Behind the Scenes - Capturing a World Record Speed Attempt with Phase One

Many people go out every year to set a Guinness World Record, and for those who can succeed comes fame, money and the ultimate bragging rights. Mike Newman should know, he's already set four... but now he wants three more to hold the triple crown for land, water, and air speeds. In this video, photographer Nathan D'Amour heads out to capture Mike's attempt at driving over 200mph unaccompanied in the Noble M600, a British super car. You may be thinking 200mph is far below the current land speed record, and you're right... but this isn't just about driving fast. What makes this feat so impressive is that Mike is completely blind.

From a photo perspective, this video doesn't give you many direct tips on automotive photography though you can certainly pick up on some of the lighting setups and equipment used; the reason I'm sharing this is simply because the photos are great, and the story behind the project is impressive to say the least. The images are being shot to promote the Speed of Sight charity, and you can see some of the final photos on their site as well as get more information about Mike.

If you want to learn more about the photo project I encourage you to go to the video page on Youtube and check out the description where you can find a short Q&A with Nathan about his reasons for taking it on, as well as some background information about the preparation for this shoot. He mentions that he'll be continuing to document Mike throughout his attempts at the three records, and I'll be sure to watch for new content to share with you.