When Karina Donohoe first took the step to become a motorsport photographer six years ago, it was an opportunity that brought back many happy memories for her.
 
Based in Western Australia, Donohoe is a key contributor to motorsport photography company Dakar Press Team Australia and has shot some of the country’s biggest rally and off road events.
 
From her time as a regular at Motorsport Australia WA Off Road Championship events to being one of the official AORC and ARC photographers at the Tatts Finke Desert Race and the Make Smoking History Forest Rally, Donohoe has built quite a portfolio in the six years that she has been involved in the sport as a photographer.
 
Obtaining her Motorsport Australia Media Accreditation in 2018 was an opportunity that rekindled her association with the sport - one that goes back almost half a century.
 
“When I was younger, I would often go to the race track with my family to watch my brother compete at club and state events,” Donohoe said.
 
“It got to a point that I wanted to get involved more, so I signed up as a volunteer official and spent race meetings as a flag marshal. I did this for a couple of years while I supported him, before he ended up hanging up the gloves.


“Watching Bathurst for many years, I guess you could say that motorsport has been in my system for a long time, so when the opportunity to get behind the camera and shoot with my partner Andrew came – I jumped at the chance and haven’t looked back since.
 
“Shooting off road and rally is a bit mesmerising. I love the speed of the competitors and the dedication from all their teams. It’s a whole family thing where everyone is involved, and I love the experience.
 
“Having spent the better part of a working career in television, HR and more recently as retirement coach, being an off road photographer isn’t exactly the traditional step.
 
“But I truly love it and going to places like the Finke Desert Race or shooting from a helicopter – it has had a huge impact on my life and I just love it.”
 
With off road racing and rally events can often be based in rural locations, Donohoe is often the only female photographer at the event.


However with more and more women getting into the sport around the country, she believed that mentors will increase and the number of women in photography will increase.
 
“The Forest Rally in the 2022 Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship season was my first rally event and it gave me a completely different viewpoint of the sport as it’s so different to off road – I had to essentially change the way I shoot,” Donohoe explained.
 
“It was a fantastic experience, but the thing I remember most is speaking with Coral Taylor during the event. She came up to me and we had a long chat about the sport, and women, and it was very inspiring.
 
“Having certain trailblazers like her is terrific for the sport. Although motorsport is typically a male-dominated sport, there are lots of women making inroads and I have no doubt that young girls would look towards someone like Coral and be inspired to get involved.
 
“And that’s something I hope I can help inspire too. I would love for a young girl to gain the confidence to get a camera, work on a portfolio, go to off road events and take amazing photos.
 
“There is no reason they couldn’t as there is always room for more women in motorsport. Whether it’s racing competitively or taking photos.”
 
This feature is part of a series highlighting the success and contributions to motorsport from women around the world in celebration of International Women’s Day 2024