Cheltenham Racecourse

Whilst researching a lot of martin parr, Dougie wallis and various street photographers, bruce guilden as examples, I was getting very into the in your face, fill in flash and vibrant colours style these photographers offered. Parr is especially interesting, he takes the images no one would dare to, getting close to people eating and drinking and throwing things and running about busy areas, I admire this guys confidence and knowledge of the scenes he places himself. Looking at his work from Cheltenham was quite a funny experience. 

Seeing this work, I thought Oh shit the races are on soon and im in cheltenham haha. So from the flash techniques I had learnt in first year with fill in flash and digital equipment, I could easily photograph just like Parr, one of the greats at this type of scene. So I got a lovely full frame canon and a 17-40 L, and programmed the internal flash so it compensated -2 stops of power, low power flash in bright sun always gives a lovely effect. 

So I decided to go the to the racecourse which ran for 3 days from Friday till Sunday, walking through the park with boots and a digital camera, a few memory cards and one battery. Prepared for a bit of a scruff, I had a copy of the law which basically says I have every right to create work in public... when it comes to private property, its slightly different. I have a good knowledge of the law and comply when it comes down to being confronted but no ones destroys my work.

Entering with no ticket and no press pass or authority to photograph.

I feel I took a bit more of a responsibility when it came to photographing this event than Parr would have done. I had no ticket and no say so to photograph on the private property so I have to be very careful where I go and how I expose myself when taking very obvious images. This is soo adrenalin fuelled and the thrill to search for rich people doing interesting things at a well known event was just a photographers paradise, So I immersed myself in this style and gave it my best fking shot.