Over the last two months, Angela has been collecting coats for the homeless.  Her newly formed charity is called Jackets That Jingle and last Sunday was the day to hand out all of the wonderful coats that she collected.  Inside the right hand pocket of each coat was a bag of quarters that would serve as a welcome surprise to the recipient.  Each jacket jingled with nearly two dollars in quarters and the 100 coats that she collected warmed many a welcoming soul that chilly day.

We brewed a fresh pot of coffee and hopped into the AWD Subaru.  We were scheduled to meet at Civic Center park at 8am.  The Friends of Capitol Hill meet every other Sunday and graciously allowed Jackets that Jingle to team up with them.  We drove through the empty streets excited about how many people we were going to directly help out.  Turning onto Bannock street, the line of men was already 30 or so long.  From each corner of the park others came looking for a bit of respite from fresh food and hot coffee.  Angie and I were very humbled that we (with jackets from the community) could provide such a basic necessity on this wintery Sunday.

Of course we had a great time handing out the coats.  The men were all gracious, cheerful and full of thanks for the great gifts and jingle surprises in the pocket.  But, what struck me was the graphic nature of the park.  The flat light, brilliant white show and dark shadows of the capitol created a striking winter scene.   Construction  cranes lined the south end of the park and scaffolding framed the dome of the Capitol adding to the transitional and classic feeling of the image.  All facets felt like a classic scene from the Farm Security Administration photos that I have poured over.  I snapped a few shots of the City and County building and a few more of the majestic domed Capitol before we handed out coats.

When we arrived home, Angie wanted me to process a few images for FaceBook so that she could show everybody how much their donation helped.  The first few photos were the ones I just described.  I love happy surprises and fun pictures of unexpected subjects.

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We set the date for a Sunday afternoon and rendezvoused at a secret location in Highlands Ranch.  It is secret simply because nobody can know that this kind of cool photography was taking place down in the hinter-lands.  Otherwise, the entire Ranch would be up in arms and all of the husbands down there would want a similar shoot with their wives or girlfriends.  And really we don’t want any riots taking place in “The Ranch”.

In any case.  We set up Sunday afternoon and began working through a bunch of “vignettes”.  I was looking for three stories each.  Every photograph should tell a tale and give you a bit of a story.  With these shots I was looking for that old-time feel of the girl at the beach or maybe the sassy traffic cop.  But they all had to have a modern flair.  I wanted color and punch.  We ran through a bunch of old school books that I had and came up with ideas and went to town.  One of my favorite reproductions in the Keyhole shot.  We saw it in a book and had to have one like it.

That night we ended up shooting for quite a while.  We through out ideas, grabbed snacks, poured drinks and simply had a great time with some killer music. One point that can’t be over looked is a huge thanks to my hair queen, Jennifer and my make up diva Jes. Without their skills we wouldn’t have gotten nearly the killer shots we did.

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Cross racers are an entirely different breed.  They love a race that is so muddy and miserable that it becomes a necessity to change bikes every single lap.  In fact, it it isn’t raining or snowing or sleeting or hailing… it isn’t even considered a race.  It is merely a fast training ride.  Cross racers are also built differently than other cyclists.  In general (excluding the revered clydesdale category) cyclists are of average hight and below average weight.  A classic cyclocross rider is usually WAY taller than the average cyclist and weighs WAY less. Their lanky build comes in mighty handy when then need to dismount, sprint through sand or water and then hurdle those awful barriers that make up a well designed cross course.

Over the past years , I have gotten some of may favorite pictures of people I never meet.  One in particular is from Brecktobercross two years ago.  Come to find out it was the legendary Brady Kappius.  A year after I shot the image I met Brady through a great mechanic buddy of mine named Steve.  Steve and Brady work at the same shop in Boulder.  Steve and I were joking around one day when Brady sauntered over.  Steve started off with “Mark, do you know this guy?  He is the fastest man in Colorado.”  Being the wise-ass I am, I start cracking on him and suggested that if he trained hard like me,  maybe he could get a clif bar sponsorship.  Well, come to find out, he already had one.

