Anwar Sidi

Anwar Sidi is a name synonymous with motor sports photography. A hobby dating back to 1985, he has immortalised countless moments in rallying, which have won him both local and international acclaim. To his fans and lovers of motor sports, these images will forever be etched in the mind. Who will forget, for example, Mischell Van Tongeren's Subaru Impreza during the 2001 WRC rally when it missed running over a boy by a hair's breadth? Or Ugandan Emmanuel Kato's Subaru Impreza N14 somersault at a dusty stretch in Ol Pajeta? Sidi's seeds for this affection for rally cars were sown in the late 1960s and '70s when competing cars would zoom past their neighbourhood in Chuka village, Meru. His father, the late Sidi Hussein run a garage there. Sidi is one arm of 'Triple A' bro trio of Anwar, Asgar and Abdul. Abdul is a professional rally navigator, while Asgar is a rally buff and photographer as well. Anwar spoke to AUTOZINE CORRESPONDENT.

In your 20 years of rally photography, which has been your most memorable picture?

It was of German driver Hans Schuller, during the 1985 WRC Safari Rally minutes after he was pulled out of his badly damaged Datsun 240Z after an accident. I was on a day out on the rally course at Taita Hills and this is the first rally photograph I ever took. I used a Canon AV1 camera (he now uses a Nikon D200), a gift my brother had brought from India. Of course, there are several other pictures but this one to me is the best.

You must be a dare devil

To be good, you have to take a risk. A calculated one. Before any rally, I survey the route, mark out the best spots to take photos, composition, background and so on. If it's at a corner, for instance, I stand inside it, not outside. I almost lost my life in the 2000 edition of the Nanyuki Rally at Doldol. I was standing on the inside of the corner when Glen Edmunds just shot out at a T-junction. He came sideways and I was standing on his line. I don't know how I escaped, but it must have happened by the grace of the Lord. Luckily, the car just hit a bank and bounced back on the road. If it wasn't for the bank it would have been something gruesome altogether. (See photos above, right)

What does it take to get a good rally photo?

Courage, passion, time and dedication. Contrary to what many people think, it's not about the camera. See the first picture I took. I didn't have a professional camera. It's about the skill. My maxim is 'Send it for Sidis', in form of a route marker we display about 50 metres before a water splash. This is where I anticipate action.

What are the common outlets of your photos?

Newspapers, local and international magazines. Besides the Safari and other local motor sports events, I've also covered the African Rally Championships, Acropolis Rally in Greece and RAC rally in Britain.

Obviously you've interacted with many types of rally cars. Which is your favourite?

Group B cars. You see nowadays, competition has narrowed down to Mitsubishi Evolution 8 or 9 and Subaru N10 or N12. The Group B cars are the thoroughbred representation of times when rallying was for men, not boys.