Sumo Power GT-R GT1 at Paul Ricard
I’ve been looking back through photographs from the last twelve months taking a closer look at some of the events I was lucky enough to be present for. I’m heading to Silverstone next weekend to shoot the GT1 / GT3 race where I’ll be concentrating on the Team Need for Speed cars along with the mighty GT-R GT1s of Sumo Power.
In Stores Now …
Just had my first UK cover feature published in this month’s Japanese Performance. The feature of the Need for Speed D-Mac AE86 has been a particularly sweet moment for me as I was fortunate enough to document the build of this incredible machine. Check out the full feature on this rotary powered beast, on news stands now !
Back to the Daily Grind …
It’s fair to say that the motorsport season is well underway once more and my poor blog is getting neglected once again. You can still keep up with me on Speedhunters or on Twitter if you really miss me that much. I’m also doing my best to keep my Flickr account up to date so be sure to check in for lots of photographs you won’t see anywhere else. Since I’m here I’ve put together a small selection of shots after the jump that should give you an idea of what I’ve been up to since I last posted here !
California Dreamin’ – Honda Integra DA6 Feature
Just published my first feature of 2011 on Speedhunters on this USDM inspired Honda Integra. The car was built entirely on Irish shores so it’s fantastic to see people are still pushing the envelope in regards to aftermarket styling here. More images after the jump …
Mondello March Drift Practice
The now monthly drift practice days at Mondello Park rolled around once again last month. As the start of the 2011 drift season edges closer, some of the pro-class competitors were out testing their updated machinery for this championship year. A large amount of kudos must be sent in Mondello Park’s direction, they’ve always been a huge supporter of drifting in Ireland and these practice days are helping the sport to further evolve. More images after the jump along with a link to the full gallery at the bottom of the post …
Broadspeed Ford Escort
This car was my own personal Moby Dick for such a long period of time but it finally got caught in front of my lens last October to be captured exclusively for the pages of Classic Ford Magazine. Accompanied by the one and only Baron Bryn Musselwhite we set about spending a day getting to know this extraordinary track racer from a greater era than I’ll ever know. Check out just some of the images after the jump …
Caddy Life
For all three of you (Hi Mammy) who regularly visit here, I apologise profusely for the lack of updates and content. Needless to say the last month or two have been entirely taken over on the biggest project I’ve ever worked on which will hopefully be unveiled to the world quite shortly. In the meantime I have been out and about shooting and plan on filling you in on my adventures over the last couple of weeks. Some of you may know of my rather strange infatuation with my beloved ‘Sudsy’ better known as a 2005 Volkswagen Caddy TDI. Sudsy was my first and she will be here to stay for quite some time. I’ve wanted to use Sudsy as a promotional vehicle for myself for quite a while but instead of covering the van in my company name and logos, I decided to try and approach it a different way. Instead of splashing the van with graphics I decided I’d try and make Sudsy stand out from the crowd by subtly modifying its appearance. The pictures of the transformation are after the jump …
Wexican Motorsport Fundraiser Success
Irish Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal Passenger Rides with Martin Ffrench in the Wexican Motorsport Toyota Altezza March 20th 2011 For Immediate Release Waterford, Rep. of Ireland – Having organised a last-minute fund raiser in aid of the Irish Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal, Wexican Motorsport are proud to announce that the effort was more than worth it having raised more than double the original target they had set out. Due to unprecedented demand, extra cars and drivers needed to be drafted in to help cope with the demand on the day for the drift passenger laps. Even mechanical issues were not enough to put a dampener on the day as more drivers volunteered their services and cars in a bid to ensure that everyone who signed up and donated to the appeal was given their reward. Having burned their way through 20+ tires, we are confident that those kind enough to support the appeal were given a worthy experience. Wexican Motorsport and PMCGPHOTOs would like to offer a special thanks to Wesley Keating of WKD Imports for transporting the car on the day and providing drift passenger laps. We would also like to thank Barry Leonard, Dan Moorhead, Chris Brady, Peter Taylor, Adam O’Connor and Brendan Kearney for providing the extra driving duties and Christy Carpenter and Alvin Reid for providing spare tires for the day. The success of the day was entirely down to the spirit and camaraderie within the Irish Drifting Community. If you were unable to attend but will still like to contribute to this cause or the recent earthquake in New Zealand, please visit the Irish Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.ie/
Irish Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal
