Can a single photo reveal the soul of a competitor for whom every moment is a balance of risk or reward? We wanted to find out. 

Our challenge was to capture the energy, motion, and strength of Doriane Pin, Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver racing in F1 Academy, in photographs and have each portrait capture the many facets of this elite driver. No borrowed narratives — just authenticity, energy, and the hint of vulnerability that only trust between photographer and subject can reveal. 

Who is Doriane Pin?

Some people exist outside the ordinary bounds of daily life — their passions shape not just their own identities but inspire those around them. Perhaps it’s their courage, or the precise combination of discipline and daring that their world demands. You find yourself drawn to them, wanting to know more, to understand what drives them. Elite racecar driver Doriane Pin is one of these rare people.

Since she was a 4-year-old growing up in France, Doriane has been captivated by the symphony of race engines and the blur of color that is motorsport. She nurtured a dream that many children share but few pursue with unwavering resolve: to become a racecar driver. Recalling her first day in a kart, Doriane says, “I’ll always remember my first experience… the speed, the ability to drive and be alone, just me on the track… it’s fantastic… you feel like a superhero!”

Her race craft developed quickly, and she excelled in a variety of prestigious auto racing series. Currently, she sits atop the standings of the F1 Academy single-seat race series, as a Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver.

Known as the “Pocket Rocket,” a nickname earned for her compact stature paired with an outsized presence, Doriane is celebrated for her explosive speed and fearless approach on track, consistently outpacing competitors at 150+ mph. Her energy and determination make her a commanding figure, proving that true power is measured not in height but in heart and ambition. 

Meet Mollie Hosmer, the Artist Behind the Camera  

For as long as there have been muses, there have been artists striving to capture their essence. 

For this Snapdragon Unplugged episode, we recruited London-based fashion photographer Mollie Hosmer, known for blending elegance with edge. Mollie captured the essence of Doriane in portrait using her professional camera, a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x PC powered by the Snapdragon X Elite processor, and a Moto Razr Ultra powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor.

Mollie’s work is known for its clarity of vision — a style that fuses the narrative spirit of documentary with the polish of high fashion, always seeking the inner spark that makes each subject unique. “When I'm working on a portrait of someone, the most important thing for me is to understand who they really are. I want to find out what makes them tick, what brings them to life, so that I can reflect this in the photographs that I take,” says Mollie.

Capturing Doriane's Essence, Frame by Frame

Days before the shoot, Mollie told us how she planned to approach this project, “I really want to capture Doriane’s personality and the essence of who she really is and bring that to life in a photograph. There's a restlessness in her that I'm really drawn to. She's focused and she's so confident.”

For Mollie, using her camera is only part of the creative process, the part everyone sees, the glamorous part. The true work of creation begins long before the shutter clicks and continues well after the last photo is taken. However, Mollie emphasizes that the key to a successful shoot is not thinking too deeply about it and just enjoying the process rather than focusing only on the result.

The Right Device for Unplugged Creativity

Mollie’s Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x PC powered by a Snapdragon X Elite processor was the perfect laptop for this ambitious project, which demanded fast, unplugged performance for hours on end. She used a laptop powered by Snapdragon X Elite because it can perform up to 90 percent faster1 when unplugged than computers using other processors, and it can do so with up to 22 hours2 of battery life before needing to charge. 

For Mollie, the starting line for this project was research — first learning the overall sense and spirit of motorsport, then immersing herself in Doriane’s world. She watched hours of race footage on the Yoga Slim 7x to understand not just how Doriane moves, but why. Then the ideation began: sketching concepts, assembling mood boards, and collaging. “I would use Photoshop for all my collaging. Any kind of digital manipulation, anything super creative. I could genuinely sit there for hours and zone out — I really enjoy it. For me, it's like reading a book. That's how I wind down, which sounds mad for some people,” she adds with a smile.

If she was on the go without her professional camera and saw something that inspired her, she quickly snapped an image of whatever it was with the Moto Razr Ultra. “The beauty of technology now is that I always have a high-quality camera in my pocket, and for me that means just constantly taking pictures of anything that might catch my eye.”

Using her Yoga Slim 7x, she then reached out to Doriane via video call to propose her thoughts and ideas. 

At the shoot, she quickly uploaded hundreds of RAW photo files from her camera to the Yoga Slim 7x and used Capture One professional photo software for a live review with Doriane. Says Mollie, “For me, this portrait wasn't only about capturing what she looks like, but more about showing how she moves through the world.”

After the shoot and while traveling where plug-in power sources are often not easily accessible, Mollie meticulously sifted through hundreds of frames to find the moments that resonated, cataloged them, and then used Adobe Lightroom to edit the selected photos. Finally, she leveraged new AI capabilities on Adobe Photoshop powered by Snapdragon’s neural processing unit (NPU) to edit and touch up the best images. What you see in the film and below  are just glimpses of the final, brilliant concept in which Mollie incorporated light and movement to capture Doriane’s thoughts and emotions when racing.  

Watch for more Snapdragon Unplugged

This is the third in a series of Snapdragon Unplugged stories, highlighting creators who are breaking new ground using devices powered by Snapdragon. Follow Snapdragon Unplugged to discover more inspiring stories of visionaries who are redefining the future of art and technology. 

Mollie's work is a testament to the limitless possibilities when creativity meets high-performance, ultra-efficient devices powered by Snapdragon X Series processors. With Snapdragon supporting her workflow, Mollie was able to deliver a portfolio of work that truly communicates Doriane Pin’s style and speed.

The collaboration between Mollie and Doriane highlights the exciting possibilities that emerge when creativity meets innovative technology. With devices powered by Snapdragon, artists and creators can push boundaries and bring their most ambitious ideas to life. As we look to the future, the story of Mollie and Doriane serves as a testament to the limitless potential at the intersection of art and innovation. What will you create next?

Learn more about Snapdragon X Elite processors .

See all apps compatible with Snapdragon X Elite processors here .

Editor's Note: Portions of the quotes from the above interviews with Doriane Pin and Mollie Hosmer were transcribed and edited for clarity. 

Snapdragon branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.  

¹ CPU Performance is based on Geekbench v6.2 Single-Core on Windows 11 OS run in October 2024. Snapdragon X Elite (XIE-80-100) was tested using a Dell XPS 13 (9345) on “Balanced” Power Mode in Windows and “Optimized” in Dell Power Manager. Intel Core Ultra 7 256V was tested using a Dell XPS 13 (9350) on “Balanced” Power Mode in Windows and “Standard mode” in Windows and “Optimized” in Dell Power Manager. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 was tested using an ASUS VivoBook S14 (M5406WA) on “Balanced” Power Mode in Windows and “Standard mode” in MyASUS. Power and performance comparison reflects results based on measurements and hardware instrumentation of given devices. 

² Battery life varies significantly based on device, usage, settings, and other factors. Please visit snapdragon.com/claims for additional information.