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Photographers are a crucial part of a team in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, for marketing and social media. Teams will have their own photographer to hopefully get the money shot; one that could go viral and brings in views and interactions. Three photographers working in the paddock – Elisa, Denise and Rachele – sat down for a chat discussing their work, backgrounds and more.

DIFFERENT PATHS, SAME PASSION: Unique journeys bring them to the same destination

Discussing her route to becoming a photographer, Denise said: “I took up photography after my dad passed away. I found his equipment and asked myself whether I should sell it or do something with it. That was about seven years ago. I took a few shots of a friend of mine, current WorldWCR rider Beatrice Barbera, and she showed them to Luca Gorini, my current boss, which is how it all started for me. This is my first year as a WorldSBK photographer.”

For Rachele and Elisa, it was a different journey. Rachele said: “My path’s been a little different. At 18, I started studying photography at art school and had the chance to experiment with many types of photography such as fashion and advertising, but I soon decided I wanted to focus on sport. Aside from motorsport, I also collaborate with a German agency that deals more with marathons and cycling races. At 17, I basically knew that this what I wanted to do.”

Elisa added: “I’m a self-taught photographer and have always liked to take pictures. I’ve dabbled with different styles, also as a member of a photography association in my hometown, but sports photography is the field that really interests me. I have a boyfriend who rides and so I would find myself going to tracks with him and taking pictures. In doing that, I gradually got to know people, which eventually brought me here.”

THEIR BACKGROUNDS: “I also have a ‘day job’ that has nothing to do with photography – the quality control of car key parts”

All three have different journeys and different personal lives, as they explain. Denise said: “I live at home with my mum and am a little anxious about leaving her when I travel. Another concern is my dog, making sure I have someone who can take him for walks. But my mum doesn’t mind me being away, in fact she encourages me to go! Since losing my dad, I'm always worried about her.”

Rachele stated: “I live with my parents, so it’s all quite easy in my case. I have a boyfriend, so perhaps I see him less than I might if I were doing another job, but he’s very pleased and proud of what I’m doing, so for now it’s all good.”

Elisa said: “I live with my boyfriend and we’ve been fixing up our house for the last seven years, which is time consuming and costly! I also have a ‘day job’ that has nothing to do with photography – the quality control of car key parts, so very different! We’re always very busy at home and so I really have to plan well to attend races. I’d like to be here full-time, but it needs to make sense financially. It’s a balancing act, for sure.”

THE PERFECT SHOT: “’Perfect’ is the shot that turned out exactly how I imagined it, a shot I perhaps envisioned while having a coffee”

When asked what their idea of the perfect shot would be, Rachele described it as: “The perfect shot needs to be technically correct but, more importantly, it fully captures the emotions of that exact moment. The perfect moment.”

For Elisa, it’s more about how she initially imagined it: “For me, ‘perfect’ is the shot that turned out exactly how I imagined it, a shot I perhaps envisioned while having a coffee, thinking, “How can I photograph that rider in a way that stands out?” There are only a few shots I’m truly proud of, but the first that comes to mind is a photo I took of Jonathan Rea in his final year with Kawasaki. I’d been trying to capture the shot all morning - the light at a particular angle, him stepping out of the garage while securing his helmet, just a few people in the background - and I got it!”

Denise’s vision is more about telling the story of the race for the riders or teams she works with: “It’s difficult to define the ‘perfect’ shot. Perhaps when a rider is on their own in a race – running out front or even right at the back of the field - and you can tell the story of their race with just one image.”

HIGHLIGHTS IN THE PADDOCK: “That was a really nice experience, to be there, trackside, and realising, “Wow, I'm here too!””

All three were asked for their highlights so far when speaking in the summer, and Denise got us started: “For me, it's an episode from 2024. We had the Evan Bros Racing Team as a client, and so I experienced Ana Carrasco’s World Championship win first-hand. I was there with the Dorna photographers, taking pictures during the celebrations. That was a really nice experience, to be there, trackside, and realising, “Wow, I'm here too!””

For Rachele, it was a trip to the end of 2024 for her first time in the paddock: “For me, the final round of 2024, which was also my very first WorldSBK round! During that Jerez weekend, there was a conference relating to WorldWCR, which I was there to photograph. It was an important moment, and I think the fact there was a female photographer there for the occasion was significant. That whole weekend was a great experience.

Elisa’s highlights have been when her work leads her to more clients: “I’d say the current season, when potential new clients ask me to work for them. This is already a milestone for me and tells me that I must be working in the right way. This was one of my WorldSBK goals and so I’m happy to achieve it, there’s real satisfaction in gaining new clients.”

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