Documentary photography holds a unique power to reshape how we view the world around us. When a subject is widely misunderstood or quickly dismissed, a skilled photographer can step in and reveal layers of truth that most observers never consider. This is precisely what Joel Hazelwood, a 21-year-old BA (Hons) photography student at Solent University, has achieved with his final major project, Rodders and Wreckers—a photographic series that shifts the narrative surrounding banger racing in the UK from one of pure destruction to one of community, craftsmanship, and deeply human connection.
Understanding Banger Racing Beyond the Crashes
Banger racing occupies a distinct space within British motorsport. Unlike Formula 1 or touring car championships, where precision engineering and multi-million-pound budgets dominate the conversation, banger racing is fundamentally grassroots. Drivers purchase inexpensive, often aging vehicles, strip them of unnecessary components for safety, and compete on oval tracks where contact between cars is not just accepted—it is expected.
For those outside the community, the sport often registers as little more than organized chaos. The highlight reels focus on spectacular collisions, twisted metal, and cloud of smoke. While these elements are undeniably part of the appeal, they represent only a fraction of what banger racing actually entails. The reality is that behind every car that enters the track, there is a network of people whose lives revolve around the sport in ways that have nothing to do with crashing.
Joel Hazelwood recognized this disconnect between public perception and lived reality. His work asks a simple but important question: what happens when you stop looking at the wrecks and start looking at the people?
The Craft Behind Rodders and Wreckers
Rodders and Wreckers is not a collection of action shots. Instead, it operates in the tradition of observational documentary photography, where the camera serves as a quiet witness to everyday moments. Joel spent extended periods within the banger racing community, earning trust and gaining access to spaces that casual spectators never see—the workshops where cars are rebuilt late into the night, the paddocks where families gather before races, and the quiet conversations between generations of drivers sharing mechanical knowledge.
The resulting images are intimate without being intrusive. They capture the grease-stained hands of a mechanic making final adjustments, the focused expression of a driver preparing mentally before a heat, and the shared laughter of spectators who have attended meetings together for decades. These are not staged portraits; they are genuine moments pulled from the rhythm of the sport.
What makes the project particularly effective is its refusal to romanticize or judge its subjects. Joel does not present banger racing as either noble or foolish—he simply shows it as it is, allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions. This neutrality is a hallmark of strong documentary work and reflects a maturity in approach that is impressive for a student still completing his undergraduate degree.
Medium-Format Film Photography in a Digital Age
One of the most striking technical decisions in Rodders and Wreckers is Joel’s choice to shoot the entire series on medium-format 120 film. In an era where digital cameras offer virtually unlimited frames and instant review, committing to film is a deliberate and meaningful choice.
Medium-format film produces images with a distinct quality—rich tonal range, subtle grain, and a depth that digital sensors often struggle to replicate. But beyond aesthetics, shooting on film imposes a discipline that shapes the work itself. With a limited number of exposures per roll and no ability to review images on the spot, each frame must be carefully considered. This constraint forces the photographer to slow down, observe more carefully, and wait for the right moment rather than firing rapidly and hoping for the best.
For a subject like banger racing, where the temptation might be to chase action, this approach creates a productive tension. The medium itself pushes the work away from spectacle and toward contemplation, which aligns perfectly with the project’s conceptual goals.
Why Documentary Photography Matters for Emerging Creatives
Joel’s project is a useful case study for any aspiring photographer considering documentary or editorial work. It demonstrates several principles that separate compelling documentary projects from ordinary photo essays.
First, it identifies a gap between perception and reality. The most powerful documentary work often emerges when a photographer notices that the dominant narrative about a subject is incomplete or inaccurate, and sets out to provide a more nuanced account. Banger racing is widely dismissed, which makes it fertile ground for this kind of reconsideration.
Second, the project is grounded in genuine personal connection. Joel’s grandfather raced bangers before he was born, giving him a familial entry point into the community. This is not a photographer parachuting into a foreign world; it is someone with a legitimate stake in the subject matter, and that authenticity comes through in the work.
Third, the project has a clear point of view without being prescriptive. Joel is not trying to convince you that banger racing is good or bad. He is showing you what he sees and letting the images carry the argument. This restraint is difficult to achieve, especially in student work where the impulse to over-explain or editorialize can be strong.
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Building a Career in Motorsport Photography
While Rodders and Wreckers began as an academic project, it also represents a strategic step toward a professional career in motorsport photography. The motorsport industry offers diverse opportunities for photographers, from commercial work with manufacturers and teams to editorial assignments with magazines and digital platforms, to long-form documentary projects like this one.
