How FotoWare Speeds Up Formula 1 Media Coverage

In the world of motor racing, speed is supreme — and media management is no exception, as photographers need to deliver pictures in near real-time. We caught up with Tim Clarke, Digital Account Manager at LAT Images, to learn how FotoWare’s workflows help to cover the Formula 1 and Formula E series.

About LAT Images: LAT Images is a leading photo agency specializing in motor racing. They cover Formula 1 and the new all-electric Formula E series with a large team of photographers, working for various international media, corporate race teams, and their partners.

© LAT Images

The Challenge

Over the last few years, the editing workload of LAT Images has increased significantly, with more clients and the ever more important requirement to deliver images in near real-time for social media.

© LAT Images

We built in-house a bespoke workflow system to move images around. It worked well, but as our picture desk team grew and we got multiple editors working shifts back at base, we needed to share editing duties in a highly efficient way. Previously we were using local machines and a folder based workflow, which worked for a single editor.

The Solution

Our requirements were slightly unusual. Speed and efficiency of the workflow was our primary concern over the traditional asset management solution FotoWare provides. Following conversations directly with FotoWare and then with Xenario UK (FotoWare’s Gold Partner in the UK), we were confident it was the tool we were looking for.

We have installed FotoWare with the help of Xenario UK, which has been amazing. They understood our specific needs and suggested how to tune FotoWare to do exactly what we need. Now, with FotoWare’s server-based workflow, we can share the load well.

We have photographers sending images both via traditional FTP clients and transmitting directly from their cameras into FotoWare, with editors ready to collect and process incoming photos.

A vast amount of what we do is about speed – delivering images to multiple clients in as near to real-time as possible. But there is also a need to supply images at a more considered pace to media clients and our historical archive.

With FotoWare, we can make both things happen without having to duplicate work or compromise the speed.

© LAT Images

Currently, we are distributing images back out from FotoWare to clients via FTP into their systems. And we can see lots of potential for using FotoWare in the future both for photographer interaction and even as an option for clients to receive images.

The Benefit 

We used FotoWare for a limited time before the international sport became impossible due to the coronavirus pandemic. Still, we could already see a massive potential of the system. We used it every day, saving hours of editing and finding new ways to streamline the workflow. We can’t wait to get back to it and reap the benefits.

The primary users so far are our picture desk editing team. But we can foresee FotoWare being used by photographers and clients in the very near future.

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