READING
Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional
Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional
Pushing the Boundaries of Formula 1 Photography
Image
Logan Sargeant. Shot during the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, November 18, 2023 at 9:24 p.m. (Copyright @ Darren Heath, 2024)
Centering the Unconventional is a stunning virtual exhibit featuring works, commentary, and inspirations from veteran Formula 1 photographer Darren Heath. Each piece was isolated from Heath’s extensive body of work by our team due to its abstract representation of Formula 1 and its focus on non-traditional subjects.
Formula 1 viewership has doubled globally since 2018, largely due to a new generation of fans with an interest in chasing taste and culture through the sport. As part of this new generation, we at Esses are seeking to cultivate a community of fans that appreciate work from creators like Darren Heath, who approach Formula 1 through a creative lens and help shape the cultural fabric of the sport. Awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Britain’s prestigious Royal Photographic Society in 2005, Heath takes pride in bringing techniques to Formula 1 that are traditionally used in other fields such as fashion, portraiture, and architecture.
Shot at Grand Prix from Abu Dhabi to Monaco, Montreal to Bahrain, Le Castellet to Las Vegas, and Singapore to Silverstone, each image captures a story. From photographing subjects through the impromptu lens of a glass table to scaling a skyscraper for the perfect vantage point, Heath is religiously explorative in his search for the most compelling shot. The following exhibit is a testament to this unyielding creative vision.
Bringing Formula 1 to life in a kaleidoscope of color, Centering the Unconventional challenges the narrative of Formula 1 photographers as craftspeople, who simply ‘point and shoot,’ and instead, urges us to recognize photographers like Darren Heath as artists who use sport as their canvas.
Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional is a stunning virtual exhibit featuring works and commentary from veteran Formula 1 photographer Darren Heath, as well as handpicked quotes from photographers who have inspired his creative process. Focusing on non-traditional subjects and abstract representations of Formula 1, each piece here was chosen by our Esses team from Heath's extensive body of work.
Formula 1 viewership has doubled globally since 2018, largely due to a new generation of fans interested in chasing taste and culture through the sport. As part of this new generation, we at Esses seek to cultivate a community of fans who appreciate work from creators such as Darren Heath, who approach Formula 1 through a creative lens and help shape the cultural fabric of the sport. Awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Britain’s prestigious Royal Photographic Society in 2005, Heath takes pride in bringing techniques to Formula 1 that are traditionally used in other fields such as fashion, portraiture, and architecture.
Shot at Grand Prix from Abu Dhabi to Monaco, Montreal to Bahrain, Le Castellet to Las Vegas, and Singapore to Silverstone, each image captures a story. From photographing subjects through the impromptu lens of a glass table to scaling a skyscraper for the perfect vantage point, Heath is religiously explorative in his search for the most compelling shot. The following exhibit is a testament to this unyielding creative vision.
Bringing Formula 1 to life in a kaleidoscope of color, Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional challenges the narrative of Formula 1 photographers as craftspeople, who simply ‘point and shoot,’ and instead, urges us to recognize photographers like Darren Heath as artists who use sport as their canvas.
Image
Red light shot during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 16, 2023 at 9:23 p.m.
I wanted to capture the depth of the scene reflected in Lando’s helmet. Contrary to the reportage we’re familiar with, I’m trying to do things with a more emotional sense. Right in your face, you can see the blurred blue of the sky and the orange reflection of the car and the mechanics.
Image
Lando Norris shot at the 2023 British Grand Prix, Silverstone, July 9, 2023 at 2:22 p.m.
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Daniel Riccardo shot during the 2022 French Grand Prix, Circuit Paul Ricard. July 24, 2023 at 2:22 p.m.
“I often say to younger photographers: try and set your own style, don’t just copy what other people do. Look at what photographers from outside of the sport are doing. I get lots of inspiration from photographers who have never seen a Formula 1 car.”
Image
Pierre Gasly shot during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park Circuit, April 1, 2023 at 4:39 p.m.
This race is the first time in 30 years that I was able to shoot from the podium, which is typically reserved for VIP guests and the top three finishers. In an exceedingly rare instance, it felt as if the photograph’s elements aligned perfectly at the crux of the shot.
Pausing to reflect on a dominant drive alongside his Mercedes W09, Lewis Hamilton crouches on the first ever LED Parc Fermé displaying a cosmos-like light show.
Image
Pausing to reflect on a dominant drive alongside his Mercedes W09, Lewis Hamilton stands on the first ever LED Parc Fermé displaying a cosmos-like light show.
Shot during the 2018 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 16, 2018 at 10:10 p.m.
“All the planning, intuition, technical prowess, and knowledge, as well as the trust and rapport you have (or haven’t) established, will show up in the picture, frozen forever.”
Image
Jenson Button shot during the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, May 26, 2017 at 2:26 p.m.
When new creative lenses present themselves, you have to take them. Last year when I first got to Yas Marina Circuit, I thought – no way was I going to shoot from the hotel balcony. But, then I thought to myself, well, why not? There are wide shots, telephoto shots, and slow shutter speed shots. It’s just such a willing location with an abundance of photographic tools to use.
