Imagine discovering that pictures you’ve cherished for decades are finally being brought to life as physical artworks—what a breathtaking moment! That’s exactly what happened to a legendary F1 photographer from the 1980s, whose iconic shots of racing legend Ayrton Senna are now being celebrated as standalone prints for the first time. But here’s where it gets controversial: transforming old film slides into large, high-quality prints isn’t straightforward, especially when dealing with vintage transparencies. And this process opens up a fascinating dialogue about old-school photography techniques versus modern digital methods.
Henry Pang, the seasoned photographer behind these legendary images, captured some of the most thrilling moments in Formula 1 history—during an era filled with roaring V10 engines and fierce rivalries, notably between Senna and Alain Prost. His son, Jeffrey, runs a popular YouTube channel dedicated to car culture, particularly drifting, and recently created a mini-documentary centered around his pride and joy—a classic Porsche 911. In this film, several of Henry’s iconic photographs were showcased, sparking a wave of interest among viewers to own prints of these historic images.
However, turning these vintage slides into stunning print artwork isn’t as simple as hitting 'print.' During the 1980s, Henry primarily shot in color transparency slides designed for professional magazine printing using a process known as CMYK color separation—an essential technique before digital photography became widespread. According to Henry, “In the 70s, 80s, and 90s, what was used was called color separation, which involved creating positive transparencies, or slides, for printing purposes. These positive images weren’t originally meant to be sold as standalone photographs.”
This leads to the core challenge: If Jeffrey wanted to produce physical copies of his dad’s incredible photos today, he would need to digitize these slides. Unfortunately, the original materials used for direct printing from positive transparencies have become obsolete. While negatives can still be scanned and printed directly, positive slides require a digital scan first, and high-fidelity scanners capable of capturing all the detail are rare and often prohibitively expensive.
To overcome this, Jeffrey sought the help of a friend named Vince, who attempted to scan the slides using a standard flatbed scanner. The results were less than ideal—sufficient for quick sharing on Instagram, perhaps, but not for large-scale printing that truly showcases every detail. Specialized scanners, including high-end flatbed or drum types, can deliver far superior results, but due to their rarity and high costs, most photographers opt for alternative solutions.
Henry, himself an accomplished photographer, recommended a clever workaround: using a high-resolution digital camera—specifically, a 36-megapixel Nikon D800—to digitize the slides. Equipped with a 55mm macro lens, a slide holder, a copy stand, and some manual focusing, Henry meticulously captured each image. The process is time-intensive—as each photo must be carefully focused and shot—but it pays off. The resulting digital images reveal astonishing amounts of detail, like the delicate disturbance of air around racing cars, something that standard scans might miss.
Among the captured images are striking shots of Ayrton Senna, showcasing his focus and intensity as he converses with engineers—powerful moments immortalized in time.
Once digitized, Jeffrey took the files to a Toronto-based lab called Foto Box, which specializes in chromogenic printing. These machines utilize traditional light-sensitive paper, exposing it precisely as an enlarger would in a darkroom, then running the print through chemical processing tanks before it’s rinsed and dried. Jeffrey emphasizes, “This process is still rooted in analog technology and it produces vibrant,true photographic prints that capture the depth and richness of the original shot.”
While Jeffrey is more passionate about cars and isn’t a professional photographer himself, he clearly found joy in seeing his father’s work transformed into tangible art, sharing the proud moment with his dad and a wider audience.
If you’re intrigued and want to own a piece of racing history, prints are available for purchase here.
As a related note, just last month, PetaPixel highlighted the compelling story of Jack Smith, who uncovered 80,000 vintage photographs taken by his grandfather—mainly color slides—and embarked on an inspiring mission to bring that visual archive back to life. These stories remind us both of the magic of capturing moments in time and the ongoing debate about how best to preserve and convert vintage film into today’s digital and print formats.
So, what’s your take? Is digital technology making old-school analog photography obsolete, or are there still irreplaceable qualities in those vintage slides? Drop your thoughts below—do you agree or believe that traditional methods hold unmatched value in preserving our history?