Needless to say, Brady was a great sport and jabbed me right back.  We chatted a bit about cross and mountain bike racing.  Eventually we talked about photography and he said that he would be game to shoot some photos and be featured on the blog.

So, just a few days ago, Brady and I met up at the Boulder Res. for an hour of great shooting.  The weather was absolutely perfect and the shots are everything I was looking for.  Enjoy, and don’t forget to ring a cowbell for a Boulder local next weekend.

1. With what team do you ride? Team Clif Bar
2. How long have you been racing? Ohh man, lets see.  Since I was 4, so 19 years.
3. How did you get started racing? As soon as I could ride I bike, I was racing.  My dad has been racing forever (and stil is) and I started by doing the kid’s races at the mountain bike races he went to in the early 90’s
4. What is your all-time favorite race? Diegem Superprestige – Diegem, Belgium.  In addition to the crazy Belgian crowds amounting to 10,000+, the course is run in the middle of town.  Cobbled climb, narrow alley passages, and greasy mud. Simply awesome.
5. What is your strongest discipline? Tough to say right now.  I’m equally at home on a cross or mountain bike.  Mostly ride road for training with the occasional training race thrown in.  I did more when I was younger but just have more fun on the dirt.  I did a dual slalom this year too and had a blast.  Can’t count anything out yet.
6. What part of bike racing do you absolutely loathe? Pushing myself and seeing what I can achieve.  I love the satisfaction after having a great race.
7. Tell me a little about your bikes and gear.  What are they, what cool little gizmos do you use to train, what is your favorite piece of equipment? I’m a mechanical engineer so I’m a pretty tech oriented guy.  This season I’m running Spooky cross bikes.  They are out of Massachusetts, sweet, small builder.  The frames are fully custom for me (because I’m a giant) but their stock ones sweet too.  Running a full SRAM Red gruppo with the pro only steel cage front derailleur.  Easton EA90 cockpit, TRP Magnesium brakes.  Mavic wheels – either R-SYS Premium SL or Cosmic Carbone Ultimates depending on the conditions/tire choice.  One cool little thing is I have a custom rear brake cable routing.  Right through the seat tube and seat post.  Something I saw on Sven Nys’ bike a few years back.  Doubles as a seat post lock too.  Favorite piece of equipment? Tough call, I like it all. I guess I would have to say my set of FMB tubular tires.  They can make a huge difference in ride quality and traction out there.
8. Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? What are they and how did they start? I’m not a very superstitious person.  That just leaves you vulnerable for getting your head messed with when something doesn’t go right.  I have a tried and true pre-race routine of course inspection, bike prep and warm-up.  I like to do all of my bike building, tuning and tire gluing.  Just one less thing to worry about and then I can’t blame anyone but myself.
9. If money was absolutely no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? That’s a tough one.  People get too sucked into the newest technology these days.  I’d like to go back and ride some of the first mountain bikes, say Ned Overend’s from the first UCI World Championships in Durango just so I could appreciate how far technology has come in two decades.
10. If you could race with any pro, from any time in history who would it be? John Tomac.  That guy could win anything.  XC, downhill, cross.  I admire his wide range of abilities.
11. You are granted a riding session with one current pro team.  This session includes as many hours of riding as you would like, lunch at any location you choose and the ability to ride any place in the world.  How do you fulfill this dream?  Please be specific with details about lunch conversations with riders and any pertinent gossip that is applicable. Any ProTour team during a stage of the tour.  Lunch on the bike.  I’m not picky about which stage, any would be an experience.  Conversation would include talking into my race radio and being told what to do for the team.  Now making this happen would be quite a task.  I’d have to become a pure roadie and get a lot faster!
12. Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? Jamey Driscoll.  He is only a year older than I am and has some very impressive results.  He is a super nice guy too.

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She creates a new definition for the word powerful.  Her time trial is something to watch.  Hanging around bike shops and races, I have heard the term “wattage cottage” thrown around a few times for various parts of the anatomy.  Well in this case, Angela’s entire body is  ”wattage cottage”.  She produces power that begins in her little toe and excellerates all the way through her helmet.  And she is fun to watch.

