see, a start shot is definitely something a race photographer does not want to miss. It is a key moment in the race, the scene setter, and often times, the shot that might be the most interesting and important of the whole race. It is critical to find a good shooting location to catch the moment, and to 'get' as many cars as possible. One thing that irritates me are start shots with only 2-3 cars in the frame. Or even worst, start shots with fancy slow shutter speed effects or something like that.

At any rate, two hours before the start of that 500-mile race at Fontana, I was still not sure about what to do with my own start shot. I knew that by the time of the start (5:50pm), the traditional location towards turn 1 would be spectacularly backlit, and many actually suggested that this angle would simply not work. Another option would have been to shoot it from behind, with a perfect light coming from behind. At the end, I went for the riskier backlit shot. Which turned out to be very interesting and unusual. And of course, a very good candidate for a photo in my screen saver selection.

For more pictures from the 2012 IndyCar Series Fontana race weekend, click here.

http://www.facebook.com/Eric.Gilbert.Motorsport