Women Drive Electric - The Ford Mustang Mach-E

 ‘Women and Cars’

The Ford Mustang Mach-E

Back in the day the automobile was a revolution, a carriage on four wheels. Little has changed, or has it?

A 1904 Columbia 2 Cylinder 14 HP at the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

 Cars have evolved in so many different ways that are significant to current trends and demands.

 But one thing that really hasn’t changed all that much is the way cars are sold in the media and who the manufacturers are trying to appeal to, and that is predominantly to men!

 It wasn’t that long ago that scantily clad young women were draped across cars in adverts and dealerships to lure men to part with their hard-earned cash.

 Well, times have changed big time! And we women want to be included and directly spoken to about the performance and practicality of the vehicle – this includes on the forecourt and in the media, to close the gender gap inequality for good.

 Don’t get me wrong, we know the words torque and horsepower, but the language we women use is far more expressive and emotional when we describe our cars and driving experiences. We are passionate about Carbon Footprint, Sustainability and Supply Chain – words that belong in the 21st century. I doubt this was ever considered in the early days. But now we have to stand up and listen to our overheated planet and protect it for future generations.

Did you know:

  • 41% of all privately owned cars were owned by women at the end of 2020 (17% increase in 10 years vs 9% increase for men)

  • 19 million women hold a driving licence in the UK

  • Women would rather shop for a car online because they feel dealership environments are uninviting and masculine.

  • 1 in 5 haven’t even looked into electric cars and 1 in 4 think they are much too expensive to run and 2 in 3 don’t know about government grants.

 Last year, the Government announced that the sale of exclusively petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2040

 I recently had the pleasure of test driving a Ford Mustang Mach-E with a group of like-minded women with Ford and Erin Baker – an award-winning Motoring Journalist. I have always loved Mustangs – for their power and design prowess.

Erin Baker an award-winning Motoring Journalist during our creative content class.

This is what I discovered about the Ford Mustnag Mach-E.

  •  Stylish, spacious and comfortable interior

  • Standard 15.5 portrait-style touchscreen

 

Easy to use and comprehensive touch screen.

 
  • Heated front seats

  • Smartphone charging pad

  • Front and rear parking sensors and 360 parking camera

  • Between 248 and 379 miles of range

  • SUV with instant acceleration

  • No congestion charge

  • Handy App to access info within the car and to lock and turn on heated seats remotely and more

 Starting at £42,500 it has captured my attention (and heart) – so much so I didn’t want to return it.

 

Grid Serve. Braintree, Essex. Super-fast, reliable charging for up to 36 cars at the same ti

 

We visited the Grid Serve Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex where there were multiple charging points and shopping experiences. Currently, electricity can be bought for 40p/kiloWattHour making £35 for 370 miles of range on the biggest battery, taking in the region of one hour to charge.

 This sounds like simplicity on wheels, and I like the sound of that.

 Over my past 4.5 decades as a passionate car owner and automotive photographer, I’d like to pitch to car brands to connect more with women.

 As they say I’m your (wo)man.

 

In the driving seat of the Mustang Mach-E. A spacious and comfortable interior with a glass panoramic roof adds depth and light.

 
 

Recharge at Grid Serve can take as little as ten minutes for a top-up or one hours for a full charge.

 

Women Drive Electric - Our group of writers and presenters – to create content to appeal to a wider female audience to educate them more about the world of cars and the evolution of electric cars.

Thanks very much

Stella

Introducing Our Automotive Photography Online Shop

After many weeks of choosing and sorting which images to include it gives me great pleasure to announce the opening of our online shop where you can buy exclusive photographs of some of the world's finest classic cars, supercars and bikes taken at various locations and commissions over the years.


We're open all hours – ideal for Christmas gifts too!

 
A5 Greetings Cards for birthdays, anniversaries, hello’s and goodbye’s – you decide!

A5 Greetings Cards for birthdays, anniversaries, hello’s and goodbye’s – you decide!

 
 
Open Edition prints from exclusive photo-shoots

Open Edition prints from exclusive photo-shoots

Framed and unframed limited editions for something extra special.

Framed and unframed limited editions for something extra special.

 
 
Choose from a selection of postcards to send to friends and family or for your own collection.

Choose from a selection of postcards to send to friends and family or for your own collection.

 

Simply follow this link to our shop to start buying.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Stella

Original Automotive Father's Day Gifts

It’s time to treat the special man or men in your life – be it your dad, husband, boyfriend, granddad or father figure.

From an exclusive range of photographs of some the world’s finest classic and supercars printed on fine art paper and sized at 16” x 12” image area 12” x 8” – priced at £45 each or £135 ready to hang in a tailor-made frame.

If you would prefer to give him the option to choose his own why not buy a voucher so he can redeem it at his leisure. Simply email us via this link to place your order.

We also have a collection of Limited Editions and Artist Proofs for sale via this link.

 

Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run - 3 November 2019

 
03-11-2019-BVCR-0353.jpg
 

This year’s Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run took place on Sunday 3 November 2019. For the fifth year running, I had the pleasure of photographing the arrivals of these veteran cars as they crossed the finishing line on Madeira Drive, Brighton on what proved to be a warm and sunny day.

A little bit of background history to set the scene, the first run was in 1896, and it has taken place most years since its initial revival in 1927. To qualify, the cars must have been built before 1905. It is also the world's largest gathering of veteran cars.

