Racing is Black and White
There isn’t a single person who hasn’t seen the old images from the Tour de France and thought “man, those are some cool shots”.
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.
Dead Dog: Racing and Suffering at 8000 ft.
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.
http://www.vimeo.com/13476813With Speed Comes a Blurrrrr
One of the most interesting misconceptions about photography is the belief that the image captured is what you actually saw. When it comes right down to it, that is the biggest load of hog wash I have ever heard. At no point in the history has there ever been an image that was EXACTLY what the photographer took in with their own eyes. And this is one of the coolest concepts in photography.
I try to create images that represent what I WANT to see.
In cycling photography this is especially true. Photography stops the action. It puts a hold on time. It carves out a second or fraction of a second that will forever be still. So, with something as dynamic as cycling and racing, how does one go about capturing the action and the speed associated with the sport?
Blur. BBBBBBBLLLLLLUUUUUURRRRRRR.
I jump at the chance to use a good amount of blurr. The action lives longer when the image streaks across the screen. When riders throw themselves into corners, charging through at 30 and 4o mph, the action is anything but still. Colors blend together, noise becomes a howl and the rush of the peloton mimics the summer wind.
Corners are the absolute best place to get this type of motion. The riders look as though they will careen straight through the lens. And their eye are locked into the turn, riveted to the tarmac just behind.
Another “can’t-do-without-it” is flash. Every time I’m snapping off images in the corners I’m also pounding the subject with flash. It helps to fill the dark shadows under the helmet and it also darkens the sky behind the rider. There is one other key element that the flash provides. Focus. Without the flash the entire image will be blurry and critical focus is lost. Most of the time I have the flash set on full power. This allows for a slow shutter of around 160 or even 125 and greatly effects the amount of blur.
The trickiest part of the shot is combining all of the elements to get exactly what you want. It is all in panning, framing, shooting and repeating….until you get an image you like.
Episode#6 – Greg Keller
When I first met Greg Keller, it was much of a “one-sided” meeting. Two years ago, I was shooting from the weeds (as I normally do) and from across the course I hear the most beautiful, most beatific line of connected profanity I have ever heard. I fancy myself somewhat of a connoisseur of the profane. This was music to my ears. Who ever it was, was singing these sounds high into the heavens. Come to find out, it was because over a FLAT TIRE. Precious! Greg and I met later that day. Today our paths frequently meet and overlap.
Mud and Cowbells (Greg’s blog that roughly focuses on cyclocross), has garnered a following of readers that is hard to beat. In it, he waxes philosophical on life, bikes and everything in-between. Recently I caught up with him at a Wednesday Worlds training session and, once again, saw the passion that he has for cross…he lives it and he loves to share it with everybody. I think that is the true greatness in Greg. His passion is contagious. And he spreads this crazed virus through resounding profanity, or quiet chat with other riders on training rides. Greg simply possesses an unbridled fervor for sport and for life that is, quite honestly, very refreshing.
- With what team do you ride? I am a proud rider and assist with managing the ‘orange and black’: Boulder Cycle Sport
- How long have you been racing? I raced my first cross in ’96 in some schoolyard somewhere in Northern New Jersey.
- How did you get started racing? I obsessed over BMX…or ‘dirt bikes’ as we called them as kids in the early 80’s. My parents dragged me around the East Coast to do NBL races. MTB’s were just a bigger version of that which I just ‘had’ to race on. As it relates to cylocross: I saw Tom Steels in some horribly muddy Paris Roubaix in the mid 90’s and saw at first he was wearing this visor on his helmet (I could relate as I’m a MTB’er and liked seeing that on a pro-roadie at the time). Then someone said, ‘…yeah and he’s riding a ‘cross bike.’ ‘A what,’ I said? And it all started from there.
- What is your all-time favorite race? Hmm. For me personally it was without hesitation in my voice the race I did in Bakel, The Netherlands a few years ago when I got to do some ‘cross racing in The Motherland. Flyovers, sand, tacky forest trails…it was glaringly apparent what type of riding Dugasts were made for.
- What is your strongest discipline? Barriers. Yeah, barriers.