She joined the Primal Rocky Mountain Colovita team early last season and ascended the ranks from a Cat 4 to a Cat 2 in one year.  Angela and her family decided to attend the team’s annual skills camp in Palisades Co.  Quickly she was taken in by all the ladies and became a favorite.  Her friendly attitude and “go-get’em” style of riding has blossomed, making her a well rounded competitor. Keep an eye out for her on the steep climbs of the Mt. Evans race or the rolling hills of the state TT championships.  She will be crushing it no matter what.

1. With what team do you ride? Rocky Mountain Primal
2. How long have you been racing? 2010 was my first year of serious racing.  Previously, I would do a few races each summer, but from 2003-2009 my cycling consisted of winter bike tires (in Canada) and a Burley.
3. How did you get started racing? Susannah Gordon contacted me when she was putting together a new team.  After hearing about the amazing group of women I’d be racing with, I couldn’t resist.
4. What is your all-time favorite race? Iron Horse, 2001
5. What is your strongest discipline? Surprisingly, it’s Time Trialing.  I love that it’s just the bike, me, and all the suffering I can endure.
6. What part of bike racing do you absolutely loathe? I loathe the races when my heart and mind say “go hard” and my body says “no”.
7. Tell me a little about your bikes and gear.  What are they, what cool little gizmos do you use to train, what is your favorite piece of equipment? My road bike is a Jamis Xenith Team Bike with SRAM Red components.  For Time Trialing I have a Cervélo P3.  I love my bikes.  It’s really important I feel connected and trust them.  Otherwise, it messes with my confidence.  My favorite equipment is my Zipp 303’s.  They are so light and responsive and corner like a dream.
8. Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? What are they and how did they start? I’m not superstitious, but I am all about pre-race rituals.  Always the Tom Petty song, “Don’t Come Around Here No More” during my warm up.  And most importantly, I say a prayer of thanks for my healthy body and another for the safety and well-being of all the riders.  I started doing this when I realized nothing can be taken for granted.
9. If money was absolutely no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? I’m so happy with my bikes.  However, a really fun, green paint job would be cool.  At this moment I would rather splurge on wheel sets-  One for every type of terrain and race.
10. If you could race with any pro, from any time in history who would it be? Honestly, I’d rather ride with my friends.
11. You are granted a riding session with one current pro team.  This session includes as many hours of riding as you would like, lunch at any location you choose and the ability to ride any place in the world.  How do you fulfill this dream?  Please be specific with details about lunch conversations with riders and any pertinent gossip that is applicable.  Team Radio Shack.  A leisurely ride through Tuscany in the fall.   Lunch would be outside at an organic farm with bruschetta, local Percorino Romano Cheese, Shrimp Fra Diavolo with fresh pasta, and Brunello di Montepulciano wine.  For dessert, a chocolate ice cream cone. (Food is very important to me)  The discussions would be serious.  No gossiping.  What I’m really interested in is the emotional stuff each of the riders face- motivations, fears, passions, heartbreaks, regrets, dreams, etc.
12. Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? My doubting alter ego that says “I’m not good enough.”  She MUST be defeated!

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Thursday of last week I tossed all of my location lighting equipment into the car and headed to Centennial Airport.  9am was the scheduled start time for our shoot  with Skyraider Aviation to highlight their cool new planes from GOBOSH.  The morning promised to warm up nicely and like any other fall day in Colorado, the sky was crystal clear and blue.  Kari White was our model for the day and, as usual, she killed it.

We began with an Amelia Earhart theme and thought they would work well as promotional pieces for Skyraider. Mixing the classic Amelia look with the fluid lines of the planes created cool images that caught the eye.  Kari came completely prepared (as usual) with great outfits that fit our plan.  Her black bomber jacket, tall boots and silk shirt added a modern twist to the shoot that worked great.

We shot for about two hours switching from the Amelia outfit to a more formal dress and moving the plane to slightly different locations.  The sun crept higher in the sky creating great lens flair that added the blown out corners that I love.  The light set upworked out great .  I used a beauty dish to light Kari’s face and another light for fill.  The third light was used to fill in the tail of the plane so that in the final images retained the details of the GOBOSH styling.