This year at Hyde Park, at precisely 06:56am sunrise, the first of the horseless carriages were flagged away with the earliest of the Victorian vehicles leading the way through Wellington Arch, down Constitution Hill, past Buckingham Palace, Whitehall and Parliament Square and then over Lambeth Bridge. Here the 60-mile route split into two alleviating traffic congestion in South London.

As in recent years, the Bonhams Veteran Car Run provided a fitting finale to the Royal Automobile Club’s busy London Motor Week. The penultimate event in the week was the free-to-view Illinois Route 66 Regent Street Motor Show, on Saturday 2 November, which turned London’s flagship shopping street into a motoring showcase that put the spotlight on veterans and moderns alike and attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. This was my first time photographing this event, it was interesting to see the lead up to the Sunday Car Run.

All the photographs below have captions on each to tell you more about the two days events.

 
 

Over one hundred stunning veteran cars were on display within the Bonhams Veteran Car Zone at the Illinois Route 66, Regent Street Motor Show, featuring the Concours d’Elegance. The cars were judged by a panel of experts and several awards were given out at the Show. A showcase of 125 years of motoring including veteran, vintage, classic, and modern-day cars.

 
 

In total, nearly ninety percent of the 400 plus starters made it to Brighton before the 4.30pm deadline to claim a coveted finishers’ medal.

First back was car number 95, a 1902 Oldsmobile, driven by Andreas Melkus who crossed the finishing line at 10.08am. Andreas has been the first to cross the finishing line for the past three years, well done to him and his Oldsmobile!

While the Run is famously not a race, the popular A. Lange & Söhne Regularity Time Trial provided a competitive element. More than 230 entrants elected to take part in the Trial by attempting to keep to a strict average speed for the stretch between Crawley and Burgess Hill. The winner was Paul Emile Bessade a 1904 Darracq who covered the 13 miles at an average speed of 10.1mph compared to his 10mph target.

 
 

In total, 120 different marques ranging from Adler (built in Frankfurt, Germany) to Yale (from Toledo in Ohio, US) were represented on this year’s Run – some, like Cadillac, Renault, Vauxhall and Mercedes, still well-known today, but the vast majority long since forgotten. Many cars and crews sported moustaches in support of Movember, the event’s official Charity Partner.

 
The veteran car drivers and passengers enjoyed an unseasonably mild day, it was especially warm at the finishing line - Madeira Drive, Brighton.

The veteran car drivers and passengers enjoyed an unseasonably mild day, it was especially warm at the finishing line - Madeira Drive, Brighton.

 

Half of the participants followed the traditional A23 route via Kennington, Brixton and Streatham Common; the other half journeyed via Vauxhall, Clapham Common and Tooting. The two routes then merged on the A236 just north of Croydon with the entire cavalcade reunited as it headed to the spectator-friendly halfway point in Crawley High Street, the South Downs and eventually the Madeira Drive seafront in Brighton.

To see a copy of the route please click here

 
As the sun began to set the last of the cars arrived at Madeira Drive.

As the sun began to set the last of the cars arrived at Madeira Drive.

 

Well, that concludes a warm Sunday on Madeira Drive, always a pleasure to photograph this event. It’s a huge contrast to the Formula One & Two events I have photographed over the past two years, it just shows how far the automobile has come!

It’s always interesting to hear the stories from the drivers and passengers as they stop at the finishing line to say a few words about their journey and the history of their vehicle and personal experiences. Some of the participants told the story about how they have been taking part in the race for the past 50 years, first as babes in arms with grandparents, to eventually sitting in the coveted driver’s seat, a true family tradition.

Thanks for reading.

Stella

British Grand Prix 2019 - Formula Two - Chasing the Dream

This year at the British Grand Prix I had the pleasure of photographing the stills during the making of a four part documentary about the young and aspiring Formula 2 drivers called ‘Chasing the Dream’ due to air at the end of August on F1TV, it will then be available on other platforms which are to be confirmed.

The idea for the documentary is the brainchild of Martin Turner, former head of F1 Sky Sports and Sky Europe - keen to tell the story about the often forgotten Formula 2 championship and the journey the young drivers take to realise their dreams to become Formula 1 racing drivers and world champions - working with Rory Child from Golden Child TV, Martin is making this a reality.

I took part at Silverstone on the two pre-race days, the Thursday and Friday and the qualifying day the Saturday, photographing the 20 young drivers, behind the scenes, during their studio interviews, the track parade, races, press conferences, press interviews and on the podium. I’m sharing with you a few of the photographs I took during this time just to whet your appetite before you watch the programs.

The documentary also features action from the first three F2 racing weekends in Bahrain, Baku and Barcelona. Part one introduces us to these aspiring F1 drivers, with unique access behind the scenes of the most competitive and cutthroat racing in the world. With contributions from Ross Brawn, Formula 1 Managing Director of Motorsports and Rob Smedley technical consultant for Formula 1.

Current drivers who have made the transition from Formula 2 to Formula 1 are George Russell the reigning FIA Formula 2 champion, Charles Leclerc FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017 and Lando Norris FIA Formula 2 Vice-Champion 2018.

Formula 2 has 10 teams each with two aspiring F1 drivers.

The team names, driver names and car numbers are shown below, there is not a number 13 as this is deemed an unlucky number, It was used in the early years of the sport but in the 1920s it was dropped after the Delage factory team suffered two fatal accidents with the number in the course of just a few months.

