Zoom in: Italian Grand Prix

For me, the Italian Grand Prix means coming back home - and being at a race track where you really get to feel the atmosphere of Formula 1. Whenever the cars go out, especially if they are Ferraris, you always hear the roar of the crowds - and you feel part of the passion.

The place oozes history - and this year feels a bit extra special because the weather is so good. That helps lift the spirit of the place - and helps out hugely with the pictures too.

Although Monza is in the middle of a park, it's very friendly, very accessible - and it is nice to come to a proper race track with a lot of history rather than some of the modern venues that don't have that same feeling of being so central to the sport.

The timing of the race in the year is also pretty important at Monza. It's September, the light is changing and the leaves are falling. A very good friend of mine, photographer Charles Coates, says that when you come here it always feels like the start of autumn. And he is correct!

The classic shots from Monza

Parabolica is the real classic shot here - as you can see from this photograph of Kimi Raikkonen from back in 2007.

There is a photographers' platform tower there on the inside of the corner, and the cars literally go right underneath you. You can get a really lovely picture here and you can shoot it in so many ways - you can shoot it quick, or you can shoot it fast. It really depends how you like it.

I like my version, because it shows the movement of the car and the speed it is going through there.

The view down the back straight and the start-finish straight, with the trees and mountains in the background is another famous shot. This year, with the wonderful weather we are having, you can see the peaks. In the past it's been either raining or cloudy and blocked the view.

Where to go if you are watching

Again, I would say Parabolica. It is a great place because the corner is very fast, very flowing and the drivers needs to be very technical with how they approach it.

They are trying to get the speed up for the straight - so it's about being constantly fast without going off. And when things go wrong there, they go wrong in a big way. It's quite narrow this track, so if you do make a mistake you are not on the asphalt run-off like other circuits - you are in the gravel and off.

Remember the Derek Warwick accident there many years ago - and we saw Felipe Massa having a bit of a skip across the gravel trap too today.

My favourite shot from today

This is Fernando Alonso at the first Lesmo today - having accelerated hard out of the first chicane and tucking himself into the apex of this famous corner.

Nowhere else on the F1 calendar do you get dappled light like this. The trees, with the sun shining through the branches, create some beautiful light - and I like this shot in particular because the sun is shining right on his helmet and the car itself is in shade.

My favourite shot from the past

Here is another unique shot that you can only get at Monza. It is the podium after the 2007 race, and this is one of the few places where the fans can really interact with the drivers as they spray their champagne.

The fans here may love Ferrari, but they will cheer and support anyone who wins the race. I shot this from above, looking down on everybody, and seeing all three drivers there doing their own thing is great.

I cannot image what the buzz must be like for them actually being there!