- What part of bike racing do you absolutely loath Total knob-headed, fitness weenie, race organization complaining ego maniacs. Just f-ing race. Johan Brunyeel is not calling you any time soon to race for Radio Shack.
- 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? Ridley X-Night Cross Bikes. Ahrens Revolver 29’er (geared). Kelly Roshambo 29’er (1×1), Sycip roadie. I was all geeked up on my PowerTap a few years ago but all that has a thick layer of dust on it now. The greatest gizmo I use to train is my camera…to capture all the rad times my friends and I have while beating each other senseless on our epics. Favorite piece of equipment. My rubber: Dugasts.
- Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? What are they and how did they start? No superstitions other than I swear in my hypoxia I can still hear my dad (who never saw me race cross) yell at me in the woods ‘give ‘em hell.’ That motivates me.
- If money was absolutely no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? I think I have some RAD rides but if money were absolutely no object I’d have some scientist develop a set of clear carbon fiber tubes and clear carbon deep dish rims. Sort of like those metal drummers kits from the 80’s. That shit is hot.
- If you could race with any pro, from any time in history who would it be? Eric De Vlaeminck. Definitely Eric. 7 times cyclocross world champion. We’d probably get loaded first then go and jump over barriers. Then we’d get more loaded.
- 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. Without question it’s Quick Step during their training camp in Tuscany. Hopefully we’re in Lucca and riding the hills around Valgiano. We stop off at this little trattoria I know in the hills above Lucca and by gosh, we see the man himself, Cipo. Mario’s a local, you know. He and I hit it off, we blow off Boonen and the Quick Step Belgians kiddies and we cruise old town Lucca (queue in Resevior Dogs tunes). He takes me to his tailors, shows me how to dress and, you know, how to make nice talk with the ladies (of course I only apply this new skill to talk with my wife). We then cruise to his little bike shop close to town and get lessons from his mechanic on how to appropriately apply bar tape, finish up with a cappuccino and say goodbye. Yes, we have just had a man date.
- Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? ME!!! Honestly I’m racing myself out there and need to prove shit to me before I think about anyone else. That’s not rhetoric. No one else matters as it relates to my placings either in front of or behind of. I can ‘tell’ where wheels are in front of me but lap after lap I’m thinking ‘cleaner, faster, cleaner, faster.’ Sometimes no one is ahead, often there is. Seeing my bro on the podium get’s me as charged as when I can take one of the steps. Proving to myself I can do better is something I need to control. Other mopes can’t effect that.
Episode#5-Alison Powers
About two years ago, I met Alison while working at a local bike shop. At the time I had no idea she was such and incredible racer. What struck me was how kind and genuine she was. Well to tell you the truth, I was really taken by her awesome curly hair and her amazing smile…..who isn’t? I soon changed jobs, but kept in touch while she traveled the world exploring her racing career with various pro teams. She seemed to be everywhere and kicking butt all over Italy and France. Then in 2008 she became the National Time Trial Champion. Even with all of the wins and international travel she is still the same Alison. Every time I see her at a race, whether it is CX or road, she smiles and takes time to talk. So, here is one of the nicest and most successful cyclists the metro area.
1. With what team do you ride? Team Fuji for CX. Team Type 1 on the road.
2. How long have you been racing? 5 years on the road. This is my first real year of racing CX.
3. How did you get started racing? I missed being an athlete (I used to ski race until 2004).
4. What is your all-time favorite race? Good question! I don’t know. There are so many great races and, of course, it always depends on how you do at that race.
5. What is your strongest discipline? Time Trialing
6. What part of bike racing do you absolutely loathe? Road rash is a major bummer.
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 equiptment? This year, I used Orbea bikes. Ordu TT bike, Opal road bike and Occam mtn bike. For CX, I am using a Fuji Cross RC. I use an SRM when training and that is amazingly helpful. My favorite piece of equipement is my singlespeed CX bike. I love it!
8. Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? What are they and how did they start? No, I don’t have any spuerstitions.
9. If money was absolutely no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? I’d have a Cervelo TT bike painted blue (that’s my favorite color).
