Daytona’s Ace Photographer At The Race

Fourteen tracks and looking for more, the International Speedway Cooperation (ISC) has an ace up their sleeve when it comes to photography. Director of photography, Mike Meadows, has been their primary go-to guy for the past six years when the shot had to be just right.

Mike says getting all the elements into the shot is critical. The sponsors of these million dollar cars pay a lot of money to get them on the track. Therefore it’s important for the photographer to get shots that please every client. The composition needs to include not just the car but also the sponsor’s logo, race logo, the crowd, the position at the finish line and more.

He likes to see motion or a little blur when it’s appropriate to show action or speed. For a more artistic view he recommends using a fish eye lens to create a little more interest.

As a local homegrown photographer of Daytona, Mike got his degree literally across the street from the Daytona Race Track. He gives high marks to the Southeast Center of Photographic Studies. He started by working in the dark room in the days of film and developing at the track. Those days are behind him now as digital technology and high speed Canon digital cameras have taken the place of the film cameras.

Mike worked his way up the ladder by shooting occasional races and filling in as needed. He shot weddings in Orlando for a while, giving him a well-rounded education. That experience prepared him for those great shots like the one of Jimmy Johnson in the winners’ circle this year.

Meadows says the number one rule for photographing a race at the track is lighting and the second is speed. He certainly shows off his knowledge of lighting and speed by making his photos look easy. Jeff Gordon, he reminds us, won the Daytona 500. Mike would know because he and his trusty camera were there making use of those rules.

This ace photographer starts his day around 6:00 am and finishes at about 8:00 pm. A long day for some but not for Mike, whom you can tell, really loves his work. You can hear him tell the story, talk about his camera and more at www.shutterbugradio.com and see more of these exciting photos at www.fotomall.com in Jack’s Hall of Fame.