Carlin - Louis Delétraz #1 and Nobuharu Matsushitsa #2

 
 

Art Grand Prix - Nikita Mazepin #3 and Nyck De Vries #4

 
 

Dams - Sérgio Sette Cåmara #5 and Nicholas Latifi #6

 
 

Uni-Virtuosi Racing - Guanyu Zhou #7 and Luca Ghiotto #8

 
 

Prema Racing - Mick Schumacher #9 and Sean Galael #10

 
 

Sauber Junior Team by Charouz - Calum Illot #11 and Juan Manuel Carrea #12

 
 

Campus Racing - Arjun Maini #14 and Jack Aitken #15

 
 

MP Motorsport - Jordan King #16 and Mahaveer Raghunathan #17

 
 

BWT Arden - Tatiana Calderón #18 and Anthoine Hubert #19

 
 

Trident - Giuliano Alessi #20 and Dorian Boccolacci #21

 
 

F2 cars are backed by a 500 horsepower engine, which is about half that of a Formula 1 vehicle. Formula 2 vehicles sport an rpm of 10,000rpm while F1 cars hit up to 18,000 rpm.

 
 

This gives you a small introduction into the world of Formula 2, the documentary ‘Chasing the Dream’ will tell you a whole lot more. I will be posting updates about the documentary on social media, please feel free to follow me on Instagram @stellascordellis and @stellasms.

A little piece of extra information, I’ll be using the images from this commission as part of a presentation I’ll be giving onboard luxury liners as I take on another role as a cruise ship speaker to educate and entertain passengers about the fascinating worlds my work takes me to. The F2 talk will sit very nicely alongside my talk about F1 featuring photographs from the British Grand Prix 2018.

If you happen to be cruising with Cunard, Fred.Olsen, P & O, Royal Caribbean, Marella or Viking check your speaker program and if you see me listed come and enjoy one of my presentations, I’d love to see you!

Thanks for reading, bye for now…

Stella

 

Stella Scordellis and The Classic Motor Hub Italian Event 2019

On Sunday 5th May I had the pleasure of showcasing my photography at The Classic Motor Hub in Bibury, Gloucestershire as part of their Coffee & Classics Italian event which attracted a huge crowd of marvellous guests and their wonderful Italian Classics.

It was great to be amongst some of the finest Italian cars and motorcycles, from Ferrari to Ducatti and Lamborghini to Lambretta and so much more!

Whilst I wasn’t behind my ‘desk’ discussing potential commissions, I took a brief few moments to grab my camera to capture the essence of the event to give you a flavour of the occasion.

The cars and bikes arrived in quick succession with a live band adding to the Italian atmosphere and many familiar faces who frequent these occasions and new ones too, eager to see what the Hub has to offer and to share their love of cars.

It was good to speak to the drivers and their passengers to hear a little bit more about their cars and the history behind them, they each had an interesting story to tell.

Scroll on down to soak up the atmosphere…

 
 

You really have to see the showrooms for yourselves because this is not like any other showroom I have encountered, The Classic Motor Hub sits in a five-acre former RAF site dedicated to classic motor sales and events, it is a haven of mixed delights in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere which resembles a museum, a museum where you can buy the ‘goods’ is a match made in heaven.

 
 

The team at the Hub certainly know how to put on events, they take place the first Sunday of the month between April and October from 10am - 1pm with a different theme each time.

The Classic Motor Hub is open Tuesday to Friday 10am -5pm and Saturday 9am-3pm.

I’ll be back there again on Sunday 2nd June for their next event and to sell my limited edition framed photographs and to discuss any commissions you have in mind.

 
 

A few cars from other parts of Europe were included to add to the mix too, the Citroën is from 1948!

 
 

That’s it for now, I’ll be back again soon with other updates about my work, in the meantime if you are interested in taking one of your cars or bikes to the next event on Sunday 2nd June, follow this link to find out more.

Thanks for reading, bye for now…

Stella

The Classic Motor Hub - Coffee & Classics - Italian Event 5 May 2019

 
Stella Scordellis Ferrari F40 Side Watermarked.jpg
 

On Sunday 5th May between 10am and 1pm The Classic Motor Hub in Bibury, Gloucestershire will be hosting another of their much loved Coffee & Classics events.

This time they are holding a particularly special Italian edition for anyone with an Italian classic or vintage, modern performance car, super car, or motorcycle.

The event promises to offer a little bit of Italian elegance with a live Jazz Band and food with a Mediterranean influence and much more going on too, adding to what is always a fun and exciting three hours on a Sunday!

If you haven’t visited The Classic Motor Hub before you are in for a real treat, you can check-out the award winning showrooms, see the on-site private collection and browse their shop.

On this particular occasion I’ll be there showcasing my collection of limited edition photographs of a few Italian favourites and will be available to discuss an exclusive photo-shoot of one of your cars or motorcycles in a location meaningful to you.

To come along you will however need to register your Italian car or motorcycle, but you can rest assured you will be in fine company of many other classic and modern Italian cars and motorcycles, but don’t leave it too long as spaces in their parking area fill up fast!

You can register via this link to their website.

I look forward to meeting you!