What distinguishes photographers who build sustainable careers from those who struggle is often not technical skill—which is assumed at a professional level—but the ability to find and articulate a unique perspective. The motorsport photography field is crowded with people who can capture sharp images of cars in motion. Far fewer photographers can tell a story that makes viewers reconsider what they think they know about a sport.
Joel’s decision to focus on the human stories within banger racing, rather than the cars themselves, is exactly the kind of strategic differentiation that opens doors. Editors and art directors are drawn to photographers who bring a fresh angle, and a body of work like Rodders and Wreckers functions as a compelling calling card.
For students considering a similar path, the lesson is clear: identify what everyone else is photographing, then figure out what they are missing. That gap is where your career begins.
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How Solent University Supports Photography Students
The quality of Joel’s final major project did not emerge in isolation. Solent University provides an environment where photography students can develop both the technical and conceptual foundations necessary for professional practice. The university’s professional darkroom facilities, for example, were essential to Rodders and Wreckers—shooting on medium-format film is only half the process; the other half takes place in the darkroom, where decisions about exposure, contrast, and print quality directly shape the final image.
Access to dedicated darkroom space is increasingly rare in higher education, as many institutions have shifted entirely to digital workflows. Solent’s continued investment in analogue facilities reflects a broader understanding that different projects demand different tools, and that students benefit from learning to work across both digital and film formats.
Beyond facilities, the structure of the BA (Hons) photography program encourages students to develop projects over extended periods, receiving regular feedback from tutors and peers. This iterative process—refining a concept, testing approaches, editing ruthlessly—is how strong documentary work is made. It cannot be rushed, and it requires an institutional framework that supports long-form thinking rather than demanding quick outputs.
Joel’s progression from a student interested in motorsport to a photographer with a coherent, exhibition-ready body of work is a direct result of this environment. The Summer Degree Show 2026, where his work was displayed at the East Park Terrace campus, is the culmination of that process and a public demonstration of what Solent’s photography program produces.
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Actionable Advice for Aspiring Documentary Photographers
Whether you are interested in motorsport, subcultures, or entirely different subjects, the principles behind Rodders and Wreckers offer practical guidance for developing your own documentary projects.
Start with a subject you have a connection to. You do not need a family history like Joel’s, but you do need a reason to care that goes beyond curiosity. Projects driven by genuine interest sustain themselves through the inevitable difficulties of documentary work—gaining access, waiting for moments, dealing with uncooperative conditions.
Spend time before you pick up the camera. The observational quality of Joel’s images suggests hours spent simply being present in the environment before shooting seriously. When people forget you are there—or at least stop performing for the camera—the real moments emerge.
Choose your medium intentionally. The decision to shoot on film was not an affectation in this project; it served the work. Before committing to a format, ask yourself what that format contributes to the story you are telling. If the answer is “nothing specific,” consider whether a different approach might serve you better.
Edit ruthlessly. A strong documentary series is defined as much by what is left out as by what is included. Every image should earn its place. If a photograph is merely competent but does not advance the narrative or deepen the viewer’s understanding, it weakens the overall project.
Think about where the project will live. A final major project is an academic requirement, but it is also the foundation of your professional portfolio. Consider how the work will be presented—in a gallery, in a publication, online—and let that inform decisions about sequencing, scale, and context from the beginning.
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The Value of Telling Overlooked Stories
At its core, Rodders and Wreckers is a reminder that every community, no matter how niche or seemingly unremarkable, contains human stories worth telling. Banger racing will never attract the mainstream attention of premier motorsport categories, but for the people who participate in it—drivers, mechanics, families, and loyal spectators—it is a central part of their lives. Documenting those lives with care and intelligence is not just an artistic exercise; it is an act of recognition.
For aspiring photographers, the takeaway is not that you should go photograph banger racing. It is that you should look for the communities and subcultures around you that are underrepresented in visual media, and ask yourself what you can add to the conversation. The best documentary projects do not simply record what exists—they help us see it differently.
Joel Hazelwood’s work stands as evidence that a university photography program, when supported by strong facilities and thoughtful teaching, can produce work that functions well beyond the classroom. Rodders and Wreckers is a student project in origin, but it is professional work in execution, and it points toward a career that will be worth following.
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Have questions about developing your own documentary photography project? Share your experiences in the comments below.
