After more than two decades working behind the camera, Tom Jolley never expected to find an entirely new direction. Photography had already given him a career, a voice, and a clear sense of purpose. His lane felt defined. Motorsport was not part of the plan.
That changed with an unexpected invitation to attend MotoGP as a guest.
Arriving without expectations and without an agenda, Tom brought a camera simply to observe. The first image, a bike tearing through Silverstone at full noise, altered everything. The sound, speed, and aggression were unlike anything he had photographed before. What followed was a day spent experimenting relentlessly, chasing motion through shutter speed, position, and timing, learning how riders attack a circuit and how milliseconds decide whether an image lives or dies. By the time he left the track, he knew something fundamental had shifted.
Soon after came a Friday session at a Formula 1 weekend. Watching teams operate with surgical precision, cars cycling through pit lane, and photographers fighting for fractions of space reinforced the pull toward motorsport media. The spectacle was impressive, but the real interest lay deeper. The stories. The systems. The people working under pressure. That curiosity led Tom away from headline events and toward smaller, local race meetings. A four-hour drive to Oulton Park became the turning point, and then a routine. Weekends were soon spent at circuits across the country.
For photographers starting out, these environments are invaluable. Access is closer, the atmosphere raw, the racing relentless. There is no buffer between the photographer and the action. You are part of it.
As Tom’s archive grew, the work needed an outlet. An Instagram account followed, bringing with it the familiar creative reality: consistency without instant reward. Posts went out. Edits improved. Stories were refined. Recognition came slowly, if at all. Doubt crept in, as it does for most creatives, especially when effort and response feel out of balance.
Motorsport photography offers little comfort. Long days in harsh conditions. Hours of waiting for moments that last less than a second. Entire race weekends sacrificed for a singlehat finally feels right. Rejection is constant. Emails unanswered. Pitches declined. Teams not yet ready to trust. These moments force a question that every photographer must answer honestly. Why do this at all?
For Tom, the answer has never changed.
It was never about algorithms, validation, or quick wins. It was about the physicality of motorsport. The sound that hits your chest. The silence before lights out. The intensity inside pit lane. The chaos once the race begins. It was about telling stories that live beyond results sheets. The graft. The tension. The unseen moments that define the sport.
That commitment led Tom to photograph Creventics 24-hour Series (with PLN) in Barcelona, a true test of endurance and awareness. Long nights. Shifting light. Exhausted teams. Raw emotion. It was a reminder of why motorsport demands respect and why those stories matter.
Looking ahead, 2026 marks the beginning of a new chapter as Tom Jolley joins the Pit Lane Media press team. It represents a natural progression into a media-driven environment that values access, authenticity, and storytelling over noise. The destination is not yet defined, and that uncertainty is part of the appeal. Motorsport never stands still, and neither should the people documenting it.
What is certain is the intent.
To keep showing up.
To keep learning.
To keep chasing the moments that first sparked something trackside at Silverstone.
This is not about trends or outcomes. It is about commitment, craft, and passion. And as Pit Lane Media continues to build its press team, Tom Jolley brings exactly that mindset to the road ahead.
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