Stella

 
Stella Scordellis - The Classic motor Hub April 2019 -227.jpg
 
 
 
 

Showcasing 'Stella' Lifestyle Photography for 2019

 
2M Book - Website - 10.jpg
 

Happy New Year, I hope the Christmas break was a good one and you are now well and truly settled in 2019 with plans and goals in place for a successful year.

This is a blog I have been meaning to write for a while but didn’t quite find the right time, it’s about my marketing book that I produced last summer, that has proved to be a vital tool to showcase my photography and all that I can offer my discerning customers.

The book, printed in the UK, features automotive events, commissions and photographs from private classic and supercar collections over the years - it turned out to be a lengthy process, selecting the images, and working with the printers, designer and copywriter to get the best results as quality and the fine details are so important to me.

This book is unlike others that I have encountered, it is printed both sides on photographic paper, I chose to go for a lustre finish and even more different is the way the pages meet in the middle to lay flat, it’s pretty unique because it uses a transparent plastic ‘clip’ so the registration of the two pages align perfectly side by side, which is impressive.

The size of each page is A3 so when it’s fully open it certainly does have the wow factor. Working with a designer meant I could think about how best to show each page spread and the power of visual imagery to promote my craft at it’s very best and the service I can offer you, the customer.

To add the finishing touches my words were used to tell the story of each event, including commissions from Silverstone Classic, Salon Privé and the Goodwood Revival.

If you have an up and coming project in the pipeline or are looking for a photographer with over 30 years experience working with people, cars and places to create new and exciting imagery for you personally, your company or a brand you represent then please do get in touch. I would love the opportunity to introduce myself, discuss your ideas and present the book in person, either at your place of work or my Surrey based studio.

Thank you

Stella

 
 
 

The Classic Motor Hub Coffee & Classics Day

 
Stella_201810_Event_5.jpg
 

On Sunday 7 October I was invited by The Classic Motor Hub in Bibury, Gloucestershire to be a part of their final Coffee & Classics event of the year, and what a fabulous event it was! With over 250 vehicles and over 500 visitors arriving in their pride and joy to share and display with other collectors and enthusiasts.

The Classic Motor Hub is more than just a showroom, it’s a classic motorist’s dream. Based at the site of the historic RAF Bibury, The Classic Motor Hub has something for everyone, set in a five-acre site dedicated to classic motoring sales, events, classic cars & bikes, modern performance machines and all manner of automotive ephemera on offer.

I arrived at 8am to display a selection of limited edition photographs from my exhibition called ‘A Drive Down Memory Lane’ in one of the showrooms. I was in good company amongst some very prestigious cars including - a silver Ferrari 275GT convertible, a Mercedes CLS AMG in satin silver and a beautiful 1937 Delage D8 120 cabriolet which won “Most Opulent” at Salon Privé on 30 August and quite righty so.

 
 

Right on cue the first of the cars arrived at 10am with a steady flow arriving soon after, it was a lovely sunny morning with a nip in the air and the smell of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon, an ideal welcome.

I can see why the event was fully booked, these events are proving to be very popular, not only is there the opportunity to see other cars and bikes, it’s a chance to mingle and explore the showrooms, to shop and to tuck into a bacon roll and enjoy a cup of coffee from the barista. With the choice to purchase other goods and services from local vendors.

 
Stella_201810_Event_4.jpg
 

I enjoyed meeting many new faces and hearing about their love of cars and to have been given the opportunity to showcase my photography of other collectors cars and to gain new commissions in a fitting setting.

The next Coffee & Classics events is on New Year’s Day 2019 with other dates soon to be published, to find out more about The Classic Motor Hub just click on the link.

To take a peek at others photographs taken at the event click here.

Thanks

Stella

 
Classic-Motor-Hub-Logo.png
 
 
Stella_201810_Event_6.jpg
 

The Classic Motor Hub - ‘Stella’ Photography Exhibition on Sunday 7 October 2018

Limted Edition Framed Photographs Banner.jpg

I have some exciting news to share with you, on Sunday October 7th I have been invited to showcase my automotive exhibition of limited edition photographs called ‘A Drive Down Memory Lane’ at The Classic Motor Hub in Bibury, Gloucestershire as part of their Coffee & Classics event, from 10am - 1pm.

Some of you may remember this exhibition from the inaugural event at Chartwell in Westerham in October 2014. Since then it has featured at many events including the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, in Mayfair and at an exclusive day at Bremont in South Audley Street, Mayfair. Since then there have been additions to the collection with further exclusive photographs included, each photograph is limited to editions of 25.

There will be an opportunity for all visitors to enter a competition to win one of the limited edition framed photographs, by identifying a key element of different prestigious cars.

The Classic Motor Hub is more than just a show room and has something for everyone in a five-acre site dedicated to classic motoring, including events, classic cars & bikes, modern performance machines and all manner of automotive ephemera.

I hope you can make it, it promises to be a fabulous event with visitors arriving in their classic cars & bikes to mingle and enjoy the atmosphere and to visit the showrooms of wonderful cars where I’ll be waiting to greet you with my exhibition.

Visitors are invited by pre-registration only, I have been advised that capacity is full for vehicles post 1990 and there is limited availability for vehicles pre 1990. Further details to register your attendance can be found here, but please hurry to avoid disappointment!

Stella

Images below supplied courtesy of The Classic Motor Hub, thank you.

 
Classic-Motor-Hub-Logo.png
 
 
 
 

Salon Privé 2018

 
 

I had the pleasure of photographing this unique, glamorous and relaxed event for the 3rd consecutive year.

