Who doesn't love rally? I remember at a much younger age watching WEC on Speedvision and being amazed at the skill involved in piloting a car through the woods at high speed. Ever since I always wanted to go watch a professional rally event but the unfortunate circumstance of the closest one being six or more hours away made that something that was glossed over year after year.
This season things went differently and I marked my calendar for Rally America's stop in Missouri: Rally in the 100 acre woods. This fit well in my schedule and the event was moved to later in the year so the weather would be more favorable. I packed my gear without knowing much about what I was to experience at my first rally event. I expected some hiking would be involved but the logistics are even more challenging than that!
I arrived on Saturday just as the first stage was about to begin. Looking at the map I had printed out I turned off the highway onto a single lane road. From there it was to a red dirt road that connected to the first stage. As I got closer I found a line of cars all parked along one side of the narrow lane halfway in the ditch. This is the standard procedure for spectator parking to allow safety vehicles through. Depending on how late you are to the party you may be walking over a mile just to get to the main spectator area! This is a theme repeated throughout the day as the circus moves through the countryside to various stages. Needless to say, arrive early and be prepared to walk!
Safety is a concern just like any event so they usually keep the spectators quite a ways back and in a confined area. Also not every stage has official spectator areas. However if you ask around you'll find there are plenty of hidden trails accessing some of the stages in places not listed on the official map. Being my first rally I stuck to the marked areas and even that was a challenge on occasion. A few of the stages run back-to-back which prevents you from being in both places at once. As you can imagine this is a nightmare for a photographer. I only had one shot to capture the cars as they went by, so trying out composure ideas and tricky panning shots nets you a lot of missed photos and before you know it the field is gone and already halfway through the next stage. With all the spectators coming and going on narrow roads you can't possible see all the action throughout the day. Some compromises had to be made but I still managed to visit every spectator area and see most of the cars whiz by in close proximity.
By the end of the day my legs were sore and every inch of my equipment and self was covered in a thin layer of dirt. All in all it was a great experience and the rally fans are unlike any other motorsport crowd I've seen. They really have some dedication when a front row seat also comes with a complementary pelting from rocks and debris as cars blast by inches away from where you're standing.
From a photographing standpoint I think it was one of the most challenging events I've been to. You only have seconds to snap a quick photo before being forced to turn away and shield your lens as you're covered in dust, dirt and rocks. When I miss a photo at the racetrack I just wait around for the next lap and the cars pass by again. In rally there is only one chance to snap a photo and the opportunity is gone forever. So if you miss focus or don't pan the shot correctly you end up with nothing more than the grainy taste of dust in your mouth.
After experiencing my first taste of rally I now have a new appreciation for the photographers and some of the amazing photos they pull off. You don't get many opportunities so being prepared and envisioning the shot before the car appears in frame is a critical skill when capturing the art of rally.
I think next year I'll give it another go and hopefully what I've learned will translate into my normal photography and help produce better images as I keep moving forward.
-Logan
