Not settling for easy option helps Heath take top shots

Standing in the shadows and foliage, Formula One great Michael Schumacher was caught on camera looking in a contemplative mood.

- Shintaro Tay Photojournalist

This intimate moment of the famously private Schumacher was the result of a cat-and-mouse game between motor sports photographer Darren Heath and the Ferrari driver at the 1998 German Grand Prix over 45 minutes.

That day, Heath challenged himself to shoot from a difficult position at a forested area near three sharp bends at the Hockenheimring circuit during a practice session.

"In my mind, I didn't want to take the easy option," the 57-year-old Englishman told The Straits Times in an interview on Sept 30. "I went to a part of the circuit that most photographers wouldn't. And when Schumacher's car broke down, he had nowhere but to park right where I was."

Heath, who is in town for a photography seminar by Canon Singapore and will also cover the Oct 3-5 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix, feels this picture now takes on a different light - the seven-time world champion suffered a brain injury during a skiing incident in 2013 and has not been seen publicly since.

Over about 600 races and 36 years of shooting F1, the photographer has been pushing himself to be the very best, just like any F1 driver would.

"When I'm shooting on track, there'll be a voice in my head saying: 'Push the boundaries. Be creative. Don't settle for the easy option," said Heath. And when he captures a good picture, he feels it profoundly. "It's like I scored a goal in the World Cup."