Ever find yourself looking thru a set of event photographs and find yourself 'feeling' the feel of being there, in the moment? Since we are racers (Johnny), and we are pullers (Trevor) & we are diesel family - we have a different connection with the people that we consider to be our diesel family at these diesel events.
Our team consists of Roy (family friend who's family runs a tire shop up the road) considered team captain & spends evenings and weekends hanging out in the shop doing 'race truck' stuff.
John III (he goes by 'Ben' on the phones, because he keeps having to explain that he's junior - not senior) who builds turbos in the shop & does all shipping -- on the race team is is the tuner and keeps Johnny from jumping off the ledge when he wants to throw the kitchen sink at the truck.
Stephen (owns White Knuckles Garage about an hour away) & brings his mechanical set of skills, along with another pair of eyes / ears to the team.
Cat (Stephen's wife) is always a blessing to have to help keep the guys fed & cooled off in the hot summer heat. Amy (driver's wife) and event photographer. Summer (John III's girlfriend) keeping the phones answered & urgent items handled when events call the team away earlier in the week. Eric (welder, fabricator) for ordered parts and both race trucks.
When we attend these events - we are a racer, co-worker, friend catching up. You know us from our voices on the phones, social media followings, or personally. You feel that you know us and yes, we know you by name or truck. "The yellow piping kit guy in Florida" - haha.
At these events, there's soooo much going on... we all show up, find our pit spot, say hi to your neighbors (hopefully point any loud generators away) and set up tents, unload trucks --- and then find any gremlins that were shaken loose during the travel time in. (there's always something that shows its head) This is my time (my photographer's walk) to walk the pits and see if I can spot any family dynamic that should be captured as a memory. It might be minimal at that moment, but it's important. Father / son teams, teams bringing the family, birthday party's in the pits, pregnant wives...
And then the racing begins, any new trucks, new looks? Up to the tech-in station, drivers meetings, (capture some faces here), (are there any unique pit rides?) (how's Big Don feeling this weekend). Let's get some crowd shots of everyone standing for the national anthem. Walk the vendor ally, are there any vendors that get the 'season coverage' of photography content that could use some extra product placement shots on the track?
Then we race. Trucks break & hopefully we capture the action in the photos so that you see the entire 'story line' of the event. When trucks break, there's an 'aw-shit' moment ... but then in the pits it turns into 'let's do this' momentum... which we also capture.
The people running the events are just as much people and have feelings toward what happens also. When Dirty Hooker Diesel's truck caught on fire and exploded on the dyno, sorry to say I was not there to capture those photos. (Lauren Patterson, wife of Wilson-Patterson Diesel shared her photos with us) But going over when they were loading the truck on the tow truck, is when there was a feeling of dispair in the air. Photographer, videographers, event workers, all seemed to be in disbelief of the 'what could have just happened' ... and that we were capturing/ witnessing it, but unable to do anything to help. *side note - now I understand why some trucks dyno with the hoods and doors off*.
If your business is looking for some 'real event-coverage' from start to finish or you have products on a few specific trucks ... I believe there is some good content accessible for year round use. Hi-res photography (all unedits available, but choice photos edited). Season coverage available or purchase downloads (or prints) of individual photos. www.photos.stainlessdiesel.com
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