WHERE TO WATCH
Stephen Davison has been responsible for some of the world’s greatest road racing pictures –making him the best person to show you round, where to watch and how to get up close and personal to your racing heroes
I’ve been travelling to the Isle of Man TT for three decades, shooting Joey and DJ, John McGuinness and Guy Martin, Hutchy and Mickey D in action. The thrill and the challenge never grows old and I’m looking forward to TT 2024 with the prospect of momentous history being made.
Photographing the TT is special because you can get much closer to Dunlop, Hicky, Harrison and Co than you ever would at places like Donington or Silverstone. And if it’s a good place to photograph the racing, it will be a great spot to spectate.
It isn’t just about the bikes though. The people, the island’s stunning landscapes, and the roads with their famous corners lined by trees and stone walls provide so may photographic opportunities.
These are some of the best places I’ve found to capture unforgettable TT moments and memories.
1 Like every photographer, I have my favourite spots on the TT course after many years spent searching them out.
If you aren’t familiar with the island, get yourself a good map and most important of all, drive the course, walk the course, and study the pictures you’ve seen in MCN to figure out the best locations.
Be careful, because the roads are busy. Don’t stop without checking your mirrors and never block the road. Park up and walk around the places that catch your eye.
This opening picture, the pick of my shots from TT 2023, was taken at a very special TT landmark, the famous yellow cottage at Rhencullen, just outside Kirk Michael. Entrance to the garden was, of course, by permission only but I usually find a courteous approach often receives a positive response from the friendly Manx folk. Meeting people is all part of the pleasure of visiting the TT.
For me this image captures what the TT – and motorcycle road racing – is all about. The lady of the house is watching by her gateway while a visitor peers down on poppies shaking in the breeze as Josh Brookes blasts past mid-leap on his FHO BMW.
I’ve been to Rhencullen many times but I didn’t see the whole scene straight away. It was the poppies that caught my eye, and when I stood back a little and really looked I could see the picture unfolding. I didn’t need a multi-thousand-pound telephoto lens to capture it either; a little wide-angle lens did the job just perfectly.
Timing is everything in road racing photography because the bikes p
