Vale Bill Forsyth, photographer
LONG-time motorsport photographer Bill Forsyth has died.
An expert at capturing car and motorcyle action, and often behind the lens for iconic moments, Forsyth was embedded in the Australian motor racing community from as early as the 1960s, and passed away yesterday morning, Monday 11 March.
“From the thunderous roar of touring cars to the adrenaline-pumping world of F5000, from the elegance of world sports cars to the high-speed realm of motorcycles, from the excitement of speedway to the grit of rallying, from the rugged off-road terrain to the prestigious grand prix circuits, Bill Forsyth’s lens has flawlessly captured them all,” said Tony Loxley, in an excerpt from upcoming photographic book, The Best of Bill: The Motorsport Photography of Bill Forsyth.
Loxley was a dear friend of Forsyth, who he described as “one of the best people [he] knew.”
“A truly great photographer and a friend to countless people around the world, he was a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and the owner of a heart of gold,” Loxley said.
“Surrounded by his loving family, Bill passed away quietly. His infectious laugh, love of life, love of family and his love of photography and motorsport, left an indelible mark with all who knew him.
“Bill took me under his wing in 1980, after a chance meeting at Behrens Brown, a photographic agency in North Sydney. From there, a deep friendship grew.
“If I needed film to shoot the speedway or motorsport, Bill was there. Cameras, flashes, lenses, Bill was there. Printing, paper, and high-speed hayrides back home in his Volvo or Honda Civic, he was there.
“How many times do you get to experience a Volvo or Civic sideways from Crows Nest to Eastwood? Put it this way, every corner was an adventure!”
Bill Forsyth on a walk around the former Catalina Park Raceway in Katoomba, Blue Mountains. Image: TONY LOXLEY
The yet-to-be-released Bill Forsyth book is a 368-page hardback publication full of 500 black-and-white and colour images taken between 1962 and the late-2010s. It is available for pre-order.
Drivers including Brock, Moffatt, Johnson, Senna, Jones, Lauda, Bartlett, Mulligan, Revell, Vogler, Sanders, Penhall, Doohan, Campbell, Gardner, Ickx, Brown, and Goss are featured in action.
“Our book will mean so much more when released later this year, but somehow I know Billy will be there for that launch,” Loxley said. “He wouldn’t miss such an occasion, and he’ll have the best seat in the house.
“What a legacy remains.”
Forsyth is survived by his daughter Emma, son-in-law Robert and their children, and his friends.
Auto Action publisher, Bruce Williams described Forsyth as a “wonderful and creative photographer.”
“Bill loved and understood the drama of motorsport and the people that were apart of it,” Williams said. “And he was across all aspects of the sport.
“He was able to catch the drama and action and sometimes capture moments that we sometimes missed through his great skill with the lens, and techniques.
“It was wonderful to be able to enjoy the great detail in his work, as this small sample of images shows.”
Images: BILL FORSYTH / TONY LOXLEY, FULL THROTTLE PUBLISHING
Vale Bill!
There’s lots more loaded into a bumper edition of AUTO ACTION magazine, on sale at newsagents and available digitally here.
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