By noon we were wrapping up after shooting about 200 different images.  We started putting the plane away when Chris (the owner of Skyraider) suggested that I take a flight with one of his top instructors.  The next thing I new, I was sitting in the cockpit, taxiing down the runway at 90 mph for my first flight in a Light Sport Aircraft.  It is amazing the fun twists and turns that life has.

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When I was a teacher, the joy of working with creative students overshadowed the naggy administration or the silly lingo that educators thrive on.  The students keep any teacher going.  So, each year as more begin to graduate, they call me to shoot their senior portraits.  For a few hours we get to catch up on all of the gossip, all of the plans they have put in place for life and many of the struggles they have had. Chatting with them is almost cathartic for me.  The process shows me the wonderful (and sometimes not so great) changes they have made.  I get a glimpse of the adults they will soon become and I get to hear their dreams and aspirations.

The most recent student I photographed wanted to be a photographer.  Already, she has blossomed into quite an accomplished artist.  She loves the craft and has studied it both formally and informally. Our conversation centered on the people that inspired her and she tossed out great ideas for her future.  But the coolest part of the shoot, was having her input.  She knows what she likes and was not afraid to voice her opinion.  In fact she even pushed me to try a style that I am not very comfortable with.  She talked me into shooting some images with sun-flair.  And, to my surprise…..they worked.  We worked for three hours to create colorful images that showed off her character, her sense of style and her love of life.

In the end, she loved the shots and we spent the better part of an afternoon talking about photography and dreams.

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Jon (the same British buddy) called the other day,  asking if I wanted to ride some of the trails off of West Magnolia, above Boulder.  Sitting at nearly 9000 feet above sea level, West Mag. is a great location for early season color and cool riding temps.  Twisting and turning trails, wind an endless maze of tight treelined lines that can keep you busy all day. I couldn’t wait to check out this new spot and get some images of the trees.

On top of the excellent trails, Jon was rocking the new Alchemist Threadworks kit, so we had to get some shots.  Really, could you ask for a better combo? New kit and newly turned leaves….pretty tough to beat.  Needless to say, we had a killer time.  We snaked in and out of the pine trees, spitting dust in each corner and then pedaled over to the section called Aspen Alley.  To our surprise, all of the leaves were already down, so we headed off to another section that promised great fall color.  Golden aspen leaves are one of the great gifts of riding in the fall but Jon and I agreed that two other benefits rival the color. Those would be the smell and the sounds of Autumn.

The crunch of a fall leaf plays second fiddle only to the crunch newly fallen snow (way to early for that).  We rolled over the coated trails listening to the song each turn made.  And the smell; that cool, loamy, winter is just around the corner smell, topped off the day.  We road on until the light faded and the rain came in adding a classic Autumn touch to the end of the ride.  Enjoy the pics, and have fun with all of the great fall riding and shooting to be had.

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The downhillers have the “Mine has more travel than yours”. The roadies have “mine is lighter than yours”, the cross folks have the “I can drink more than you while running through sand at 10am”.  And the track-sters…well, the track people have the “I can push a larger gear than you”.

What does all of this have to do with anything?  Nothing really, except that Ingrid Alongi  is solidly based in the latter group.  And, she truly can push a harder gear than you.  To put it plainly, she knows how to kick some ass on an oval.

I met Ingrid in boulder at the Boulder Velodrome.  In classic Ingrid style, she was scorching that wooden oval and putting a serious hurt on the other racers.  After the training session was over, I showed her some of the images and we talked about setting up another shoot in the future.  Little did I know that the future would not really happen for almost a year.  In that time, she has started her own company and moved from bubble of Boulder to the rubble of  5 points.

Finally, we were able to make it work.  A few Sundays ago we headed down to the metro station in 5 points and snapped off some frames. It was great light and the people watching on Sunday morning speaks for itself.  And, some might say we made for pretty good people watching ourselves.

