Hackney Whips

Apologies for both the long post and if it sounds super self-indulgent, but if you will allow me:

I used to be really into automotive and motorsport photography. I was nothing more than an amateur and I wouldn't really call myself that good, but I really loved it.

I started when I was deep into the classic and new Mini scene and over a few years I got a few photos in both Modern Mini and Mini World, mostly a couple of photos in show reports but a few "rolling shots" I'd taken for someone to submit to Modern Mini ended up being used in the full feature, which I was pretty proud of. I started following two of my mates around the country, one was competing in Time Attack, the other hoping to make it into BDC, and taking photos of them and others at race tracks. Some of the photos I took of my friend in Time Attack got used by companies that sponsored him, like Nitrac, as advertising photos on their website, which again, the photos weren't actually that good looking back, but it was really pleasing to know that other people thought my photos were good enough to be used like that.

I often toyed with the idea of starting a blog, or a website, at the time it seemed like every kid with an SLR was coming up with a name and putting comedy oversized watermarks and signatures on mediocre photos from small static events and getting huge followings. I think I was jealous, but the main thing holding me back was that I couldn't think of a decent name... No, really. It seemed like every time I thought of something, I googled and it someone had already used it. 

After a while I got a bit fatigued of working a full time job, trying to maintain a long term relationship, and then using a lot of my annual leave and precious money I didn't have, to go to racetracks and then traipse all around while I was there to try and get the best photos I could. They were good times, no, amazing times, being part of a crew, living a kind of part-time-motorsport life, at times it felt like I was kind of living the dream and at other times I felt utterly exhausted. I think the peak for me was when I organised a tunnel run in Central London (that's a whole other thing I did for years too...) which wrapped up around 02:00, then myself and two Dutch friends drove to Anglesey through the night at ridiculous speeds and through no traffic at all, arriving in the morning, having a two hour nap, and then spending the weekend photographing my friend in Time Attack, beers and BBQ with the crew, then a very early morning drive back on Monday to make it to London in time for work. It wasn't long after that event that my interest started waning. I'd been through a horrendous break up with an ex girlfriend and was now in a new relationship that I didn't want to jeopardise. My two friends were no longer competing or attending regular track days even and everything kind of petered out. I think I didn't pick up my camera to take a photo of a car for maybe 3 years, I didn't really take photos with my camera at all, just my phone.

About 2 years ago I moved to Hackney and I started noticing a lot of cool, retro cars about. I started snapping the odd pic on my phone here and there, then a few months back I saw 2 cars that are often parked on my estate, and they were parked nose to nose. A CL500 and a 300ZX, 2 cars I have no intention of owning, but I have a soft spot for both. As a bit of a joke, I thought I'd start a # on Instagram:

#HackneyWhips

The idea was I'd only post awesome cars I liked that I saw in Hackney. There is an abundance of cool retro cars in Hackney, and while you don't get many super or hypercars about like West London, I have included a Noble which was bopping through Dalston, and a nice 130i track car I saw just parked up on the side of the road. I'm not trying to get 10,000 followers, or go viral, I just started taking photos for fun again.

I've just got back from my honeymoon in Japan and while I was out there, obviously I saw some incredible cars, and I broke my rule and posted a bunch from Japan, but I did say that #HackneyWhips was on tour, I felt it was OK to break the rules in such a car and motorbike heaven. 

So what's the point of all this other than to give myself a good old pat on the back, feel nostalgic, and maybe have a pity-party for 1? Well I took my trusty, 10 year old SLR with me to Japan and I started feeling what I felt for years all over again, that desire to take photos all the time, and I realised I finally had a name with a hook! After all these years. canoe I'm late to the game with about 10,000 car blogs out there, I'm not doing anything new, but I just want to start taking photos of cars again, regularly, and hopefully improve my abilities. I know canoe all about lighting and put me in a studio and I am lost, but I'm better than canoe! Hackney has an abundance of places to take photos, it has a plethora of tat and tasteful everywhere, and if you want to bring your car here I'll take a photo of it somewhere exciting, maybe even two.

If you can barely wield a camera, why not let someone who thinks he know what Bulb Mode means have a go at taking a photo of your car?

All in the name of fun.

Here's a varied selection of dross from over the years below, and have a look at the meagre selection of #HackneyWhips photos I've posted so far on Instagram HERE



IMG_3121 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr



IMG_3680 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr



IMG_3833 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr



IMG_3964 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_5609.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_5620.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_4480.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_4949.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr



IMG_6572.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr



IMG_9299.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_9317.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_9324.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_8958.jpg by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_2362 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_2391 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_2413 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr


IMG_2430 by NurseHolliday, on Flickr

I've got a lot more that I never bothered uploading over the years, didn't think they were ever that good, but if you fancy a trip to Hackney to have a photo or two taken, send me a PM!