Salon Privé is one of the world's major Concours events, closed to the public and limited to just 2,500 guests per day. Presenting the finest collection of supercars, hypercars, classic cars and motorbikes.

This year’s prestigious event marks a particularly special milestone as Salon Privé relocated to the foot of Blenheim Palace to become the first event ever to be located on the Palace’s famous Cricket Pitch. I felt this was the perfect place to position the event with the Palace as the ideal backdrop, it really did feel like a garden party, and it wasn't too far to walk from the car park.

I was commissioned to photograph on Thursday 30th August, the first day of the show when the judging and presenting of the trophies takes place during the Chubb Insurance Concours d'Elegance official parade.

The expert panel of 17 judges was chaired by Derek Bell MBE, and included Ben Barkaway, Matthias Bartz, Keith Bluemel, Henry Cole, Yasmin Le Bon, Louis de Fabribeckers, Marco Makaus, John Mayston-Taylor, Hugo Modderman, Cecelia Muldoon, Steve Parrish, Jeff Smith MBE, Harvey Stanley, Giles Taylor, Marcus Willis and Tony Willis. 

During the course of the morning the judges carefully inspected and spoke to the owners or representatives of each of the 53 cars – 17 of them international entries – plus 20 motorcycles.

The star-studded Concours comprised of three motorcycle and ten car classes, including ‘Preservation at its Best’; ‘Pre-war Bugattis’; ‘Pre-war Luxury Tourers’; ‘Grand Tourers of the 1950s & ’60s’; ‘Wind in Your Hair’; ‘Best of British at Blenheim Palace’; ‘Streamlined Closed Sports Cars’; ’50 Years of the Dino’; ‘Supercars of the ’70s’ and ‘Competition Cars’, all competing for the prestigious Best of Show, Best of Show runner-up and individual Class prizes.

 
 

The photographs I took show the day unfolding, starting with the European Debut of the new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, with 770 bhp and 720 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm, the Aventador SVJ is Lamborghini’s most powerful, naturally-aspirated V12 ever produced: SV standing for ‘super veloce’ meaning superfast, and the ‘Jota’ suffice referencing the car’s potency on both track and road. 

This year the weather was wonderfully warm and dry unlike last year when there was a downpour during the parade. 

Before the Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance official parade & trophy presentation a wonderful lobster luncheon was served with champagne by this year's official sponsor Pommery. 

The parade was an eclectic mix of automobiles and motorbikes spanning the last century, driven by their proud owners onto the red carpeted stage under a canopy for all the audience to admire. The Master of Ceremonies – the highly knowledgable Max Girardo –  gave a brief history about each one. On hand to present the trophies were His Grace the 12th Duke of Marlborough and Andrew Bagley Salon Privé co-founder.

The day concluded with a quintessentially English afternoon tea and many trophies and rosettes taking pride of place on the winning automobiles and motorbikes.

Last but not least, the camera kit I used comprised of two Nikon D700 bodies, one Nikon D750 body, one Nikon 70-200mm lens, one Nikon 24-120mm lens and one Sigma 15-30mm lens and one Nikon 910 Speedlight, fortunately I wasn't holding all the cameras at the same time! 

To view additional photographs from the day please follow this link to the events section of the website.

Stella

 
 

Sergey Sirotkin 'Under the Helmet'

 
 

On Thursday 5 and Friday 6 July - the pre-race days at the British Grand Prix, I had the pleasure of photographing Formula One racing driver Sergey Sirotkin, for an exclusive feature about this up and coming Russian 22-year-old from the Williams Martini Racing team.

Before any of this could take place, I had to apply to the FIA to ask for accreditation, the criteria is notoriously strict. I wanted to somehow get behind-the-scenes to photograph the intricate and precise world of Formula One, working with one of the world’s leading Formula One teams, Williams Martini Racing.  

By photographing Sergey, I was aiming to appeal to a younger generation and to gain exposure in the emerging markets, such as Russia, China and the USA.  I pitched the idea of a story called 'Under the Helmet' to various well known glossy magazines in the hope that the feature would appeal to one of them to spread the word, after a lot of time, effort and rejection, a Russian magazine called Rútage London Lifestyle Magazine, replied to my email invitation saying they would love to feature Sergey and had been looking for an opportunity such as this for some time. At last my journey was on the right track.

The photographs above show Sergey 'walking the track' -  a ritual that happens on the Thursday morning before each race, when the driver walks the full length of the track with the engineers so they can get a feel for it, and to discuss any issues they may have. The Silverstone track measures 5.891 km (3.660 miles) and has 18 turns, this took place on the hottest day of the year and proved to be quite a trek, phew! 

The Thursday before the race is also traditionally media day. On this particular Thursday, Sergey took part in pre-arranged interviews including the one for Rútage London Lifestyle Magazine, autograph signings and fan-based interaction fun with his team mate Lance Stroll.

It was an eye opener for me as I didn't quite realise the number of people who were involved in the finest detail of the sport and the intricacies and technology of the cars. It is a physically and mentally challenging sport and the drivers have to be in tip-top condition to compete at this level.

 

 
 

My accreditation gave me access to the Paddock, I was also welcomed into the Williams motor home to photograph Sergey during interviews and whilst he was relaxing, I got to know the media team and to see just what goes into the pre-race days to make sure the drivers are in top form, physically and mentally for the challenge ahead.

