F1 is currently in a state of transition, as the demise of the Marussia and the struggles for the Caterham team after the Russian Grand prix have highlighted the severe financial problem that is currently afflicting Formula One. The lower funded teams such as Sahara Force-India, Lotus and Sauber are all campaigning for a reduction in costs, or an increase in their share of the money produced by F1.

The recent comments by Bernie Ecclestone suggest F1 will instead turn to extra customer cars provided by the bigger teams such as Red Bull, Ferrari, AMG Mercedes and McLaren and run by the likes of Sauber and Lotus. The other option is a super GP2 car where the feeder GP2 series cars are uprated and ran by the smaller teams instead. Other comments by Ecclestone on issues such as F1 and social media have led some to suggest that Ecclestone has lost touch with modern F1 and the needs of it’s changing audience.

The issue relating to the wealth distribution has become a critical issue within Formula One, with the likes of Sahara-Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley threatening briefly that the team would boycott the recent United States Grand Prix as cost cutting and distribution of revenue talks both broke down. The current situation is precarious with Marussia already folding as a team, and Caterham announcing recently 230 of their staff were being made redundant as they struggle on this weekend in Abu Dhabi, after missing the last two Grand Prix’s. Even the more established teams such as Sahara-Force India are struggling to compete with the rest of the grid as they do not have the vast wealth of manufacter or sponsor funding behind them. Sauber are also seriously struggling and were forced to take the vast sponsor funding from drivers Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr to continue racing in 2015.

It seems that the bigger teams and Bernie Ecclestone have shown little empathy with those lower down the grid, with persistent talks of cost cutting being rejected as the teams are unable to come to an agreement to serious cost cutting in Formula One. Now it appears talks for a fairer distribution of the revenue generated from F1 shared between the teams appear to be stalling also as the midfield teams have demanded emergency talks with Ecclestone this weekend in Abu Dhabi. The smaller teams are aiming to thrash out a deal that would prevent the mooted two-tier system, whereby the current F1 regulations are retained whilst the smaller teams compete with a super GP2 concept based around an uprated GP2 race car.

The letter written by Sahara-Force India deputy team principal Bob Fernley is quoted as stating “From our meetings we noted positively that our concerns were acknowledged and there was a basis for a constructive dialogue, However, after our meeting in Brazil we clearly see the direction of Formula 1 towards customer cars/super GP2. It is equally clear that the strategy group has no intention at all to reduce cost. We would like to highlight that we came to you primarily with the request to reduce costs. Due to the lack of interest in pursuing this target we then addressed the distribution of income as a way to absorb the higher costs.”

It does appear there is some truth to these comments with Bernie Ecclestone admitting during the US GP weekend that he had got the distribution of wealth in F1 wrong. He stated when asked “The problem is there is too much money probably being distributed badly – probably my fault. But like lots of agreements people make, they seemed a good idea at the time. Why not just bypass team bosses and go to heads of board? I think it’s probably what will have to happen.” Ecclestone would also admit during that weekend that “We should tear all of the current contracts up, Tear them all up and start again.” Formula One appears to have been heading towards this crisis for a long time now, with the vast increase in budgets caused by the highly complicated and innovative turbo V6 power plants providing the spark that ignited this current financial problem within F1.

Another cause for concern currently in F1 is the drop in worldwide TV audiences, with some calling now for F1 to embrace social media to appeal to a new generation of potential F1 fans. This is another knock on Ecclestone as quotes from a recent interview suggest Ecclestone has no interest in embracing social media and therefore promoting F1 to a broader, younger generation for the future. Ecclestone’s recent comments made to the Campaign Asia-Pacific magazine show is lack of interest in encouraging younger fans into F1.

Ecclestone commented when asked “I’m not interested in tweeting, Facebook and whatever this nonsense is,I tried to find out but in any case I’m too old-fashioned. I couldn’t see any value in it. And, I don’t know what the so-called ‘young generation’ of today really wants. What is it?” Ecclestone was then asked to further comment on if he felt attempting to attract a younger audience to F1 had any value Ecclestone went on to say “If you have a brand that you want to put in front of a few hundred million people, I can do that easily for you on television.Now, you’re telling me I need to find a channel to get this 15-year-old to watch Formula 1 because somebody wants to put out a new brand in front of them? They are not going to be interested in the slightest bit.Young kids will see the Rolex brand, but are they going to go and buy one? They can’t afford it. Or our other sponsor, UBS — these kids don’t care about banking. They haven’t got enough money to put in the bloody banks anyway.”