Irish Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal Passenger Rides with Martin Ffrench in the Wexican Motorsport Toyota Altezza at Mondello Park, Saturday March 19th 2011 March 15th 2011 For Immediate Release Waterford, Rep. of Ireland – Following the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Wexican Motorsport is looking to raise awareness and funds to support the victims of this tragic event. On Saturday March 19th, Wexican Motorsport will be present at the Mondello Park Drifting Practice Day to test their newly unveiled SR20 powered Toyota Altezza. As part of this event, Wexican Motorsport will be offering passenger rides in the car in a bid to raise funds and awareness for the Irish Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal. For a €10 minimum donation, anyone present on the day will have the opportunity to experience two laps of the Mondello Park Drift course layout alongside veteran drifter Martin Ffrench. Alongside Martin, WKD Imports will be providing support cars so those in attendance are guaranteed an exciting day. All proceeds from the day will be donated to the Irish Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal. The Irish Red Cross is a registered charity, number CHY 3950 If you are unable to attend but will still like to contribute to this cause or the recent earthquake in New Zealand, please visit the Irish Red Cross website at http://www.redcross.ie/ For Further Information, Please Contact: Paddy McGrath PMCGPHOTOs 00.353.87.1311404 paddy@pmcgphotos.com
Wexican Motorsport Altezza Shakedown at Mondello Park
Last Saturday I had a rare day off which kind of turned into ‘not-really-a-day-off’ but an enjoyable one none the less. The occasion was the first shakedown of the Wexican Motorsport Toyota Altezza and I was on-hand to document the event. It was a pretty chilled affair and was the perfect opportunity to test out some new equipment namely the Canon 17-40 F4 L, Canon 135 F2 L and the Canon 1.4x extender on the Canon 300 F4 L. It’s also been a while since I got to shoot some live track action so it’s great to be getting back into the motorsport season once again. The following shots primarily focus around Martin and his Altezza but if you head over to my Flickr page, there are a couple more images of some of the other attendees’. More after the jump.
On-Board with Martin Ffrench
[vimeo width=”800″ height=”600″]http://www.vimeo.com/20162768[/vimeo] I spent most of yesterday working on a personal project of mine with Martin Ffrench. I had the honor of shooting the exclusive of his SR20DET Toyota Altezza back in November and even luckier to have the chance to ride along side him during the practice sessions. These are only two short laps from the morning whilst Martin was still working on setups and ironing out any small problems. I’ll have a better video and some photographs up later this week.
Anne Ellard Art Pastel Reproduction of Dubai Lamborghini
Life can be a funny old thing. One day you can have no motivation or inspiration but with the kindness of friend, this can be turned on its head. Some of you may remember last year I done a shoot of a kitchen designed by Anne Ellard for her portfolio. Just yesterday I got a knock on the front door from her to deliver this as a thank you gift. I’m absolutely blown away by not only the thought and sentiment but the quality of the drawing. There are some more images after the jump but I just want to thank Anne once again ! Now I just need to find the perfect spot to hang it …
2011 ITCC PARTNERSHIP
It is with great pleasure that I can announce that for the 2011 season, PMCGPHOTOs will be a proud partner to the Irish Touring Car Championship. As part of a programme to help increase the profile of Irish Motorsport at home and abroad, I’ll be exclusively covering several rounds of the 2011 ITCC series. The ITCC was started in 2010 and featured packed grids of some of the most exciting racing I witnessed all year. For 2011, the ITCC are looking to increase their presence and further enhance their reputation and I’m very proud to be a part this series. Barry Rabbitt, Series Director of the ITCC had this to say ‘We are delighted to welcome PMCGPHOTOs into the ITCC community. We have come a long way in just one year and in this digital age, a photographer with Paddy’s talent can only help us propel the ITCC even further in 2011’ Stay tuned for further updates on the 2011 Irish Touring Car Championship and be sure to check out their website at http://www.itcc.ie/ – Paddy
Derby Day
Those that know me will testify to my fondness for Liverpool Football Club. I’ve followed the red side of Merseyside since I was a kid and Liverpool itself is like a second home to me. It’s a beautiful city with the greatest of people. After the recent Autosport International show at the NEC in Birmingham, I made the pilgrimage north west to catch the Merseyside Derby against Everton FC. I kept my newly acquired NEX5 close to hand and when I wasn’t getting carried away with the game, I tried to capture the full story of the match day. I hope you enjoy …
2011
2010 has quite simply been the most incredible year for myself and the company. Evolving from a part time staff member at a local Blockbuster to a full time professional photographer has been quite a jump. Some 45,000 photographs at near 600GBs, 22 events, 4 weddings, 200+ stories published, 25,000 miles, 5 countries and that is only since April! For 2011 I’m looking to expand this site into something more than just a portfolio. I’ll be including behind the scenes images from photo shoots, talking about and reviewing new equipment purchases, writing opinion pieces on current affairs and also a new tutorial section on the site where I’ll talk you through buying your first camera right through to the most advanced photography techniques I can manage. When I’m not active here, you can be sure to find me contributing and working away on Speedhunters.com one of the best automotive sites on the net, bringing you more new and original content than you could ever possibly need. If you would like to get in contact with me, please drop me an e-mail to paddy@pmcgphotos.com Finally, I’d just like to wish you all a happy and prosperous 2011 !