I was also given access to an engineers’ briefing which carries highly confidential information, all the engineers (at least 20) and the drivers sit at desks in front of computer screens with headphones on, due to the sensitivity of the information I was only able to photograph close up of Sergey during the briefing, this takes place in a room above the tyre store, although the engineers are whispering very quietly into their microphones, it is so quiet you can hear a pin drop! I was so grateful for the silent electronic shutter on my Fuji XT-2, any noise or distraction would not have gone down well and I'm sure I would have been asked to leave!

 
 

The precise timings and dedication from all involved in the Williams Martini Racing team goes a very long way into developing this engaging, hard-working and most of all focused young man on his journey in Formula One.

I think you’ll find the photographs speak for themselves!

It was a privilege to have been given access to the 2018 British Grand Prix and to see first-hand how much work and money is invested in this wonderful sport. I wish Sergey and the Williams team all the very best for the future.

Before I go, a very big thank you to all at Williams, especially Sophie, Jacques, Emma and Ann for making this possible and for welcoming me into the Williams family.  To Anna at Rútage London Lifestyle Magazine for taking the story and of course to Martin Turner, former SKY Sports F1 chief, for showing me the way, I'm very grateful!

Stella

Silverstone Classic 2018

 
 

What an eventful day it proved to be at Silverstone Classic on Saturday 21st July, the morning started at the Media Centre to collect my media pass and Official Photographers bib which gave me access track side. Some very nice Tesla owners gave up their day to drive media people and VIP's to designated points during the event. 

The first 5 races took place at the National Paddock during the morning with the remaining 7races taking place at the International Paddock in the afternoon.

The variety of photographs from the days events show track side activity, World GP Bike Legends before an exciting demonstration. On the podium there was happiness and victory for the likes of Christophe D’Ansembourg, William Nuthall, Jake Hill, Steve Tandy and Nick Padmore amongst others. 

For those of you who are interested in my kit, I used Nikon bodies D750 and D700 with prime lenses 18mm and 50mm and zooms 70-200mm and 24-120mm with a Nikon Speedlight SB-910, I also introduced to the mix a Fuji XT-2 body with a16-55mm lens for when the other bodies became too heavy!

I hope you enjoy the photographs and the story they each tell of an action packed day, scroll down to see the link to further images and the results of the day.

 
 

To view further images of the day please follow this link and to find out the results of the races please click here.

 
 

Thanks for reading.

Stella

British Grand Prix 2018

 
 

I gained accreditation to attend the pre-race days at the Silverstone British Grand Prix on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th July to photograph Sergey Sirotkin.

Sergey is the young Russian driver currently competing with Williams-Martini, one of the worlds leading Formula One teams, to give a behind-the-scenes look at what this up and coming racing driver does in the Paddock before a race. The photographs will feature in a Russian, London Lifestyle Magazine called Rutáge, which is due for publication in August, once this has taken place I will be able to share my blog about Sergey next month.

Whilst I was in between photo-calls I managed to capture other Formula One racing greats, including Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas from Mercedes AMG Petronas; Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkonen; Team Principal Christian Horner of Red Bull Racing and drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen; Vijay Mallya, Team Principal of Sahara Force India and drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon. Others to look out for are Stoffel Vandoorne and Fernando Alonso from the McLaren Formula 1 Team, and Brendan Hartley and Pierre Gasly from Scuderai Toro Rosso, also George Russell currently competing in Formula 2. 

 
 

The Paddock was a hive of activity with drivers, technicians, engineers, media teams and crews, Team Principals and visitors, including tours for small groups of school children and children from Great Ormond Street Hospital - there were racing heroes from the past including Damon Hill signing autographs.

The photographs above are a selection from my two days, showing the Sky Sports F1 live broadcast on the grid featuring fun and games in front of the fans in the grandstands, autograph signing and interviews. To see a wider selection of images simply click here to the events section of the website.

 
 

To obtain media accreditation to the British Grand Prix I had to apply to the FIA requesting permission, stating the nature of my intended visit, once permission was granted I was able to bring my ideas together for the feature on Sergey Sirotkin.

The scrolling photographs above show the different passes that all media accredited people are given for security purposes, and to make their time and workflow efficient, these include car parking, media room, Pit Lane and Paddock access.

It was a fascinating and fully engaging experience which opened my eyes to the wonderful world of Formula One. 

Thank you to the FIA for issuing me with a Paddock Pass, Williams-Martini for their hospitality and co-operation, Rutáge for commissioning the story, and the other people behind-the-scenes at my studio, but not forgetting a very big thank you to Martin Turner for steering me in the right direction, without him this would not have happened!

I interviewed and photographed Martin last month for an 'In Conversation with..' blog which can be read here

Coming in August my blog about Sergey Sirotkin 'Under the Helmet' ...

Thank you

Stella

Masterpiece London 2018

 
 

I photographed at the Preview Day on 27 June at Masterpiece London which majestically sits for the duration of the fair in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. This is like no other art fair and is a wonderland of treasures. The 160 international exhibitors are selected by reputation to give buyers confidence, while everything on display is vetted by specialists.

I found it a wonderful learning opportunity and saw works of art  from paintings by L.S Lowry and Picasso to Meissen Porcelain. There was also the Henry Moore, Mother and Child bronze, edition 4 of 9  with a price tag of over £3m. It really is an art lovers paradise to be able to get so close to these works of art and to talk to the experts about them.

