I didn’t pass my driving test until my mid 20s and it was then still a few years after passing my test before I finally got around to owning a car (I hadn’t really needed one). My first car was a fairly standard original Mini but after a year of ownership I handed it to a tuning company for some upgrades to give it a bit more poke. Following that I went owned a Mk1 MX-5, then a Lotus Elise, followed by a Lotus Europa S. The fairly consistent theme with all those was of cars which aren’t that practical but, in my opinion, are fun to drive and aesthetically pleasing. I was starting to find driving less fun though and eventually I decided that I wasn’t making enough use of the Europa S to justify the ownership cost/hassle and now have a relatively sensible car – an Alfa Romeo Mito (I did say “relatively”).
It was part way through my Elise ownership that I started to get into photography and also started to go to car meets/shows as photographing cars at events was something I was enjoying (I never got into staging shoots though – I have aphantasia and so cannot visualise staging a shot).
After a good few years of doing a lot of car photography my interest eventually started to wane though!
Brooklands
Less than 45 minutes drive away from where I used to live was the Brooklands Motor Museum near Weybridge. They regularly host car events there of various different types and sizes (ranging from modest car club meets, right up to the insanely busy Auto Italia event). With the sheer variety of event there I found myself going several times a year and ended up joining as a paying Brooklands Trust Member for a number of years – this meant I could get in for free for most events (and vastly reduced price for those that charge), which was nice as I could happily just pop along to the small events even if it may only be of interest for half an hour. One of my photos from an event was selected by the BTM magazine as a winning photo for the year of photos taken by visitors and posted to their social media, which was lovely.
Lotus
Having been a Lotus owner I’ve also been a member of SELOC for a number of years. A regular local-ish event to where I used to live is the monthly Newlands Corner meet, which I often attended and usually took a number of photos at. With having owned a couple of different Lotuses and also attending a lot of the car meets I’ve photographed each Lotus model quite a few times so it become a challenge to try capture something that felt new/fresh as time went on! I’ve also gone along to a few other Lotus events, including The Lotus Forums national meet, and a couple of Lotus Europa S/SE owners meets. I kept going to the Newlands Corner event for a few years even after I became Lotus-less to catch up with some familiar faces (and take a few snaps) however after moving to Oxfordshire the drive to get there would be too long and boring so I’ve stopped going.
Pistonheads
The Pistonheads online forum tends to organise regular meets at car-related locations around the country (such as motor museums, manufacturer HQs, etc) so I’ve gone along to a number of those over the years. It’s a good chance to see, and photograph, a good variety of cars (both rare and not-so-rare) owned by car enthusiasts as well as any cars provided by the location itself. For a while there were regular meets fairly locally at Virginia Water, although they were a victim of their success and became too popular for the venue to feel comfortable with.
Thatcham Classic
This is a small classic and sports car show held in Thatcham most autumns to raise money for charity. It’s a delightfully informal show which always has a great turn out with a fantastic variety of cars, usually including at least a couple of rarities. While I was a Lotus owner I attended the show a few times over the years, both with my Elise and my Europa S, usually joining a few other Lotus owners for a small convoy from a nearby meeting point.
Other Shows
There are plenty of other shows I’ve attended over the years. Until they became a bit too insanely popular/busy I was regularly going to the Goodwood Breakfast Club meets, similarly the Wilton Classic/Supercar show. The Hambleden Classic/Sports car show has always been a lovely little charity show in picturesque surroundings.