10. If you could race with any pro, from any time in history who would it be? No idea.
11. You are granted a riding session with one current (international) 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. I’d ride with Team Luna to learn some mtn bike and CX skills/secrets. Riding with the new team Radio Shack wouldn’t be bad either. Learn from Lance…
12. Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? Alison Dunlap. She’s an amazing bike rider, and a true inspiration to the sport. Plus, then I could talk smack to her.
Episode#4 – Eszter Horanyi
Eszter Horanyi, what can I say……..THIS GIRL FEELS NO PAIN. Any person that can win a 24 hour race is someone to reckoned with. Not to mention, she won it all alone! I was fortunate enough to meet Eszter a couple of weeks ago while on a shoot for an article posted on MTB Race News. We spent the morning around Marshal Mesa, just south of Boulder. The sun was coming up and it was just after our first snow storm, what an amazing time to be outside. Eszter rode up to the shoot and had grand plans of going home right away to study or do some work or something crazy like that, but….after we were done, she decided to pedal off for a ride. I don’t know too many people who compete in 24 hour races, let alone win 24 hour races, so it was quite a please to meet Eszter and chat with her about her training, riding and life.
1.With what team do you ride? Waltworks/Fuentes Design
2. How long have you been racing? 6 years total, 3 on a mountain bike.
Through the CU Cycling Team, I raced road for two years then switched over to mountain bikes.
3. What is your all-time favorite race? Gunnison Growler…no, Crested Butte Classic…no, Breck 100. I don’t know, I like them all.
4. What is your strongest discipline? Unfortunately, it seems that I’m pretty good at 24-hour racing.
5. What part of bike racing do you absolutely loathe? The logistics. Getting myself properly dressed with a functional bike to the start line.
6. Tell me about your bikes and gear. I ride a Waltworks steel 29er hardtail. The frame is made by a good friend in a Boulder garage and rides like a dream. American Classic helps me out with some of the lightest and strongest 29er wheels out there and Ergon hooked me up with some awesome grips, but everything else on there is pretty standard. Anytime I have anything fancy, I tend to break it.
7. Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? I have a pair of socks that I refuse to wear because I had a really bad race in them. Unfortunately, they’re really nice socks.
8. If money was no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? I’d pay Walt off to build me a Ti Waltworks hardtail. Then I’d pay him extra not to grumble about it.
9. I you could race with any pro, from any time in history, who would it be? I’m a total idol-worshiper bike racer. Alison Dunlap, Kelli Emmett, Katie Compton…oh wait, I could show up to any cross race in Colorado and get beat down by all of them.
11. You are granted a riding session with one current pro team. This session includes as many hours of riding as you like, lunch at any location and the ability to ride anwhere in the world. How do you fulfill this wish? I’d take the Waltworks Dream Team down to central Colorado. I’d get Dave Wiens to come out and show us around Hartmans Rocks in Gunnison early in the morning, get a late breakfast/lunch in Crested Butte at Izzys and then go out and ride Crested Butte trails with the Crested Butte crew. Then I’d eat dinner at either the Brick Oven or Secret Stash…or both, I’d probably be pretty hungry by that time.
We’d make fun of Walt the whole time and then he’d kick me off the team.
I really can’t think of any one else who I’d rather hang out with than the people I already ride with, and the riding in Colorado is pretty darn good.
11. Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? I train a lot with a Brit and a West Virginian. Like most boys, they talk nonstop smack both in the email exchanges setting up a ride and during. I’d like to drop their sorry asses.
Episode #2 – Susannah Gordon
One of the first people I met in the cycling world of Colorado is still one of my favorites. I bumped into (literally) Susannah Gordon 3 years ago at a coffee shop on Pennsylvania Street during the ColoBikeLaw beginning of the year mixer. At that time she was just one of the ladies in the mix. Now, fast-forward three years. She flat out rocks! In any race she is one of the ladies pushing hard, blasting through corners and blowing up legs on any climb. Let’s check in with the second rider of my cyclist blog adventures….Susannah Gordon.
