About
My first introduction to photography was in 1989 when I purchased a second hand Praktica BC1 camera to enable me to take photographs at the many motorcycle race meetings which I attended at the time. Although many of the images have not stood the test of time I began to become more proficient with the camera and taking more of interest in photography in general.
By 1992 I found myself wanting to take superior images to those I was already taking. Unable to find a lens to meet my requirements to fit the Praktica. I eventually bought my first Canon EOS camera, which boasted not only, the relatively new, autofocusing and 3 frames per second motor drive but also allowed me to chose from a wealth of optics available to suit my needs.
1993 saw an increased effort on my part with regards to photography of the motorcycle racing and led to my first photo being published in the Fenland Citizen in July. This led to a working relationship with well known author and Ducati specialist, Mick Walker, leading to more of my work being published in his books as well as race day programmes. The culmination of this relationship led to not only many of the early press images for the Mick Walker Racing team but also collaborations on articles that were to appear in RPM magazine.
With family commitments taking precedent photography took, very much, a back seat in my life with only sporadic contributions until 1998 when I was recommended to Alex Hearn by a friend to contribute to an article he was writing about starting racing which was to appear in Performance Bikes magazine. This still remains a high water mark in my photography, along side gaining press access to the British World Superbike Championship round in 1994.
2006 saw me embrace the digital era with the purchase of a DSLR and many of the benefits that it bought, mainly the reduced cost of not having to buy film and processing. Without the hinderance of many of the traditional costs I found a renewed interest in photography and the ability to shoot more and learn new techniques and creative processes.
During this period I found myself attending numerous local gigs, music often being a great source of inspiration, and a new challenge beckoned with shooting bands under stage lights. This has led to more of my photos being used for various promotional uses including flyers, websites, and even cd artwork.
2018 brings us right up to date and 25 years of taking my photography seriously, so what better way to mark this milestone than the launch of my own web site. I hope you enjoy this showcase of some of my best images, new and old, and thank you for taking the time to visit.
Garry Clarke