Biography – Graham Atkinson Photography
My journey into photography began slowly and quite by chance. Neither of my parents had any interest in taking photographs, but when I was around 12 years old an aunt gave me her old Kodak bellows camera. With some saved pocket money, I bought my first roll of film—and that was the start.
It wasn’t an easy beginning; like many others, I remember receiving prints covered in little white stickers explaining everything that had gone wrong. That marked the start of a long and rewarding learning curve.
The early years.
Over the years, I went through a succession of point-and-shoot cameras, often heading out on my bike photographing whatever caught my eye. Things really changed when I passed my driving test at 17. My brother and I would jump into my old Austin A40 and head off to places like Santa Pod Raceway, local grass-track meetings, and the occasional trip to Donington Park, always with a camera close to hand.
One Saturday evening, unsure what to do, my mother suggested I visit Long Eaton Stockcars, where my cousin was racing. That night sparked a 25-year passion and total commitment to stock car racing. During that time, I was involved as a mechanic, builder, and driver across many different cars. While I wasn’t particularly successful on track, I loved every second of it. Unfortunately, the demands on both time and money meant photography had to take a back seat, and I captured very few images during those years.
Eventually that chapter closed, normal life resumed, and so did my photography. Almost by accident, I found myself photographing weddings alongside running my building company—a challenging juggling act at times.
As I got older, I reduced my construction workload and allowed the wedding business to grow naturally. Without ever advertising, it developed entirely through recommendation, and over 200 weddings later I found myself creatively burnt out and looking for a new direction.
That new chapter arrived when a photographer friend invited me to a test day at Donington Park. I jumped at the chance, and motorsport photography quickly reignited a passion that had always been in my blood. Three years on, and many thousands of images later, I’m still thoroughly enjoying capturing the drama, energy, and atmosphere of the sport.
The Story Continues
I’ve been very fortunate to join the PistonClick team, which has given me yet another boost to continue pushing forward. My aim is not only to photograph the cars racing around the circuit, but also the people behind them—who together create the magic of motorsport.
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Reports by Graham Atkinson Photography
