Formula One Through the Lens: Four Decades of Motor Sport Photography

This is a special limited version of this book, produced for The Klemantaski Collection, one of the principle archives of the Snowdons' photography. This version is signed on a bookplate by Nigel Snowdon and Diana Burnett and is limited to only 200 copies.With a subtitle of Four Decades of Motor Sport Photography, this book provides a wonderful pictorial review of the Formula 1 circus, as presented to the cameras of this world-famous husband and wife photographic team.

As well as a portfolio of stunning action shots, this book provides an intimate glimpse behind the scenes, showing the human side of the sport. There are reminders of the tragedy that has so often overshadowed the glamor and excitement of Formula 1 racing, together with glimpses of the humorous moments that relieve the tension of a Grand Prix weekend. A gallery of outstanding portraits is complemented by a collection of moody photos of the leading drivers preparing for action. Accompanied by authoritative captions by Steve Small incorporating Nigel's own reflections on his work, and luxuriously reproduced in duotone, the photographs offer a rich distillation of motor sport history that will delight enthusiasts whatever their generation.

Formula One Through the Lens brings together a wide selection of Nigel's superb black and white photographs to create an evocative album, reflecting the momentous changes that have transformed Grand Prix racing during the last four decades.

Nigel Snowdon was born in England in 1934. Educated in England and Kenya, he subsequently trained as an aircraft engineer and in 1955 he emigrated to Australia, where he worked for Quantas. It was not until 1959, when he developed an interest in motor sport and taught himself photography, that his future career started to take shape. Returning to England, he began covering Grands Prix as a freelance in 1963. From 1968 to 1975 he worked for Phipps Photographic, a motor sport photographic agency, moving to Motoring News in 1976.

In 1978 Nigel and his wife, fellow photographer Diana Burnett, formed their own motor sport photographic agency, Snowdon & Associates, which has supplied photographs to magazines, newspapers and books throughout the world.. From 1972 to 1987 Nigel was chief photographer for the respected motor sport annual Autocourse. His previous books include The Ultimate Excitement (1967) and Nigel Mansell: The Making of a Champion (1992).

Nigel has also worked for companies such as Goodyear, Unipart, Ford and Marlboro and has had exhibitions in London and New York. He is one of the longest-serving photographers currently working in Formula 1.