Le Mans 1991 - Ayse's Story
Page 4 - Wandering Alone in the Wonderful Night
Once back in the garage rouge, it was into the tents and cars for some sleep for most, but not me. After my experiences in 1990, I was determined to have another go at the nighttime shots which I tried for the first time last year. The story can actually be told quite shortly, as I am afraid that the results of my efforts would, once again, prove to be rather disappointing.
I spent from about 1.00 a.m. until dawn taking shots from the Ford Chicane, all around the circuit to Tertre Rouge, pausing at the main straight, Dunlop Curve, and the Esses in between. Aside from one or two quite decent shots of the new stands and administration building, taken from the Ford Chicane, the rest of the efforts were pretty poor. Once again, I simply hadn't appreciated that, with the equipment available, simple aperture priority shooting was not going to produce the goods!
(2020 edit - it seems extraordinary as I write this now, to see people leaning on the concrete wall along the straight with no debris fencing....!)
The biggest disappointment of all was the dawn. I went over to the inside of the circuit, on the run down to the Esses from the Dunlop Bridge. I could see a wonderful cloud formation drifting over as the first strains of morning light came through the clouds. I waited and waited until that cloud formation was just right, so that I could take a picture, both of the clouds, and (hopefully) a car or two heading around the Esses. Well, I took the picture all right, and it is in the album, but you can judge the very dark, almost indistinguishable results for yourself! After all that waiting and effort, I was pretty disappointed!
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