To satisfy his need for speed, Canon photographer Premjith Narayanan has never missed an F1 race at the Bahrain circuit, as he tells Dan Mold
HEY PREMJITH! Where are you in the world and what are you working on right now? I’m an engineer, currently based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and I’m working for a multinational company here. However, I have always loved photography. I picked up a camera for the first time around 36 years ago, and I’ve never had a dull day since. I mainly photograph Formula 1 racing because I have the Bahrain International Circuit right on my doorstep. However, I equally love shooting landscape and travel photography, astrophotography and also other sports, including rallying, skiing, sailing and golf.
Tell us more about your journey in photography. What made you start shooting professionally? When I decided to start taking photographs, I just captured whatever interested me. I used to paint and draw, and this helped me consider my framing and compositions in my photos. I love to see the world, usually with my wife and children, chasing my dreams and capturing them with my camera.
What was your first camera and what do you shoot with now? I started out in the 1980s and ’90s with the Canon AE-1 and Nikon FM2 film cameras. Having only 36 frames per roll of film made me a better photographer as I have a greater appreciation for achieving a strong composition before pressing the
01WHEEL TO WHEEL Max Verstappen races Lewis Hamilton in 2019. “There aren’t many places in Bahrain with the flame lights in the background, so I combined it with the cars to make something exclusive,” Premjith says.
Lens Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Exposure 1/200 sec, f/2.8, ISO500
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02WHEELS IN MOTION In front of the circuit’s new Ferris wheel, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc accelerates away from Turn 11 during the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Lens Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Exposure 1/100 sec, f/3.2, ISO500
03LECLERC FOR FERRARI “The most difficult part in panning is to decide the best shutter speed for an oncoming car, because every milli-second the focal distance changes. I shot at 1/320 sec for this photo,” says Premjith.
Lens Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM Exposure 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO100
04TWIST AND SHOOT “I practised moving my body for smoother panning and got better at moving with the cars. This skill has taken years to finesse,” Premjith says.
Lens Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM Exposure 1/125 sec, f/16, ISO100 shutter button. With the advent of digital cameras in the 2000s, I moved over to a Canon EOS 300D and then, as my need for better features became greater, I moved up the range to a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. My most recent upgrade was to the EOS R3 mirrorless, which has incredible vehicle tracking for motorsports photos. I have a range of prim