The show is on until 4 July, more details from the Masterpiece website and to see additional images from the event please follow this link.

Stella

 
 

In Conversation With: Martin Turner

This month's In Conversation With... is with Martin Turner, Former Head of Formula One - Sky Sports & Sky Europe, BAFTA winner. 

Martin is Sky’s longest serving employee with 33 years at the coal face!

The photographs above show Martin at home in his garden with his beloved dog Sherman and in his games room with two much prized Bafta masks, one belonging to him and one to his father.

Q. What was your childhood dream?

A. To play any sport for England and tennis at Wimbledon.

Q. What did you play?

A. I was a tennis coach and an aspiring badminton player, Captain of Kingston Polytechnic and played for Woldingham. 

Q. What did you do when you left school?

A. I went to Kingston Polytechnic to study French and English. At the age of 22 I was a tennis coach for Club Med and when I came back I realised that I wanted to become a director in sports television.

Q. How did you get your first job at Sky?

A. I worked as a trainee video operator at Molinare, we were broadcasting SKY channel in the early days in the early 1980’s - I got to know the people working there and when a position became available I went for the interview as assistant transmission controller.

Q. How did you get into Formula One?

A. When Sky surprisingly got the rights to broadcast Formula One in 2012 I was asked by the MD of SKY Sports, Barney Francis, if I would create a specific sports channel for Formula One. 

Q. What was it like winning a BAFTA and what category did you win it for?

A. The BAFTA was for rugby union for England vs New Zealand 26-26 in1997 when I was 39 years of age. I mirrored my father's achievement for the 1966 world cup when he was 39 as well.

Q. What did your father do?

A. He was head of outside broadcast for Rediffusion and Thames Television.

Q. Now that you have left Sky how are you spending your time?

A.  I consult for Formula One management (the people who run F1) at Biggin Hill working with young producers in a mentoring and creative ideas role.

Q. Why did you retire?

A. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at the end of 2014, over the following two years my wife and I discussed how to re-evaluate the work life balance and we made the decision that the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix would be my last Grand Prix. Having worked full on for 33 years achieving a comfortable life balance was essential to our well-being.

I’m currently working with Parkinson UK on an ambitious project to lobby government for more research funds into this incurable neurological disease. This link tells you more.

The photographs below show Martin during his Formula One days looking very relaxed and at home.

Many thanks to Martin for taking the time to tell me about his career, I very much enjoyed talking to him and hearing about his fascinating career, the above is just a snippet about this illustrious man. I wish him well with his retirement which I’m sure will be just as fascinating.

Stella

 
SMS_201806_People_6.jpg
SMS_201806_People_7.jpg

The London Motor Show 2018

 
 

On Thursday 17 May The London Motor Show at ExCel opened it's doors to an exclusive afternoon to the press, trade and VIP's to showcase all the event has to offer.

HRH Prince Michael of Kent officially opened the show with an entertaining mix of cars and interviews with professionals in the industry. I enjoyed photographing the afternoon at it's new venue having previously been in Battersea Park from its beginnings three years ago.

 
 

Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok interviewed DriveTribe CEO Jonathan Morris and Chief Marketing Officer Jim Murray-Jones as well as interviews hosted by Steve Nash (CEO IMI) with guests David Williams - Technical Director at AXA and Fuzz Townshend from TV show CAR S.O.S

Below are a few of the highlights from the evening. The show is on until 20 May with doors closing at 5pm this is the link to their website. To see additional images from the event please follow this link.

It was a fun afternoon and good to meet old friends, make new ones too and of course to see what's new in the world of cars. Enjoy!

Stella

 
 

The London Classic Car Show 2018

 
Stella_201803_Event_31.jpg
 

On Thursday 15 February, I packed up my camera and headed over to London’s ExCel’s Exhibition Centre for the fourth annual London Classic Car Show. For those of you who have not been, the show celebrates beautiful, classic motoring nostalgia in a dramatic setting and it is one of the highlights of my year!

 
Stella_201803_Event_1.jpg
 

This year’s show was opened in a dramatic fashion by three well-known TV motoring presenters; Alex Riley (BBC One Show), Jonny Smith (Fifth Gear and Mud, Sweat & Gears) and Quentin Willson (BBC Top Gear, Fifth Gear and The Classic Car Show).  It was clear right from the opening that the show was going to be bigger and better than ever before. 

 
Stella_201803_Event_12.jpg
 

Once again, an enormous indoor race track, known as the ‘Grand Avenue’, ran through the centre of the ExCel, enthralling visitors and allowing them to see – and hear – some of their favourite classics in action. The car above is a 1907 Stanley H4 Gentleman's Speedy Roadster, the hypercar of its era.

 
Stella_201803_Event_4.jpg
 

Getaway Cars

The show paid homage to ‘Getaway Cars’.  This was an evocative tribute to those vehicles made famous in movies or used in headline grabbing real-life robberies and was curated by Philip Glenister, aka DCI Gene Hunt from BBC police dramas Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.  

Alongside the vehicles made famous for dramatic escapes, the show welcomed their very own celebrity drivers with actor Nick Moran of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels reliving various of his film roles at the special display. 