Enveloped by reflections of the grid-shell style roof’s diamond latticework, Charles Leclerc’s scarlet Ferrari is captured through the unexpected lens of a glass table.
Image
Enveloped by reflections of the grid-shell style roof’s diamond latticework, Charles Leclerc’s scarlet Ferrari is captured through the unexpected lens of a glass table.
Shot during the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, November 24, 2023 at 5:19 p.m.
"Shoot through things" should be a mantra for every photographer. The tension, depth, and drama of the image all increase when you shoot through objects in the foreground, the space between the viewer and the subject. Lewis Hamilton has the best profile of any Formula 1 driver I have ever photographed, and here, the sharpness of his profile contrasts against the softness of the light emanating from the palm trees adorning the paddock of the Bahrain International Circuit.
Image
Lewis Hamilton shot during the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, March 30, 2019 at 8:32 p.m.
"Shoot through things" should be a mantra for every photographer. The tension, depth, and drama of the image all increase when you shoot through objects in the foreground, the space between the viewer and the subject. Lewis Hamilton has the best profile of any Formula 1 driver I have ever photographed, and here, the sharpness of his profile contrasts against the softness of the light emanating from the palm trees adorning the paddock of the Bahrain International Circuit.
Image
Lewis Hamilton shot during the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, March 30, 2019 at 8:32 p.m.
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
Flanked by dense, gorgeously green trees on one side and the St. Lawrence River on the other, Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of my favorite locations to shoot a Grand Prix … Sometimes we forget that just over the track barrier lies a world oblivious to the intense rivalries consuming a global audience.
Brendon Hartley ventures back to the pits moments after his intense accident with Lance Stroll.
Image
Brendon Hartley ventures back to the pits moments after his intense accident with Lance Stroll.
Shot during the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 10, 2018 at 2:39 p.m.
Recently, I have found the visual effects created in the moving images of music videos to be inspirational as I remind myself to buck the predictable styles and techniques often displayed in motorsport photography. Using a special prism to refract the light, I wanted to capture the ethereal feeling caught in the interaction between the Singapore skyline and the circuit.
Image
Shot during the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 21, 2015 at 9:18 p.m.
Recently, I have found the visual effects created in the moving images of music videos to be inspirational as I remind myself to buck the predictable styles and techniques often displayed in motorsport photography. Using a special prism to refract the light, I wanted to capture the ethereal feeling caught in the interaction between the Singapore skyline and the circuit.
Image
Skyline shot during the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 21, 2015 at 9:18 p.m.
“If I can engender in people that look at my work just a percentage of what I feel, then I have achieved what I set out to do.”
Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional is a stunning virtual exhibit featuring works and commentary from veteran Formula 1 photographer Darren Heath, as well as handpicked quotes from photographers who have inspired his creative process. Focusing on non-traditional subjects and abstract representations of Formula 1, each piece here was chosen by our Esses team from Heath's extensive body of work.
Formula 1 viewership has doubled globally since 2018, largely due to a new generation of fans interested in chasing taste and culture through the sport. As part of this new generation, we at Esses seek to cultivate a community of fans who appreciate work from creators such as Darren Heath, who approach Formula 1 through a creative lens and help shape the cultural fabric of the sport. Awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Britain’s prestigious Royal Photographic Society in 2005, Heath takes pride in bringing techniques to Formula 1 that are traditionally used in other fields such as fashion, portraiture, and architecture.
Shot at Grand Prix from Abu Dhabi to Monaco, Montreal to Bahrain, Le Castellet to Las Vegas, and Singapore to Silverstone, each image captures a story. From photographing subjects through the impromptu lens of a glass table to scaling a skyscraper for the perfect vantage point, Heath is religiously explorative in his search for the most compelling shot. The following exhibit is a testament to this unyielding creative vision.
Bringing Formula 1 to life in a kaleidoscope of color, Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional challenges the narrative of Formula 1 photographers as craftspeople, who simply ‘point and shoot,’ and instead, urges us to recognize photographers like Darren Heath as artists who use sport as their canvas.
Image
Logan Sargeant shot during the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, November 18, 2023 at 9:24 p.m.
Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional is a stunning virtual exhibit featuring works from veteran Formula 1 photographer Darren Heath. Focusing on non-traditional subjects and abstract representations of Formula 1, each piece here was chosen by our Esses team from the artist’s extensive body of work. Heath provides commentary next to each image, as well as additional handpicked quotes interspersed throughout the gallery from photographers who have inspired his creative process.
Formula 1 viewership has doubled globally since 2018, largely due to a new generation of fans interested in chasing taste and culture through the sport. As part of this new generation, we at Esses seek to cultivate a community of fans who appreciate work from creators such as Darren Heath, who approach Formula 1 through a creative lens and help shape the cultural fabric of the sport. Awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Britain’s prestigious Royal Photographic Society in 2005, Heath takes pride in bringing techniques to Formula 1 that are traditionally used in other fields such as fashion, portraiture, and architecture.
