TT Assen 2019

The TT in Assen. My father used to go there every year early in the morning on his motorbike to experience the race. I attended the race myself in 2008 and 2010. This time, everything was different; this time I was there to work. For Global Tickets, I was assigned to work at the TT Circuit in Assen during the annual MotoGP weekend. I was asked to document everything they offer their customers there: from the ticket office to the grandstands, from the VIP area in the paddock to the action on the track.

It was important for Global Tickets to capture all the views from all the grandstands. This way, they can give future customers a good idea of what they're buying tickets for on their website. So, on Saturday, I made an extensive tour of all the grandstands. On Sunday, I also took atmospheric photos from their own Global Tickets grandstand at the Strubben. It was great to see that I was able to capture crashes during the Moto2 race and the initial reactions of the crowd. That really adds that extra touch of excitement.

I also recorded how the race weekend can be experienced there in the TT Legends Club in the paddock while enjoying a snack and a drink.

But I also had the opportunity to take action photos of the event. I also drove the necessary kilometers around the track to capture the spectacle. At Ramshoek, it was fantastic to see the riders whizzing through the corners at high speed, incredibly flat – awesome, especially when you're up close. I also managed to get a photo of Jorge Lorenzo there. A few laps later, a cloud of dust rose on the other side. He had taken a hard fall, struggled to get to the ambulance, and later turned out to have a torn vertebra. Despite the changes since my father went there, such as better suits with airbags, etc., it remains a dangerous sport. The race was eventually won by Maverick Vinales, who, on his Yamaha, took the win for the first time in a long time. Championship leader Marc Márquez finished second, and polesitter Fabio Quatararo finished third. Crowd favorite Rossi unfortunately crashed early on. It's incredible how many fans this man has, and how many stalls with his merchandise were there. I was very happy with a photo of him doing a big wheelie after a test start. Thinking ahead and making sure I was in the right spot at the right time delivered the shot I wanted. This is something I was able to apply to my assignment throughout the weekend. All in all, the client and I are happy with the photos from the weekend. It was a successful collaboration during the TT weekend, and here's to many more!