Crowd pleasers

Knowing where to stand is half the battle for David Harbey, who captures pro-grade motor sport images from the crowd

- David Harbey

Camera: Nikon D850

Lens: 70-200mm f/2.8

Exposure: 1/100 sec, f/11, ISO64

MISSION: Capture images that convey the intense speed and action-packed nature of motor sport

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Harbey

LOCATION: Milton Keynes, UK

KIT USED: Nikon D850, 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR, 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR, 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR, Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS | C

INSTAGRAM: @davidharbey_photography

WEBSITE: www.harbey.co.uk

As a keen motor sports enthusiast, it seemed only natural when I expressed an interest in photographing what I was watching. I received a Zenit EM for my 21st birthday and this soon gave way to an Olympus OM2n, which I used to take photos at Le Mans and RAC Rally stages in the mid-1980s (you can see some of those photographs on my website).

After a gap to focus on my family and career, I returned to photography with a desire to go digital. I initially remained with Olympus, but in 2016 I purchased a D610, my very first Nikon. By 2019, I had retired from work and upgraded to a D850 – the D610 is still being regularly used by my son.

I met PistonClick (www.pistonclick.com) creator Tony Crowe while shooting at Cadwell Park in 2018 and have been contributing content for the website’s event reports and circuit guides ever since. PistonClick is a non-commercial platform for automotive photographers and its circuit guides provide information on where to shoot from, the ideal kit and the results that can be obtained at more than 20 circuits and hill climbs in the UK and abroad.