Slept on the tour bus overnight and managed to get about 5 hours sleep. The rising sun woke me up around 5.30 am. By the time I got myself together it was around 6.00 am, and had some snack bars and water for “breakfast”, then headed over to the Esses for early morning shots. Hope you like the photos.

On my way over saw a lot of pro-photographers getting ready to shoot the Dunlop Bridge silhouetted against the early morning sunlight. I kept walking over the hill and past the Dunlop Bridge to the Esses since wanted to shoot the cars as they came down this part of the track in the early morning light. Wanted to get to the small hill which overlooks the Esses and catch fencing (near the concrete safety marshals lookout) early for the great light, and to avoid the crowd of spectators that will be at this vantage point in a couple of hours. There was already a lot of photographers at this vantage point, hence, got set-up so I could photograph between them and over the catch fencing. This is where a 500mm lens came in handy.

Stayed at the Esses for an hour or so, then walked towards Tertre Rouge and walked under the track, then back up to the spectator hill on the inside of the track which over looks the Esses for panning shots of the cars as they exit this complex onto the straight into Tertre Rouge. From here, walked back to the outside of the track and on my way back to the Esses found a vantage point (a few hundred feet down from the concrete safety marshals lookout) where you can push your lens up against the fence and get front shots of the cars as they speed out of the Esses into the straight which heads onto Tertre Rouge.

By now it was about 9.30 am, and was getting very hungry and tired, since had been photographing and walking around for about 3.5 hours, so headed over to the ACO enclosure on the inside of the track near the Dunlop Bridge to get some food and rest. Also, Laura called around this time, and said she was on her way to the track in the tour bus, which was great. Around 10.30 am I headed to Stand 34 on the front straight that overlooks the Audi Sport Team Joest pit area to meet Laura.

Laura and I stayed at Stand 34 for the remainder of the race and for the finish. Although, we did grab some lunch at the ACO enclosure at Raccordement (outside the “S” Ford Curves) and had a really nice sit-down lunch. Was great to finally have some great tasting food, instead of my snack bars. The race finished at 3.00 am with the #2 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 winning the race, and it was great to be above there pits to watch the team celebrate, then drive there car down pit lane for the winners podium. Around 3.30 am we left Stand 34 and walked to where the tour bus was parked, for taking us back to the hotel at La Ferte Bernard. Laura and I had another great time at Le Mans. Hope you like the photos.

 

Found a location were shots could be taken through the trees on the hill overlooking the main path to the Esses, next to the fenced camping area. Here’s Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7 speeding down the hill into the Esses after passing under the Dunlop Bridge. (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4, 1/1000, ISO 100)

Made it to the vantage point next to the concrete marshals box which overlooks the Esses. #53 Ram Racing Ferrari 458 Italia leading a Corvette into the Esses. Shot taken from hill which overlooks the concrete safety marshals box over the Esses  (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4, 1/2000, ISO 400)

#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-tron Quattro heading through the Esses. Really like how the early morning sunlight has highlighted the dirt on the car (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4.5, 1/2000, ISO 800)

#70 Team Taisan Ferrari 458 Italia leads a pack of cars through the Esses (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/4.5, 1/2000, ISO 1000)

fter shooting on the outside of the track, walked through the under track walkway to get inside shots of the cars speeding though the Esses. #1 Audi Sports Team Joest R18 E-Tron Quattro  speeding through the Esses (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 145mm, f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 100)

#20 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid speeding through the Esses (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 280mm, f/6.3, 1/250, ISO 100)

#95 Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin Vantage V8 speeding through the Esses (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 280mm, f/13, 1/100, ISO 100)

Before heading to the ACO Enclosure, took a shot of part of the Esses with the Dunlop Bridge in the background (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 280mm, f/14, 1/1000, ISO 640)

On my way back on the outside of the track noticed a vantage point which allows you to put your lens up against the fence to get front shots of the cars speeding towards you. Exiting the Esses with the #29 Pegasus Racing Morgan-Nissan (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 100)

#14 Porsche Team Porsche 919 Hybrid speeding down the straight into Tertre Rouge (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 100)

Processed this shot in black and white to bring out the dirt and grime on the front of the #91 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 RSR (Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 500mm f/4L IS II, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 100)

By the time I got to the ACO Enclosure on the inside of the track near the Dunlop Bridge, was very tired, so had some breakfast and rested for a while (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 98mm, f/8, 1/250, ISO 100)

Before heading to Stand 34 to meet up with Laura, took a shot of the inside of the Esses from the ACO Enclosure (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II with 1.4x extender III, 98mm, f/16, 1/1000, ISO 1600)

The #2 Audi Sport Team Joest R18 E-Tron Quattro wins Le Mans (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 95mm, f/16, 1/2000, ISO 1600)

#2 Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R18 E-tron Quattro heading down pit lane after the win (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 200)

Audi Sport Team Joest celebrate the win (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/5.6, 1/4000, ISO 100)

Ralph Jüttner (Managing Director) congratulates Marcel Fassler co-driver of the winning #2 Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 140mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100)

Marcel Fassler co-driver of the winning #2 Audi and the team celebrate the win (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 180mm, f/2.8, 1/1500, ISO 100)

Through a “sea of red and white and cell phone cameras” the winning #2 Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro heads down pit lane to the Winners Podium (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 70mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100)

Thousands of spectators were on the front straight to see the winners celebrations (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 200mm, f/10, 1/160, ISO 100)

#2 Audi Sport Team Joest raise the winners trophy (Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 200mm, f/16, 1/200, ISO 250)