Nick Reynolds, the son of Bruce Reynolds, was reunited with the very Lotus Cortina that his late father used to stake out the Great Train Robbery in 1963. The Lotus has just 3,500 miles on the clock and is still fitted with the same tyres that helped the police to hunt down the gang!

 
Stella_201803_Event_6.jpg
 
 
Stella_201803_Event_28.jpg
 

Nick Moran with the Italian Job Mini Cooper brought to London.

 
Stella_201803_Event_29.jpg
 

Nick Reynolds with his father Bruce Reynolds' Lotus Cortina used in The Great Train Robbery.

 
Stella_201803_Event_8.jpg
 

RAF Red Arrows and Aston Martin Owners Club

Squadron Leader Adam Collins from the RAF Red Arrows was on the Aston Martin Owners Club stand with a Vanquish S Red Arrows limited edition model, which was recently raffled for a huge £1.5m, earning for the RAF Benevolent Fund. He was joined by Humphrey Bradley from south east London – the lucky man who won the car.

 
Stella_201803_Event_13.jpg
 

Lister Thunder Launch on the Grand Avenue

The opening evening witnessed a pair of major global car launches with two of Britain's most iconic marques unveiling spotlight-stealing new models. First Morgan took the wraps on its latest +4 Club Sport and then Lister revealed its never-seen-before Thunder. 

This year’s theme was ‘Specials’, which put the spotlight on an eye-catching gathering of road and race cars steeped in history and mystique. No fewer than 60 hand-picked classics were fired up for jaw-dropping, not to mention very noisy, displays on The Grand Avenue.

As the dramatic live show came towards its conclusion, the show opening trio of Riley, Smith and Willson selected four stand-out cars with a combined value of more than £3m to join the parade: a 1931 Bentley 8-litre; a highly-original 1961 Jaguar E-type; a 1992 Jaguar XJ220 and a 2015 McLaren P1 hypercar – a classic car of the future. 

The trio was joined by former Blue Peter and GMTV presenter Anthea Turner for the photograph next to the Lister Thunder.

 
Stella_201803_Event_30.jpg
 

The Morgan latest +4 Club Sport takes its place on the Grand Avenue.

 
Stella_201803_Event_14.jpg
 

Presenter Alex Riley with the 1961 Jaguar E-Type and 1931 Bentley 8 litre.

 
Stella_201803_Event_10.jpg
 

A 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Gurney Nutting - a shimmering silver masterpiece of the coachbuilders' art.

 
Stella_201803_Event_11.jpg
 

A 1989 Lotus Judd Type 101, Chassis no 3 - an aerodynamically ambitious Camel.

Nigel Mansell CBE, closes the show

On Sunday, the racing legend Nigel Mansell CBE arrived at the show to talk about a special collection of his racing cars and to provide a fitting close to the event.

The 1992 F1 World Champion wowed Sunday crowds with some wonderful driving displays on the Grand Avenue, which included a wheel-spinning entrance behind the wheel of a Jaguar E-type inspired Eagle Speedster.

He later returned in a red Ferrari 246 Dino F1 front-engined F1 car from the late fifties and was also reunited with some of the cars which he raced during his roller-coaster career. 

At the end of his performance on the Grand Avenue, Nigel was awarded the 2018 London Classic Car Show Icon award.

 
Stella_201803_Event_15.jpg
 
 
Stella_201803_Event_19.jpg
 
 
Stella_201803_Event_20.jpg
 
 
Stella_201803_Event_26.jpg
 
 
Stella_201803_Event_22.jpg
 

My closing thoughts

All in all, this year’s show was a brilliant experience from start to finish. Nigel Mansell CBE was a real highlight for me, especially his performances on the Grand Avenue, his interview at the Supaguard Theatre and his presentation of the London Classic Car Show Icon award. 

I hear the show attracted over 38,000 visitors and featured close to 700 of the world’s finest classic cars worth more than £300m. Next year’s dates for your diary are 14-17 February 2019 - I am looking forward to it already!

To see a variety of other photographs from the event please click on this link to the 'Events' page.

Please follow me on Instagram for new pictures and stories of future events on @stellasms and @stellascordellis.

Thank you.

Stella

 
Stella_201803_Event_18.jpg
 

Exclusive Automotive Photographs to Purchase

 
Exclusive Automotive Photographs to Purchase 1.jpg
 

It has been three years since the launch of my inaugural exhibition 'A Drive Down Memory Lane' - and I can't believe where the time has gone! 

Since then, the exhibition has featured at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, Mayfair, London - Hever Castle, Kent - Eve Gallery at Top Foto, Edenbridge, Kent and for an invitation-only day at the Bremont Boutique, Mayfair, London - where attendees were given the opportunity to purchase the framed photographs in limited editions of 25.

 
Exclusive Automotive Photographs to Purchase 2.jpg
 

I am now delighted to share with you the news that for this Christmas season only, the exhibition is on display at my studio SMS Creative Photography in Oxted, Surrey to allow you to select a favourite photograph for yourself or to treat a loved one. The photographs can be purchased framed or unframed.

To view the collection of the 44 photographs online you are welcome to click here - and if you spot an image that might interest another car lover please feel free to share the link, thank you!

Each photograph is personally signed and I can also personalise it for you if it's a gift for someone special. Please call SMS Creative Photography on 01883 722282 if you are interested in this exclusive Christmas offer.

Bye for now.

Stella

 
Exclusive Automotive Photographs to Purchase 3.jpg