1. With what team do you ride? Houndstooth/Panache Cycling Team
2. How long have you been racing? I started in 1986 when I was 12, eventually making it to the Jr. Natioanl Team. In those days, there was no women’s pro category and there wasn’t a u23 program. Once I graduated from the Jr. National Team to the Senior B team in 1993, I got completely crushed. I was cleaning houses part time (more $ per hour than a coffee shop job, but physically demanding) and trying to make it. I recall going to a big stage race on my own dime in Bisbee, Arizona in 1993. One of my National Team mates was on the Kahlua team, one of the biggest women’s teams at the time. I asked if they’d hand me a water bottle during the road race and they said no. Here I am, completely unsupported at 19, driving to the big races, sleeping on couches. It was discouraging, I couldn’t hack it so I decided to give full time college a go instead where my life took me away from cycling for many years.                                                                                                Fast forward to 2008, I started riding my bike again to combat the stress of working at a tech start up in Boulder. The first time I rode to Jamestown, I could barely function the rest of the day, but I rediscovered my love for the sport. I got the racing bug in 2009 when the Boulder Velodrome opened. At 2009 Master’s Nationals, I silvered in the Individual Pursuit and won the Team Pursuit, in which I am still the national record holder. Now that I have my own company (www.quickleft.com) my goal is to continue to have fun with riding and racing.
3. How did you get started racing? My dad started racing when we were kids, when my parents split. My brother and I used to accompany him to the races. I remember him racing on a yellow Schwinn Varsity… One day, we were walking around the Pearl St. Mall and saw kids our age racing a crit around the mall. This was the 1995 Red Zinger Mini Classic. We begged our dad for bikes, and we entered our first race in 1996.
4. What is your all-time favorite race? Hmm, probably the 1992 Casper Classic. I was 18 at the time racing with the Women’s 1, 2, 3s and had a breakthrough getting up the first hill with the leaders. It was on a long road race where I knew if I was dropped, the entire day would be spent riding alone or with a very small group losing time in the overall gc. I was so proud of myself for having made it up that first hill in the lead pack!
5. What is your strongest discipline? Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit
6. What part of bike racing do you absolutely loathe? The port – o -lets before the race. You’re in your cleats, you are nervous, you are trying to balance in there, it smells like everyone else’s nervousness. Ugh! The worst part of racing by far.
7. Tell me a little about your bikes and gear.  What are they, what cool little gizmos do you use to train, what is your favorite piece of equipment? The coolest thing on my bike is probably my Oval Jetstream fork. It just looks cool and is fast.  Gears in track cycling are also quite fine tuned. When I ride at Boulder Indoor Cycling, I usually roll a 47×15 (84.6”) in the winter, and then put on a 48×15 (86.4”) for the summer. These gears are pretty small for racing, so it’s good to get to Colorado Springs and put on the real gears so that you don’t have the unpleasant surprise of doing a standing start or a jump with a larger gear.  I tend to feel more comfortable in an 88” gear when I ride pursuits, but may try again with a 90”. I’ll use 90” gears for points races, unless the pack is really small or it’s really windy, in which case, I’ll go back to the 88”.  I may even venture to a 92” for a Kieran (riders are paced behind a motorcycle to get up to speed. The motor pulls off at 2 laps to go on a 333 meter track, and the riders have 2 laps to sprint. Since you are already up to speed by being motorpaced, you don’t have to worry about trying to jump in a gear that’s too large).
8. Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? What are they and how did they start?  I just like to fill my iPod (or walkman back in those days) with good music to warm up to and get focused with.
9. If money was absolutely no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? I pretty much have the bike of my dreams, but if I had all kinds of money, I’d get a really nice Zipp disk for the rear and Corima four-spoke for the front.
10. If you could race with any pro, from any time in history who would it be? Hmm, It would be cool to ride with one of the first ever women’s racers. I don’t even know who that would be, but it would be cool to ask her why she got into racing, etc.
11. You are granted a riding session with one current pro team.  This session includes as many hours of riding as you would like, lunch at any location you choose and the ability to ride any place in the world.  How do you fulfill this dream?  Please be specific with details about lunch conversations with riders and any pertinent gossip that is applicable. You should revise your instructions that you can ask them whatever questions you want and they have to answer honestly. But, your instructions should also say that you are required not to divulge what they said…                                                                                                                          Peanut Butter and Co, of course! They have a some amazing track riders, including Cari Higgins and Corine Rivera. I would like to ride with them at the velodrome in Manchester, England because it’s a really sweet track. I would get all of the gossip. Who are the pack princesses? Who are the hard workers? Who do they think has the most potential? Who does and doesn’t eat (and how do they manage)? Who’s cheated?
12. Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? I don’t have anyone in particular that I want to beat, but I do want to better my 2 kilometer individual pursuit time. Although I did lose the 2009 Master’s National Pursuit title to Renee Eastman by .25 seconds, so if I had to pick one person… (but she was also my team pursuit mate).

