Best of 2019: Jurek Biegus

2019 was another busy year covering the British GT Championship and selected rounds of the Blancpain GT Series. For GT REPORT Photographer Jurek Biegus, the highlight of the year was probably shooting the sunset at Signes Corner looking down the long Mistral Straight at Paul Ricard. However, seeing GT REPORT editor in chief, Miguel Bosch, almost get stuck at the top of the Monza banking was also pretty good.

BEST OF 2019: CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ | ERWAN SEITE | MIGUEL BOSCH

Top photo:

Blancpain GT at Paul Ricard | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 | 1/2500 sec. | f/8 | ISO 100 | 135mm

British GT at Oulton Park | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 400mm f/2.8 | 1/2000 sec. | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | 400mm

FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 400mm f/2.8 | 1/1250 sec. | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | 400mm

Blancpain GT World Challenge at Brands Hatch | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 400mm f/2.8 | 1/40 sec. | f/16 | ISO 100 | 400mm

British GT at Oulton Park | GALLERY

Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + 70-200mm f/2.8 | 1/15 sec. | f/9 | ISO 100 | 135mm

Oulton Park is my local circuit and probably one of the best for photography in all of the UK. The picture above and the two below were all taken there and all but the shot of the Lamborghini were shot from basically public areas.

British GT at Oulton Park | GALLERY

Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + 70-200mm f/2.8 | 1/30 sec. | f/10 | ISO 100 | 130mm

British GT at Oulton Park | GALLERY

Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + 70-200mm f/2.8 | 1/40 sec. | f/18 | ISO 100 | 145mm

Blancpain GT World Challenge at Brands Hatch | GALLERY

Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + 70-200mm f/2.8 | 1/2500 sec. | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | 70mm

This, along with one further down the page, was the result of a little planning combined with local knowledge. Heavy rain showers had been passing overhead all day, however, bright sunshine burst through in between each one. According to my weather app, the qualifying session would be hit with rain but it would pass quickly. I decided to head into the wooded section of Brands Hatch in the hope of getting shots of spray illuminated by the sunbeams coming through the trees. The results were better than I hoped and made standing under a tree in pouring rain and hoping the thunder doesn’t come any closer all the more worthwhile.

Blancpain GT at Paul Ricard | GALLERY

Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + 70-200mm f/2.8 | 1/30 sec. | f/13 | ISO 100 | 70mm

FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone | GALLERY

Canon EOS 1D Mk.IV + 24-105mm f/4 | 1/640 sec. | f/5| ISO 1000 | 24mm

British GT at Oulton Park | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 400mm f/2.8 | 1/640 sec. | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | 400mm

Blancpain GT at Paul Ricard | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 | 1/500 sec. | f/8 | ISO 100 | 400mm

Blancpain GT at Paul Ricard | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 | 1/1000 sec. | f/8 | ISO 100 | 400mm

Blancpain GT at Paul Ricard | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 | 1/320 sec. | f/5 | ISO 500 | 200mm

FIA World Endurance Championship at Silverstone | GALLERY

Canon EOS 7D Mk.II + 400mm f/2.8 | 1/8000 sec. | f/2.8 | ISO 100 | 400mm

This is another of those ‘local knowledge’ shots which really shows the value of knowing your circuits. It was coming to the end of Free Practise 2. It was nearly 6pm and the sun was getting low in the sky, we were on the cusp of what photographers call ‘golden hour’, when the light is just right. As the sun gets lower one of the best places in Silverstone is Copse Corner because the sun will be shining all the way down the old start/finish straight offering beautiful backlit images.