Hayden Paddon kicks up a dust cloud in his Hyundai at Rally Australia. PHOTO/INMOTION/Greg Henderson
Hayden Paddon kicks up a dust cloud in his Hyundai at Rally Australia. PHOTO/INMOTION/Greg Henderson
The talents of Tauranga's Greg Henderson have been recognised with the major photography award at the annual motorsport award's night.
Henderson's six-shot portfolio of action taken during the preceding 12 months was judged as the top submission from New Zealand's motorsport photographers in Wellington last Saturday.
It featured action images from WRC Rally Australia in November, the annual Supercars event at Pukekohe, GT racing action and the D1NZ stadium drift event staged at Mt Maunganui's Baypark earlier this year.
Battling drifters Nico Reid and Dave Steedman in action at the D1NZ Baypark event. PHOTO/INMOTION/Greg Henderson
Henderson's photography has been a regular feature in the Bay of Plenty Times Driven and previously Auto Parade publications since the early 1990s.
"This portfolio is a fantastic mix of track, dirt, and drift action captured at the decisive moment," the judges said.
"The images show a collective example of well executed photography with skill in not only freezing the action but in creating pin sharp images that contain movement.
"The exposure and overall treatment has been well executed, particularly with the image of Jonny Reid and Neil Foster in the wet, and the colours and texture in the image of Hayden Paddon."
Henderson said his portfolio for the 2017 awards contained the widest variety of subject material he's entered in the awards.
"In previous years I thought I was missing one or two photos covering other aspects of motorsport and the D1NZ events gave me the extra photos I needed," he said.
Henderson said each of the photos had its own challenges.
The Audi R8 LMS of Daniel Bilski and Garth Tander is a blur of speed at the Hampton Downs round of the 2016 Australian GT Championship. PHOTOGRAPHY INMOTION/Greg Henderson
"For the Johnny Reid shot it was pouring with rain and getting dark but I was able to take several shots to get what I wanted and avoid another car behind from lighting up the spray.
"The McLaughlin shot had to be taken through a barrier fence and for the Hayden Paddon shot I only had a split second before he was gone."
The judges selected Napier's Bruce Jenkins as the winner of the President's Award for the best single photograph for his image showing Toyota Racing Series competitor Brendon Leitch in mid-air at Manfeild earlier this year.
Tom Marshall's Nissan Silvia slides out of the smoke cloud during the D1NZ event at Baypark earlier this year. PHOTO/INMOTION/Greg Henderson
The awards evening saw more than 50 awards, trophies and certificates presented to competitors, officials, volunteers and media at all levels of four-wheeled motor sports in New Zealand along with presentations to championship winners and special awards that recognise the achievements of New Zealand's top race and rally drivers.
Shane van Gisbergen was presented with the Jim Clark Trophy in recognition of his 2016 Supercars Championship title, the first New Zealander to win the premier Australian touring car title in 25 years.
WRC driver Hayden Paddon was presented with the Rally Founders trophy for the seventh time in recognition of his history-making achievement to become the first New Zealander to win a round of the FIA World Rally Championship, in Argentina last year and his contribution to New Zealand's bid to get a WRC round back in 2018.
Looming darkness provides the backdrop as the Audi R8 LMS of Neil Forster and Jonny Reid races through the rain at Hampton Downs. PHOTO/INMOTION/Greg Henderson
The winner of the prestigious Steel Memorial trophy was teenage Auckland racing star Liam Lawson who secured the 2016/17 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship title on his 15th birthday, making him globally the youngest-ever Formula Ford champion in the 50-year history of the single-seater category.
First presented in 1983, thanks to late Owen and Gwenn Steel, the Steel Memorial trophy recognises the efforts of a junior (under 21 years) driver at national race level and their dedication, skill and professionalism as they strive to progress to the upper echelons of motorsport.