From here Ecclestone elaborated on the same point “That’s what I think. I don’t know why people want to get to the so-called ‘young generation’. Why do they want to do that? Is it to sell them something? Most of these kids haven’t got any money.I’d rather get to the 70-year-old guy who’s got plenty of cash. So, there’s no point trying to reach these kids because they won’t buy any of the products here and if marketers are aiming at this audience, then maybe they should advertise with Disney.” These comments seems a pretty clear indicator Ecclestone is very much someone who is thinking about the current time, and not planning for the future of F1, especially once he has gone. This shows that when Ecclestone does leave F1 it will be a much poorer state, although whilst a majority of this will stem from his influence and the incredible he has had on the sport he loves, it will also come from a lack of a succession plan that he would put in place.

In summary, for whilst Ecclestone has been without doubt the most influential man ever to Formula One as he evolved the sport from a niche one dominated by hardcore enthusiasts, to a sport recognisable worldwide with a huge queue of moving billboards racing round the circuit in far flung places of the globe. It does increasingly so recently that since Ecclestone effectively became an employee to F1’s owners CVC Capital, albeit a high ranking employee, his influence on F1 and therefore his relevance to modern F1 has diminished considerably. Although this article is not calling for Ecclestone to resign, I am simply stating it might well be time for Ecclestone to consider relinquishing some of his power in F1 in favor of a different direction, that is all.

Photography is something that always look simple enough from the outside, yet to be a competent photographer is something that takes a confident understanding of photographic terms and practices.

The first step to becoming a better photographer is understanding the primary functions of a still camera. Firstly for switching on a still camera most will be very easy to turn on. Simply press any one of the buttons on the back of the camera and this should you to the main menu of the camera.

From here the first things to help you take a great photograph are setting the shutter speed and aperture correctly. The shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter is left open when taking a photograph. The second key aspect to a good photo is the aperture setting, which coincides with the shutter speed to create your desired photo. I will fully explain how to use both later on in this post.

Some other important features on a still camera are the Auto/Manual focus button. This is important as for beginners it is probably easiest to keep the camera set on auto focus, which means the camera will automatically set the focus to suit the light conditions. Once you get more confident with a camera you will be able to manually focus the camera to perfectly suit the conditions. Below is a full image showing you what most digital still camera layout’s are like.

Within the still camera category there are three types, point and shoot, DSLR and 35mm film. All of these have differing uses with firstly the point and shoot being the most simplistic of the three types. It’s primary use is to be easy to use for example for holiday photos. The point and shoot cameras are perfect for people starting out with photography as they have very basic functions yet can still produce a crisp, high quality photo.

The next standard of camera is the DSLR style cameras, which were initially only available to professionals, however recent developments have now meant they have reached the consumer market. These cameras are ideally suited for amateur photographers as the multitude of functions they have can result in a highly professional looking photo if used correctly. The aperture, focus,ISO and shutter speed settings can be adjusted to match certain light conditions for example. These camera settings can help the photographer produce a certain effect if they desire such as a blurred effect or a certain lighting angle.

Finally 35mm are the rarest of the three camera types, mostly because these are older style cameras which have generally been surpassed by modern technology. On the other hand, the 35mm camera were the leading technology at the time, and is still sometimes used as some photographers prefer the shots taken from an older style, less technological camera. Another plus point for 35mm camera are the fact the photographer can manually set the film speed, which can be changed to affect the style and quality of the shot. Generally, whilst 35mm camera have been left behind by modern DSLR and point and shoot cameras, although a keen amateur or professional photographer with good knowledge of 35mm cameras could still produce a high quality photo.

Much like the differing type of cameras, there are several different types of lenses which can be used for differing effects. There are two main types of lenses however, with the first main type being zoom camera lenses. These type of lenses can be adjusted to focus in or out on a particular subject, which makes it a lot easier to take a high quality photo on your chosen subject. Typically zoom lenses are used mostly in small format cameras, and this is simply because of their size and price limit that restricts their use beyond smaller cameras.

