Pictured are residents Karen Robbins, with her book, and John Shaw, with one of his race car photographs.
Karen Robbins
I excitedly put copies of my new book, I Can Cook, in the Expressions Gallery. It was a dream come true to have my race car sandwich, which I created in 1985, recreated into an adorable book for children. I told Gail Hock who was working behind the desk the story. Gail said, “My husband, John Shaw, was a race car photographer for Formula 1, and I’m sure he’d like to see a race car you can eat.” I had recently met Eddie D’Hondt, another Creeker, who has been in racing his entire life. Now there’s a race car photographer living among us? I simply had to hear his story.
John and Gail invited me to their home, and John shared his life story and love of photography. John has a lifetime collection of over 10,000 race car photographs. Their beautiful PebbleCreek home is like a museum of large, colorful, framed cars. What an amazing life and career! How did this dream come about?
John grew up in Southern California and found his love of photography in high school. He dreamed of Formula 1 racing. He actually failed a photography class because he hadn’t completed the assignments; he just wanted to use the development and printing equipment. I think his young, engineering brain was racing around the track faster than anyone in his class.
This class started the engine to begin photographing race cars. One of his earliest photos was of Steve McQueen racing a Cooper Formula 2 race car in Santa Barbara.
John’s life continued in engineering, furniture design, at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park race tracks, as a commercial artist for Avery Labels, as a City Council member and then Mayor of Half Moon Bay. He was a high school head football coach, and a project manager in a civil engineering firm, but still dreamed of being a race car photographer. On his own, John continued to perfect his skills in auto racing photography.
He finally followed his heart and went to a Formula 1 race in Brazil. There he met Ines Ireland, a race car driver and writer for Road and Track magazine. Through this connection, John met the art director who published several of his photos, which launched his photography career. His dream came true! His photos were published in numerous racing magazines including Cavallino Ferrari Magazine, the Mexican auto racing magazine Auto Mundo, and on the cover of Grand Prix Tours catalog. He continued working as a civil engineer in the winter and in the summers lived in the UK. John traveled and photographed Formula 1 races in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, England, Italy, Hungary, and Germany.
More recently, John went to our local NASCAR track and talked his way into the pits. The crew invited him to stay and watch a pit stop, up close and personal. He took all the driver’s pictures, including Jeff Gordon’s, and got to enjoy the race from the pits! Follow your dreams! Dreams do come true!