Scott Dixon walking beside a Ford GT40 on track at the Goodwood Revival — Scott Dixon to the Ford GT40 at Goodwood Revival.

Going Looking for the Opportunity

There is a point in most creative careers where you have to decide whether you are going to wait for the right opportunity to appear, or go looking for it.

For me, Goodwood is a good example of the latter.

It was a business I had wanted to work with for some time. The combination of motorsport, heritage, brands and lifestyle felt closely aligned with the kind of commercial photography I wanted to create. But wanting to work with a company and actually getting the opportunity are two very different things.

So I started emailing.

Cold emails, conversations, follow-ups, and finally a skills test. There was no guarantee any of it would lead anywhere, but it gave me the chance to show what I could do rather than simply talk about it.

That led to Festival of Speed.

But the first shoot isn't the relationship. It's the chance to start one.

Festival of Speed gave me that chance.

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Supercar driving up the hillclimb past Goodwood House during the 2026 Festival of Speed.

Proving Myself

Festival of Speed is one of those environments where there is almost too much to photograph. The cars, the drivers, the racing and the hillclimb are all obvious. The harder part is finding the photographs that aren't already being made by everyone around you.

For me, the opportunity was to show Goodwood what I could bring to an event of that scale. Not just to document what was happening, but to find the moments, people and details that helped tell the wider story of the weekend.

At an event like FOS, the obvious photograph is rarely difficult to find. The challenge is knowing when to turn away from it.

With so much happening, I started paying more attention to the edges. The people, details and moments unfolding away from where most lenses were pointing.

I wasn't there just to photograph what happened. I wanted to find my own way of seeing it.

That became clear while photographing F1 driver Franco Colapinto.

Franco Colapinto with Alpine preparing for the hillclimb at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Finding the ‘Franco Photo’

Most of the photographers around Colapinto were shooting from the same position, where he was initially facing. I had a feeling he would turn towards the start line before heading out, so I moved behind him and waited.

He did exactly that.

I also noticed his bodyguard and quickly realised that access would depend on building trust. I took the time to introduce myself, understand how he wanted things to work and, over the course of the day, that relationship gave me more freedom to work around Colapinto.

For me, that is a big part of event photography; paying attention, anticipating what might happen and building the relationships that allow you to be in the right place when it does.

Access is privilege and anticipation is rocket fuel.

Jenson Button socialising in the paddock before a race at the 2026 Goodwood Revival.

Two Events, Same Relationship

What started with an email has now developed into work across two very different sides of the Goodwood calendar.

Festival of Speed and Revival share the same foundations. Motorsport, brands and lifestyle, but each brings them to life in its own way.

FOS is energetic and contemporary. Revival is more immersive, with racing sitting alongside heritage and fashion.

That contrast is part of what makes working with Goodwood so interesting to me.

The challenge isn't simply to photograph both events. It's to understand what gives each its own identity, and find a visual way of communicating the atmosphere around it.

The images in this gallery bring together some of my favourite work from both, from the racing and cars to the brands, people and details that complete the wider story.

Subaru rally car at the start line during the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Persistence Only Goes So Far

Looking back, the cold email feels like a small part of the story. But without it, none of the rest would have happened.

I didn't know where those emails would lead. They started a conversation, which led to a skills test, which led to Festival of Speed. That gave me the chance to prove the work, and the work then created another opportunity.

Now, that relationship has led to Revival.

That's probably the most rewarding part of the whole experience. Not simply getting the first opportunity, but seeing it develop into something more.

For me, persistence isn't about repeatedly asking someone to give you a chance. It's about being willing to keep pursuing the opportunity.

Visitor at the Zenvo stand, Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026.

Earn Your Next Shoot

The images in this blog are some of my favourites from working with Goodwood. A mix of motorsport, brand, sponsorship and lifestyle content from FOS and Revival.

For me, they represent more than two events. They show what can happen when you keep pursuing the right relationship, then make sure the work gives people a reason to continue it.

Emeryson Ford FJ in the paddock at the 2026 Goodwood Revival.