The second main type of lens is the “close up” or macro lens. This type of lens is typically used to photograph small subjects in a close up form. The biggest limiting factor however with macro lenses is the fact the depth of field is very narrow, something which is to counter-act means the lens is stopped down to give a greater depth of field. Despite this the macro lens is still a less favorable style of lens to use because of the lower quality of the depth of field in comparison to zoom camera lenses. Both zoom and macro lenses are the most common type of camera lens, there are plenty of other lesser known types which each serve for specific functions, although these types are rarely used for any other purpose.

The time that the shutter is left open is reflected in the shutter speed numbers on the screen. Shutter speed is easy to identify as it is presented as a fraction e.g. 1/125. The higher the numbers such as 1/125 will mean a much crisper and clearer shot compared to a lower shutter speed, such as 1/25, which will produce a more blurry shot.

This illustrates how the shutter speed can affect the photo, with this shot taking using a very low shutter speed of 1/30, which has produced this very blurry shot of Rafael Nadal.

The aperture is typically known as the F-stop, with the aperture setting being presented as F followed by a number e.g. F8. The aperture is the amount of light in by the lens therefore in poor light conditions the aperture will be at a high setting e.g. F16, whereas in very bright light conditions the aperture will be set very low e.g. F1.6.

The final aspect to learn as a key function of modern cameras is the film speed, which is the cameras sensitivity to light and is displayed as the ISO setting. This is particularly important when taking photos outside as the wrong ISO settings will mean the photos you take will be of a low quality because of the outside light. Therefore on modern DSLR cameras the ISO settings can be adjusted to suit the light conditions and the overall quality of the photo, with a higher number meaning a higher quality image but in a situation with a lot of light and would not be very good in outside sunny conditions or in rooms with high quality lighting. On the other hand, a very low number will produce a lower quality photo in terms of pixels but will be very good in high light conditions.

Light sources can be used to create a lighting effect within the particular shot, with an example being a slow shutter speed being used to create a blurry effect with the lights. Also studio lighting can be used to suit the subject of the photo, a practice which is commonly used in interviews or photo shoots. Also in outside lighting conditions the natural light can be used to create a desired effect with your photos.

One of the key first steps in learning about taking high quality images is learning the rule of three in photography. This is where you will learn to look at the image viewfinder in a grid format. This therefore means when looking to take a photo your subject is lined up perfectly through the viewfinder in a rule of three symmetry. This is the desired photo effect as it will produce a high quality image. Once you’ve learnt it the viewfinder will become a grid split into 9 squares, of which the desired effect is to have your subject of the photo perfectly framed within the central squares of the viewfinder.Another image composition effect is the golden triangle, which is typically used in photos with diagonal lines. This is composed of the photo being split into three main triangles of equal length which then make up the photo.

When it comes to editing photography, there are plenty of software and websites which can help photographers edit their photos. Some of the most popular editing software is Adobe photoshop and illustrator, both of which are widely used within the industry by professionals and budding amateur photographers alike.

One of the most common photo editing forms is cropping, where you will reduce the outside edges of the photo, and the effect of this is to improve the overall framing of the photo and can vastly improve the quality of the image to focus on a certain subject within the photo. Other popular photo editing techniques are dodging and burning, which decreases and increases the exposure of the photo to make it lighter and darker respectively. This technique is typically used when the photographer is forced to shoot in poor lighting conditions e.g sunlight or darkness, and whilst it cannot rectify extreme examples of either bright or poor lighting, it can help in some cases to improve the quality of the photo.

Here is an example of a cropped photo, where the photographer has cropped the outer edges of the photo to focus on the main subject, which is the flower.

The final major photo editing technique is adjusting curves, however this effect is difficult to master and is generally only used by competent amateur and professional photographers. Adjusting the curves is a term for adjusting the tones of a photo. This can have a big effect on the photo, as it can brighten or darken the photo, add contrast and help shift the colours used. Whilst using adjusting curves as an editing tool can seriously alter your photographs, it’s complicated technique means that a degree of competence with the system is needed before being able to use it effectively on your photos.

Hot on the heels of his appointment to the Red Bull young driver programme, the motorsport world was thrown into shock yesterday as Red Bull announced that Max Verstappen would race for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team in F1 next year. Whilst for the wider world this will not at all be shocking that another young driver gets his shot on the F1 grid, his age and experience is what’s proved shocking for motorsport aficionados .

