Classic Cars MAGAZINE

MGC PHOTO SHOOT

23rd AUGUST 2007

If someone asked you if you would you like your car featured on the front cover of a premier car magazine, what would your answer be? Yes, I thought as much.

So when I was asked that question, I grasped the opportunity with both hands.  In fact I reacted as if I was back in primary school, my hand thrusting skyward to the vocal accompaniment of:  “Sir. Please me, Sir”.

2007, being the 40th Anniversary of the launch of the MGC Sportscar, Classic Cars Magazine were to feature an example of the series in a forthcoming issue of the magazine and my contact details had been passed to Mike Goodbun, the deputy editor of Classic Cars by the MGC Register of the MG Car Club. I received an email asking if I would like to make my car available for a photo shoot in Cornwall, expenses being paid to cover my petrol usage and a lunchtime stop would be made.  Well, how could I refuse a free lunch?

I emailed Mike with some photographs and explained that my 1968 Mineral Blue MGC Roadster was by no means in Concours condition as I regularly drove my car, whenever the weather permitted.  The replying email, assured me that my car was just what they wanted for the article and asked if would remove all windscreen stickers and badges from the front grill. A meeting for 9.00am on Thursday the 23rd of August 2007 was arranged and the location was to be at Davidstow on Bodmin Moor, just north of Camelford.

The day arrived and the weather could not have been better.  Bright sunshine on a cloudless day provided a most pleasant drive up the A30 and A38 to the rendezvous point.  Passing the Dairy Crest creamery, the former RAF, Davidstow Moor airfield came into view.  This was an area of frenetic aerial activity during World War II, being the home to 19 Grp. Coastal Command and several other squadrons from America, Canada and Poland. Now sadly, long disused but for a few light aircraft and microlights, inhabited by sheep and native ponies, with the impressive skyline towards Brown Willy and Rough Tor punctuated by the few remaining buildings.

This being the location for the detail shots, Simon Dodd, the photographer, soon lined up the MGC in front of the formidable silhouette of the control tower against the rolling backdrop.  Wirelessly operated flashguns were arranged around the vehicle for the painstaking task of capturing the MGC's styling with additional detail shots of the interior of the car, engine bay and the unmistakable bonnet bulge and teardrop prominence that epitomise the MGC.

Soon it was time for the action photographs that animate magazine articles, and we were off seeking suitable locations.  Slowly negotiating the leafy Cornish lanes into the hamlet of Treween, we stopped for Simon to fix a camera mount to the rear window of his van.  It was now time for me to hand my car over to Mike, who was to drive my car for the action shots.  The MGC was positioned to the offside of Simon's van and we moved slowly while Simon, watching Mike in his overtaking mirror, clicked away at his wireless operated shutter release, capturing the moving shots.  On the move again, and a short, brisk, run up the A30 westbound to Bolventor and Jamaica Inn.  This location proved to be too ‘touristy’ for Mike and Simon so a quick shot was taken, and we were on our way.  This time, Colliford Lake had been earmarked for the high-speed shots and Mike was soon in his element driving the MGC, at ever increasing speeds, past our position at the apex of a sharp bend.

Again, the clock was ticking and we were being pressed hard to find the location of the front cover shot. Our search for the perfect shot, took us to the lofty heights of Caradon Hill, a private road leading up to the location for the terrestrial television transmission mast.  Although a stunning 360 degree vista greeted us, it didn't ‘tick the right boxes’.  We were soon making our way back to The Minions, where more photographs of Mike handling of the MGC at speed around twisting lanes were captured.

Time was now against us, and in our desperation to secure the cover shot, we returned to Davidstow. Once again Simon was to use his camera mount, this time securing it to the bonnet of the MGC with a tripod fixed to it and the camera positioned to the offside front of the car.  I was then asked if I would like to help by crouching down below the boot line and gently push the car while the shots were taken. With a wide-angle lens and a fast shutter speed, the slight movements of the car against the dense background of conifers, would give the impression of a car at speed.  How easily one's impressions can be dampened!

With the cover shots 'in the can', my day was over but for Mike and Simon, their day still had some distance to travel.  I left Simon uploading his digital images to his laptop computer. Several hours would now be spent in Adobe Photoshop masking out the camera mount and tripod from the photograph and enhancing the images before they would be acceptable for use in the magazine article.

Would I accept the opportunity to spend a thoroughly enjoyable day with truly professional people having my MGC photographed for a premier classic car magazine again?  I really don't think I need to answer that.

Oh, by the way, we never did get to stop for something to eat. So when you are offered a ‘free lunch’, remember, there is no such thing!

Robert Lynex  G-CN1/1100-G

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