AUTO PHOTO Awards 2025’s Peoples’ Choice Award winner Max Edleston takes us behind the scenes and shares the story behind his award-winning image, Dancing in the Rain, and the rest of the images made during the shoot.
“I’m incredibly grateful and blown away that the public chose my work for the People’s Choice Award. Seeing the absolutely stunning photography in the top 100 has been inspiring. I want to thank all my fellow photographers on that list; your high-quality of work pushes us all to work harder and smarter to create truly exceptional images. I’m also truly honoured that the judging panel highly commended my image in the motorsport category. As someone still finding their feet in the industry, this being my first competition entry makes the recognition all the more meaningful.”
Unlike many in the field, I came to photography relatively late. Although I was always an energetic, outdoorsy person, it wasn’t until a summer holiday in Jersey, a Channel Island off the coast of the UK, at age 16, that something shifted. I spent a day with professional photographer Andy Habin, learning how to capture the island’s beauty, and from that moment, I was hooked.
After completing my photography degree, I was fortunate to secure a junior position with Haymarket Media Group. Over the past seven years, I’ve progressed to Senior Photographer, working across their three key automotive titles: Autocar, What Car?, and Classic and Sportscar.
The photograph, “Dancing in the Rain,” was captured during the 2024 Le Mans 24-hour race. This was an incredible, ‘pinch me’ opportunity, as I was granted full trackside access. Although the main focus of my work for the trip was off-track, the time I spent trackside allowed me to experiment with various camera settings, angles, and locations around the circuit. Given the immense size of Le Mans, however, I only managed to visit a fraction of the corners and viewpoints I had planned for. I believe it would take several years to truly master every photographic location on that circuit.
Navigating the bustling live pit lane, I kept a careful lookout, determined not to become an obstacle to a multi-million-pound hypercar. My destination was the Ford Chicane. As twilight descended, the Porsche hospitality box illuminated with its LED brilliance, presenting a perfect opportunity. I envisioned a dynamic shot: the glow of the hospitality box filling the upper frame, contrasted with a moving car below.
My initial attempts fell flat; either the image lacked depth, or the hospitality box lights overpowered the car, making the vehicle unremarkable. It was then that I noticed someone, I believe it was the expert motorsport photographer Jakob Ebrey, using a flash gun. Inspired by the intriguing process, I decided to try it myself.
After numerous attempts, the perfect combination of camera settings, flash usage, and a light shower of rain converged, creating the winning photograph. Looking back, the experience was a literal lesson in observation: studying a fellow professional’s technique, adopting the core concept, and then executing it to create my own unique work. It proved that you never know what you can achieve until you try. I remain proud that I persevered, overcoming frustration and refusing to give up until the vision materialised.