When Max Verstappen lines up on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix next year, he will have already set a record as the youngest driver ever to compete in F1. At 17 years old he will have a lot to learn over the winter as incredibly his second ever season of car racing will be on the F1 grid. Whilst their has been an increasing shift to promote talent at younger age’s with the previous youngest F1 racer, Jaime Alguersuari, is a prime example alongside Sebastien Vettel, who will retain his record of being the youngest driver to drive on an F1 weekend. Indeed, even further back in the mid-1990’s Max’s father Jos Verstappen received the same attention when he was promoted to the Benetton F1 team after only two seasons of car racing back in 1994.

Max’s father Jos driving for Benetton at the Italian Grand Prix in 1994, his debut season in F1.

For Max, the cautionary tales of his father Jos and Jaime Alguersuari will highlight what a difficult situation he has been thrust into. For his father Jos, his F1 career never seemed to recover from a difficult debut F1 season in 1994 with Benetton, although he was in and out of F1 drives up until 2003. Alongside that is a more recent example of Alguersuari, who was promoted to Toro Rosso at the Hungarian GP in 2009, aged only 19, only to struggle in his first two seasons before being unceremoniously dumped at the end of his best ever F1 season in 2011. Whilst he is still young and will compete in Formula E this year is appears increasingly unlikely he will drive in F1 again after only two and a half seasons in the sport and 31 points to his F1 name.

Whilst I am have explained so far the negative aspects of his step up to F1 next year, for many who have watched him so far this year in the FIA European F3 Championship, have no doubts he will produce results in F1. His debut season of car racing this year has been nothing short of sensational so far, as he currently sits 2nd in a highly competitive European F3 Championship, after taking 8 wins and 13 overall podiums from the season’s 27 races so far. It’s not just the results also which have been impressive with many people close to the series raving about his flamboyant driving style, with some even predicting he can be a future multiple World Champion.

It appears the offer of a race drive with Toro Rosso is what convinced Verstappen to sign with Red Bull as he also held a serious offer from Mercedes, who would have likely preferred him to move up the junior ladder before giving him an F1 berth, and it seems at this very early stage that Red Bull might just have stolen a future World Champion, much like they did to BMW when the snagged Sebastien Vettel from under their noses back in 2007.

Whilst the announcement of Verstappen has gained much press attention last night and today the biggest loser of this announcement has to be Jean Eric Vergne, who after 3 good seasons so far is being moved aside for Verstappen. This is desperately bad news as Vergne definitely deserves to remain in F1 next year, although he will have to find a seat outside the Red Bull nucleus for the first time since his first years of car racing. Furthermore, another two drivers who will lose out massively from this are Red Bull junior drivers Antonio Felix Da Costa and Carlos Sainz Jr.

Verstappen in action in FIA European F3 earlier this year
Felix Da Costa was passed over for a Toro Rosso drive last year for the talented Daniil Kvyat, a move which received similar scepticism yet has paid off for Red Bull this year, will surely be wondering if his chance has passed as he appears set to stay with BMW in the German DTM Touring Car Championship in 2015. Da Costa’s situation last year is mirrored this year by Sainz Jr, who is currently leading the prestigious Formula Renault 3.5 Championship yet has been passed over for a Toro Rosso drive for Verstappen, with his own chances of reaching F1 next year taking a hammer blow last night.

Max Verstappen seems likely to be a revelation at Toro Rosso next year, although for Jean Eric Vergne I hope he can remain in F1 next year as he has clearly shown so far he’s deserving of a place on the grid next year. For the likes of Da Costa and Sainz Jr I also hope to see them in F1 next year although their chances of reaching the top have taken a hit as Verstappen has jumped them in the Red Bull junior conveyor belt of talent, a bitter aftertaste from a scheme that has promoted so many to F1 is that some get left behind also. I will certainly be eagerly keeping track of Verstappen’s progress in he debut season next year for Toro Rosso.

Photos sourced from http://www.petervanegmond.nl , http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk and http://www.racexpress.nl

Photo credit goes to Peter Van Egmond, http://www.fiaf3europe.com and http://www.racexpress.nl