Goodwood | alan frost photography

Posts tagged ‘Goodwood’

Bugatti Type 35 at the 81st Goodwood Members Meeting

Goodwood Motor Circuit was the setting for The 81st Members Meeting which took place over the weekend of the 13th and 14th April 2024. I arrived early, partly to avoid the queues for the car park but principally to capture some scenes without too many people around. There is so much to see and photograph at any Goodwood Motorsport event but the first area I wanted to check out was the paddock. I was soon drawn to one particular area where there was a very fine collection of Bugatti Type 35s on display to celebrate the car’s 100th Anniversary.

The Type 35 which was launched in 1924, was designed by Ettore Bugatti. It was built for racing and was significantly ahead of its rivals at the time. So much so that it became arguably the most successful race car of all time with 2,500 victories and podium finishes over more than 10 years of competition.

Bugatti adopted a lightweight and agile design in the car with a 1,991cc engine which was later enlarged to 2,262cc. Many of its competitors where considerably larger and heavier cars, powered by huge engines.

To any car enthusiast or petrol-head its shape and design are instantly recognizable. From the iconic grill and Bugatti badge, to the distinctive wheels and open cockpit, it would be hard to mistake the car for any other.

I spent a good deal of time looking around, observing the fine details and finding different angles from which to take these images. In total there were 18 Type 35s which later in the day competed in the Grover Williams Trophy. At the bottom of this page there is a link to the race itself on YouTube.

For more information about the history of the Type 35 there are two excellent articles on The Bugatti website.

Bugatti Type 35 – Perfection through Evolution

Bugatti Type 35 – The Making of a Champion

I hope you enjoy the gallery of images below.

Car details in mono at The Goodwood Revival

This selection of six images were taken at The Goodwood Revival earlier this month. I am fortunate to have been to this event on numerous occasions, but in the past the photographs I have taken of these stunning racing cars have largely been from a trackside position and panning with a long lens. Countless images of this type must be taken every year and whilst some can make good action shots, I wanted to get much closer, capturing the wonderful detail and craftsmanship of these fine machines.

In all these shots I have used a wide aperture, giving me a shallow depth of field. The eye is drawn to one particular detail, and whilst other elements are out of focus, they are still important to the overall composition. The conversion to monochrome and the use of high contrast impart a graphic feel and I would like to think the outcome is a more artistic approach to the making of the image. After all these great cars are works of art in their own right and need to be appreciated for their flowing lines, hand crafted detailing, all mixed in with a feeling of raw power.

I have done something differently in this entry by using all six thumbnails to create the featured image. Whether this works or not, I don’t know but the idea is to whet the appetite, and encourage readers to view the whole entry. However to really appreciate each shot, you need to click on a picture to see a larger version, which will open in a new window.

More people at the Goodwood Revival

A couple of days ago I posted an entry with the first selection of people shots taken last weekend at the Goodwood Revival. You can read that post by clicking here.

This second set includes another eight images which I hope you will enjoy. They all try and capture something of the party atmosphere which descends upon Goodwood Motor Circuit every September.

The girls from St Trinian’s School were very much in evidence this year. Originally a cartoon strip created by Ronald Searle in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, he wrote a number of books and in the 1950’s some films were made which featured Alastair Sim (in drag) cast as the headmistress. Great fun.

A more serious moment as two ‘cleaning ladies’ listen to The Earl of March making a presentation to David Brabham the youngest son of the late great Sir Jack Brabham. A picture of the presentation can be seen below.

All over the motor circuit, stalls and shops authentically replicate the feel and times of the post war era. This shot below of ‘The Old Bicycle Company’ was typical of what can be seen.

Ladies don’t often wear hats these days, so there is always the concern as to whether or not it’s still in place and hasn’t shifted in the breeze.

Another ‘underground’ shot, this time of a young lady framed by two film posters – ‘North by Northwest’ by Alfred Hitchcock and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ starring the one and only Elvis Presley.

An England football fan tries to take my photograph with her old camera, while I try and take a picture of her and her friend, with mine. Somehow I think she forgot to load any film but you never can be sure!

I have written about the Goodwood Revival on previous occasions and there are links below if you are interested.

2012

The Silver Arrows at the Goodwood Revival Meeting

The Characters of the Goodwood Revival Meeting

Goodwood Revival Meeting – the last entry

2014

Goodwood Revival – the cars and the people

2016

People at the Goodwood Revival

There is also a Gallery page featuring the Goodwood Revival, and you can see that page by clicking here.

Do click on any of the images in this post to see a larger version which will open in a new window.

People at the Goodwood Revival

Each year the Goodwood Revival has a theme and this year was no exception. As you entered the circuit, a group of rowdy football fans could be heard shouting “C’mon England” whilst waving scarves and banners. Wind the clock back fifty years and The Revival was celebrating England winning the World Cup against Germany.

Whether it’s the people, the cars, the planes or the many stands, there is just so much to see and enjoy. It’s like one big fancy dress party with the majority of people wearing clothes from the 1940’s, 50’s or 60’s. Quite frankly there is no other event like it in the world today.

I have photographed this policeman and his wonderful vintage bicycle before and it was good to see him again. That’s the beauty of this event – you very often bump into the same people and they are always happy to stop and have a chat.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of this young lady astride a Harley Davidson, although quite what the ape was doing in the background I’m not sure!

On the other side of the road from the circuit there are yet more stands, a huge marquee which stages the Bonhams Auction of cars and memorabilia, and a fairground.

As always the Glamcab girls were there, always ready to smile and pose for the cameras.

I will be posting a further selection of pictures very soon. In the meantime do click on any of these images to see a larger version.

For anyone interested, all these photgraphs were taken with a Leica M9-P, imported into Lightroom and then converted into monochrome using Silver Efex Pro 2.

Goodwood Revival – a new gallery page

I have just added a new gallery to this site which features 35 images of this world famous annual event – to see this collection of photographs just click on this link – Goodwood Revival Gallery Page

I have been going to The Goodwood Revival for more years than I care to mention, but it was only in 2012 and 2014 that I decided to concentrate on just taking photographs and not spend quite so much time watching the racing itself. My main aim was to try and capture the wonderful atmosphere of what is really the biggest fancy dress party in the world. All mixed with the sights, sounds, smells and pure glamour of a motor sport from by gone era.

To give you a flavour of the collection I have included a small selection of photographs in this post but to see the complete gallery please click here.