About us
Fast Track Photography offers Photography, Videography, Drone & Social Media Services to the Thoroughbred Racing Industry throughout Australia and Australasia. We also offer extensive Fine Art Print Services, including printing and Custom Framing.
Meet The Team
Sharon Lee Chapman
Head Photographer, Videographer & Drone Pilot
Hi there, my name is Sharon Lee Chapman. One horse and one image kick-started my career in equine photography.
Little did I realise that in May of 2011, when I headed down the highway to Warrnambool racecourse, that my life would be changed forever. I vividly remember watching Banna Strand leap over the barrier into the crowd and snapping my camera as fast as I could.
That moment rewarded me with the iconic “Runaway Horse” image that circulated on the front cover of newspapers worldwide including the New York Times.
I took to the saying, “if you love what you do, then you will never ‘work’ a day in your life.” So, I quit my full-time job as a law clerk and pursued my passion for equine photography full time.
I have been capturing the majestic nature of horses and horse racing for about ten years now.
One of my proudest moments to date is when I won the Quill Award for New’s Photo of the Year for “Runaway Horse.”
My photography career has seen me travel the world photographing some of the world’s biggest race carnivals including Royal Ascot, Cheltenham, Hong Kong International, Singapore Cup, Saratoga, the Haskell Invitational, the Durban July, and plenty more in Australia.
I had the privilege of photographing Winx during her journey of 33 consecutive victories and was honoured an exclusive stable shoot following her retirement. You can find a significant showing of my Winx photography on the cover and throughout Andrew Rule’s book, Winx: The Authorised Biography.
Stepping away from the race track, I enjoy photographing stallions and farms. I have photographed some of the biggest horse farms in Australia including Newgate Farm, Widden and Aquis Farm. I was also recently commissioned to photograph Waikato Stud’s roster of stallions.
I regularly attend the Sales both in Australia and New Zealand, having worked for Magic Millions and Inglis, where my “Fine Art” range is featured both in the Restaurant, Library and Hotel Rooms.
My style of photography varies from other photographers standing around the racetrack because to capture a unique image; you need to separate yourself from the herd. My value is trying something different and getting a shot that no one else thought to capture.
I have expanded my skills to include videography and drone services for farms and trainers as an all-round package.
Equine photography requires immense patience. But if that means sitting in a paddock full of mares and foals for hours on end to capture that one unique signature image, then sign me up any day of the week.
Mark Lee
Head Drone Pilot, Videography & Photography
The first time my partner Sharon, mentioned the word “Drone” I was hooked. Sharon had long since had a dream to capture the magic of the Horses and Dolphins at Balnarring Beach but knew the best way to capture this would be via Drone.
Two weeks later, I had purchased my first Drone and my First Project took around 10 days of travelling to Balnarring every morning waiting for that magical moment. It was exhilarating to capture such a moment and I’ve been hooked on drones ever since.
After successfully mastering the 1st drone, I progressed up to our latest purchase, DJI’s Phantom 4 Pro Plus. I’m now regularly flying the Drone being able to provide our clients with aerial footage of their farms, facilities, trackwork and beach work. Combined with our purchase of the Sony PXZ150, it’s a great combination to be able to provide both ground based and aerial videography for our client base.
Recently, we’ve added Yearling Sales Coverage and soon to be Yearling Draft Coverage to our range.
On Race Days, I provide additional photography, which gives the business the distinct advantage of having 2 shooters that shoot from different positions to ensure our clients get the most diverse coverage possible on race days.
My photography work has featured in many publications, including the book, Winx – The Full Story, The Age, The Winning Post, Magic Millions, Ladies in Racing Magazine and various stud brochures.
The growth of our videography business has seen us recently commissioned by Birdsville Race Club to produce a documentary on the Birdsville Races Roadies, where we showcased the journey to Birdsville, using both videography and aerial imagery.