HERO

It's not the kind of word I bandy about regularly. I tend to avoid superlatives of that nature, especially in regards to athletes and the cult of celebrity.

But this man, John Force, is definitely a hero to many, and someone I admire tremendously.

I've been fortunate to have met him twice and hope that continues.  He made every effort to accommodate me, having been the first to greet me at John Force Racing HQ in Yorba Linda as well as personally retrieving me a couple of sodas.  I've worked with many top pro athletes and none of them have done that, much less a 15 time world champion. Everything he does is with heart.

If you consider the extreme nature of what he does, his achievements are all the more remarkable. Not only is he a living legend at the top of his game, but part of him will always live on in perpetuity in the hearts and minds of many.  

Quentin Tarantino should have put John in his car instead of Kurt Russell.

Oh, and if you get a chance to see or download (iTunes etc) his TV series "Driving Force" on A&E, I highly recommend it. It's irrelevant whether you like cars or not, it's a great show. 

Above are a couple outtakes on the images that ran for publication. I'd tried to capture the feeling of a giant clamshell swallowing you whole, and experimenting with incident framing angles as well as +/- exposure settings in rather extreme ways to elicit different narrative moods.

Special thanks to Adam, Brenna, Zana, Jen & Carolyn for making this happen for me.