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France's presence in Formula 1 is growing stronger, with three drivers and its Grand Prix back on the calendar, but French personalities have long been part of this sport's exclusive circle. At the last Monaco Grand Prix, we met photographer Florent Gooden, who has been capturing images of racetracks around the world for years.
After attending a dozen Formula 1 Grand Prix races this season, as well as Formula E and WTCR races, this motorsport enthusiast has managed to carve out a place for himself in the highly competitive and largely Anglo-Saxon world of F1 photography.
Thanks to a chance encounter with Bernard Asset, who gave him his first break, Florent Gooden now works for DPPI, the oldest sports photo agency, and has found his place in the F1 paddocks, where he can combine his love of photography and motor racing.
What was your journey to becoming a Formula 1 photographer? “I started out as a simple fan, going to see the races whenever I had the chance. I first took my father's small camera, immediately loved it, and quickly moved on to a compact digital camera. Living in Lille, I could easily get to Zolder, Spa, and the Nürburgring, so those were my first steps. It didn't take me long to realize that I wanted to turn this hobby into my profession. I didn't really like studying, so I dropped out of school and went abroad to improve my English, which is essential in this field, and I managed to attend a few Grand Prix races far away.” “How did it all start?”
“One day, I was at the Australian Grand Prix, near the spectator barrier, just a few meters from the photographers' area. I spotted Bernard Asset, struck up a conversation, and he was surprised to see a Frenchman interested in his work. He helped me get accreditation and published my photos on his website, which led to my first publications in Auto Hebdo and Sport Auto. From then on, I continued to receive assignments, I met people like Frédéric le Floc'h from DPPI, I gave him my contact details and, very quickly, I was hired by DPPI and left my job at McDonald's. “Why Formula 1?” “It was almost by chance. I was about 12 or 13 when I first saw a Grand Prix on TV, fell in love with the sport, and started following all the races. No one else in my family was interested in motorsports. ” What is a photographer's day like at a Formula 1 Grand Prix? “There's a lot of preparation work, especially when you're not familiar with the circuit. I watch a lot of onboard videos to see where the action will take place and I look for clean backgrounds without too many advertisements. Then I do a track walk to scout out interesting locations. You have to take changes in light into account, so I plan my routes to capture as many angles as possible during the 1- to 1.5-hour practice sessions. I also take photos from different locations than those I will use for the race itself, taking advantage of the practice sessions to take shots at the other end of the circuit and reserving the paddock and pit lane angles for the race, where I have to cover the starting grid, the start, and the podium. In addition to the sporting aspect, there are a lot of interviews and driver portraits to do. That's where experience counts, because you have to know when a driver is available and seize the moment.”
Which photo are you most proud of? Link to image omitted for brevity “I'm particularly pleased with a photo I took during this year's winter testing in Barcelona. The light at sunset is always beautiful, and I tried a risky shot with a very slow shutter speed to capture the speed. I followed the car closely, then pushed the lens forward at the end of the exposure to create a trail of sunlight on the bodywork. It worked, but it took me about a hundred attempts before I got a photo I was happy with. What is the most difficult thing to photograph in Formula 1? Getting good portraits of the drivers is the hardest part of the job. Ideally, you want to photograph them without caps, sunglasses, overalls, or logos, and if you can capture an interesting expression at the same time, it's the perfect photo. Take Lewis Hamilton, for example: he constantly looks down and avoids us, which makes it very difficult to get a good photo. When we finally manage to do so, it reflects the daily reality of life in the paddock, surrounded by cameras and photographers.
Do you remember a particularly memorable frustration? My very first Grand Prix was in Singapore in 2012. I was on my way to a great spot to take photos, just thirty seconds away, when I saw a huge crowd rushing towards the escalator. It's a street circuit, so you have to cross public areas like subway exits to get to the track. Michael Schumacher had just crashed into Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso at the end of the straight, and I was exactly where I needed to be to get a clear, head-on shot. The crowd blocked me and I missed what would have been an easy shot. I was really frustrated, especially as a beginner, but it also showed me how important luck is.”
Is there a lot of competition among photographers, and how do you manage to stand out? “The competition is fierce, both among experienced photographers and newcomers. To get noticed, you have to do something a little different and try to produce a few remarkable images every weekend. During an F1 weekend, there are essentially two types of photos: classic portraits for the press and more artistic shots that take longer and often require riskier setups. You have to juggle between the two. The environment is very Anglo-Saxon, dominated by British teams. “Is there a French ‘clan' among the photographers?” – “Yes, even though we're competitors, we're also good friends. We don't undermine each other; it's fair play. If they capture an image that we missed, good for them—may the best man win. You can't be everywhere, and luck always plays a role.” ”
Other portraits:
Other French people in Formula 1: Magali Bernard
<a href="/f1//f1/news/22736-autres-français-en-formule-1-magali-bernard.html/news/22766-Autres-Français-en-Formule-1-Marine-Deloffre.html" target="blank” title=””>Other French drivers in Formula 1: Marine Deloffre <a href="/f1//f1/news/22736-autres-pilotes-francs-en-formule-1-magali-bernard.html/news/22787-Other-French-drivers-in-Formula-1-Lionel-Froissart.html" target="blank” title=””>Other French drivers in Formula 1: Lionel Froissart