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Race photography comes at us these days with such hyper-real clarity, and amazing color that, at times, it can be a little overwhelming.  And this is coming from a photographer that LOVES to make life look hyper-real.  Long gone is the simplicity of the black and white image in bike racing.  The colors jump off the page and the rider’s eyes burn holes through the screen with fierce intensity rarely seen.  These images work.  They are beautiful and portray the venues beautifully.

But, there is still something to be said for a solid black and white image.  It has no color…only tonal range.  In reality, this is the way the image is first seen.  Either on film or through a digital processor, the camera sees only tonal ranges.  The range of light runs the gamut from intense white to absolute black.  Within each extreme there is no detail, no information.  But, if a photographer can create and image that spans the entire length of the tonal histogram (from absolute white to absolute black) and catch all of the tones in between a beautiful picture can be had.

This last weekend, I shot a race on the eastern plains of Colorado.  It started in a town famous for the world’s first rodeo.  Realistically not much has probably happened there since.  Granted, they do have a great rodeo every year.  In any case, the race started in Deer Trail  Colorado and ventured into the plains to the east of town.  The race flyer warned of high winds and high heat.  Not a great combo.  Mix those two elements in with rolling hills, no trees and a bunch of fallow wheat fields and the photography turns to be fairly monochromatic.  What a great opportunity to shoot in black and white.  In reality it was a relief.  Normally I am shooting with mounds of extra light.  I will remotely trigger one or even two speedlights and drop the exposure of the back ground down a bit.  But this day was different.  Nothing but me and my camera.  Just the landscape and a mind that was thinking in terms of tones instead of color.

Life becomes very simple when a photographer thinks this way.  Color is washed out.  All that remains are shades of gray, and values of light and dark.  Contrast creates the drama in the photo.  There are no blue skies to stare into. No green trees to contrast with the blue sky. No colorful kit of the road cyclist.  Instead you get dark eyes crying out in pain and sun bleached faces that contort from extreme effort.  Roads revert back to “black top” and cloudless blue skies go white.  What a wonderful way to view the world.

I had my day of shooting, and it was glorious.  No frills, no strobes, no fancy techniques….it was me, my long lens and the world.  When I got home and looked at the images I thought to myself  ”are they as cool as those Tour de France images?”  The answer?  NO way in hell.  But it was a ton of fun and it shows what racing in Deer Trail Colorado is like.

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I remember seeing Dead Dog Classic T-shirts  almost 15 years ago.  Back then, not nearly as many people showed up for the race. It held a mystique that not many other races possessed.  It was known to be a tough race. Three disciplines coved over two days. And the first day ascended one of the toughest climbs in the west, make this race exciting to watch.

This year saw record numbers.  Teams from all over the west battled it out on the slopes of the Snowy Range mountains and screamed through town, fighting to win the overall.  As usual the winds reeked havoc with the riders and the pace of the leaders shattered the peloton.

At the summit of the climb (which toped out around 10,000 feet above sea level) riders huffed their way to the turnaround in small groups or singles. Each racer working through their own hell, knowing that a 60mph descent lingered just ahead.  But, beyond that, they faced a 30 mph headwind finish on a 12% uphill grade.  This is not a race for the meek.

The second day of the race brought record setting time trial rides and amazing wins in the crits.  Each category seemed to have a few blessed riders.  From the gun, many of them gutted out a gap and buried themselves for a solid hour to take the win.  It was a day for of breakaways to succeed.

Even now when I see a cyclist wearing a Dead Dog Classic T-shirt, I have to go up and ask how they did.  I know the fibers of the shirt hold a story.  Possibly it’s one of triumph.  More probably it’s one of pain and struggle.  But, whether it is pain or prestige, there is always a great tale to be told from the Dead Dog Classic.

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