Shot at Grand Prix from Abu Dhabi to Monaco, Montreal to Bahrain, Le Castellet to Las Vegas, and Singapore to Silverstone, each image captures a story. From photographing subjects through the impromptu lens of a glass table to scaling a skyscraper for the perfect vantage point, Heath is religiously explorative in his search for the most compelling shot. The following exhibit is a testament to this unyielding creative vision.
Bringing Formula 1 to life in a kaleidoscope of color, Darren Heath: Centering the Unconventional challenges the narrative of Formula 1 photographers as craftspeople, who simply ‘point and shoot,’ and instead, urges us to recognize photographers like Darren Heath as artists who use sport as their canvas.
Image
Red lights shot during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 16, 2023 at 9:23 p.m.
I wanted to capture the depth of the scene reflected in Lando’s helmet. Contrary to the reportage we’re familiar with, I’m trying to do things with a more emotional sense. Right in your face, you can see the blurred blue of the sky and the orange reflection of the car and the mechanics.
Image
Lando Norris shot at the 2023 British Grand Prix, Silverstone, July 9, 2023 at 2:22 p.m.
“I often say to younger photographers: try and set your own style, don’t just copy what other people do. Look at what photographers from outside of the sport are doing. I get lots of inspiration from photographers who have never seen a Formula 1 car.”
Image
Daniel Riccardo shot during the 2022 French Grand Prix, Circuit Paul Ricard. July 24, 2023 at 2:22 p.m.
Image
Pierre Gasly shot during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park Circuit, April 1, 2023 at 4:39 p.m.
This race is the first time in 30 years that I was able to shoot from the podium, which is typically reserved for VIP guests and the top three finishers. In an exceedingly rare instance, it felt as if the photograph’s elements aligned perfectly at the crux of the shot.
Image
Pausing to reflect on a dominant drive alongside his Mercedes W09, Lewis Hamilton crouches on the first ever LED Parc Fermé displaying a cosmos-like light show.
Shot during the 2018 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 16, 2018 at 10:10 p.m.
“All the planning, intuition, technical prowess, and knowledge, as well as the trust and rapport you have (or haven’t) established, will show up in the picture, frozen forever.”
Image
Jenson Button shot during the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix, May 26, 2017 at 2:26 p.m.
When new creative lenses present themselves, you have to take them. Last year when I first got to Yas Marina Circuit, I thought – no way was I going to shoot from the hotel balcony. But, then I thought to myself, well, why not? There are wide shots, telephoto shots, and slow shutter speed shots. It’s just such a willing location with an abundance of photographic tools to use.
Image
Enveloped by reflections of the grid-shell style roof’s diamond latticework, Charles Leclerc’s scarlet Ferrari is captured through the unexpected lens of a glass table.
Shot during the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Yas Marina Circuit, November 24, 2023 at 5:19 p.m.
"Shoot through things" should be a mantra for every photographer. The tension, depth, and drama of the image all increase when you shoot through objects in the foreground, the space between the viewer and the subject. Lewis Hamilton has the best profile of any Formula 1 driver I have ever photographed, and here, the sharpness of his profile contrasts against the softness of the light emanating from the palm trees adorning the paddock of the Bahrain International Circuit.
Image
Lewis Hamilton shot during the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, March 30, 2019 at 8:32 p.m.
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
"Shoot through things" should be a mantra for every photographer. The tension, depth, and drama of the image all increase when you shoot through objects in the foreground, the space between the viewer and the subject. Lewis Hamilton has the best profile of any Formula 1 driver I have ever photographed, and here, the sharpness of his profile contrasts against the softness of the light emanating from the palm trees adorning the paddock of the Bahrain International Circuit.
Image
Lewis Hamilton shot during the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, March 30, 2019 at 8:32 p.m.
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
Flanked by dense, gorgeously green trees on one side and the St. Lawrence River on the other, Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of my favorite locations to shoot a Grand Prix … Sometimes we forget that just over the track barrier lies a world oblivious to the intense rivalries consuming a global audience.
Image
Brendon Hartley ventures back to the pits moments after his intense accident with Lance Stroll.
Shot during the 2018 Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 10, 2018 at 2:39 p.m.
Recently, I have found the visual effects created in the moving images of music videos to be inspirational as I remind myself to buck the predictable styles and techniques often displayed in motorsport photography. Using a special prism to refract the light, I wanted to capture the ethereal feeling caught in the interaction between the Singapore skyline and the circuit.
Image
Shot during the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 21, 2015 at 9:18 p.m.
Recently, I have found the visual effects created in the moving images of music videos to be inspirational as I remind myself to buck the predictable styles and techniques often displayed in motorsport photography. Using a special prism to refract the light, I wanted to capture the ethereal feeling caught in the interaction between the Singapore skyline and the circuit.
Image
Skyline shot during the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 21, 2015 at 9:18 p.m.
Recently, I have found the visual effects created in the moving images of music videos to be inspirational as I remind myself to buck the predictable styles and techniques often displayed in motorsport photography. Using a special prism to refract the light, I wanted to capture the ethereal feeling caught in the interaction between the Singapore skyline and the circuit.
Image
Shot during the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix, Marina Bay Circuit, September 21, 2015 at 9:18 p.m.
“If I can engender in people that look at my work just a percentage of what I feel, then I have achieved what I set out to do.”