- With what team do you ride? ColoBikeLaw.com
- How long have you been racing? 4 years
- How did you get started racing? I started with a church group just riding my bike, and found myself chasing people down on the road. I would say, “I can catch that person!”. The friends who got me started were all ex-pro’s and knew right away that I should start racing. They encouraged me to find a team…
- What is your all-time favorite race? 2008 Tour of the Gila. This was my first NRC level race and I placed 16th overall in the GC. It was a thrill for me to ride at that level and finish amongst the strongest ladies in the nation.
- What is your strongest discipline? Climbing is my strongest suit, but I have really been working on my TT skills in the last year.
- What part of bike racing do you absolutely loathe? I absolutely hate someone who sits on a wheel and refuses to work in a race. My theory is, get out and race your bike! I think you gain more respect from the peloton if your willing to work during a race and still have it in you to sprint for the finish.
- 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 was fortunate enough this year to have BMC sponsor me. I ride the BMC Pro machine with SRAM red components for my road bike with a sweet set of 2009 Zipp 303’s for the road and Reynolds ROM’s for uphill finishes. My TT bike is the BMC Time Machine with the 2009 SRAM red components. I have often told people that if I don’t well at the races, it’s not because I didn’t have the right equipment!! My SRM computer is probably my best friend and my worst enemy. I live my daily life of training using that cycling computer and I am so thankful to have it, yet sometimes I want to throw it as far out of reach as I can get it! Drives me crazy sometimes having all those numbers staring me down…especially when I’m having a bad workout.
- Do you have any superstitions about racing or any pre-race rituals? What are they and how did they start? No, no superstitions. I just have always believed that my talent was God given and staying humble and focused on the task at hand is what helps me win races. I always evaluate each race and the course and decided where it tactically suits me as a rider. Knowing your competition is also really important to race tactics, who is good at what and understanding how they will race.
- If money was absolutely no object, what bike would you ride and how would it be painted? I love my road bike (however, I could go for the lime green, black and white colors!). If I had my choice of TT bikes, I would own a Cervelo P-3. Ultra sweet ride!
- If you could race with any pro, from any time in history who would it be? Funny that you ask that question, the last 2 years, we have had the privilege of riding with the best ladies in the world. Jeannie Longo was living and racing in Colo. Until the 2008 Olympics, and used Colo. As her training ground. At Mt. Evan’s last year, I stood on the podium with her (which was very surreal), I was thinking- “What I am doing up here with Jeannie Longo!”. On the same note, this year at the 2009 Tour of the Gila, I rode along side of Kristin Armstrong and Alison Powers, our current Olympic and National TT champions. I thought to myself “what I am doing here!”. However, these ladies couldn’t be any more kind to the peloton…Great inspirations.
- 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. Funny that you ask this question. My coach just approached me the other day and asked about sending a few ladies over to Lucca, Italy next year with the Colavita Pro Team. We would use it as a training camp and an opportunity to train and ride in Italy. Spending a week with the Colavita team, riding daily and having great dinners and wine in Lucca is on my list of fun things to do next year! I am hoping for long rides that involve lost of climbing and gorgeous views! I would want to know all the low down of the domestic pro team riders, what their ambitions are and what they all have planned for next season.
- Who would you absolutely love to beat by the end of this year, and why? I have been lucky enough this season to have had success in every avenue of racing. I have won TT’s, Crits, Road Races and Hill climbs. I guess my best answer would be that when a domestic pro lady shows up to our races, not to be intimidated, but know that I have the skills and training to beat them. Have more confidence in my ability as a rider and know that I can be competitive even at the highest level!
MSC – Crested Butte
I had the great pleasure of spending the weekend with a great group of racers who completely dominated the Cat. 1 Women’s race on Saturday. The Yeti Beti Crew asked me to join them in Crested Butte for a weekend of Mountain States Cup racing. I was charged with getting images for their team site as well as pics for the sponsors.
We started the day with a team shoot. For the next 20 minutes, I was a little under the gun since their race was “scheduled” to start in 60 short minutes, and all of the girls still needed to warm up. We took about 20 images trying to work with the great flowers and the dark dramatic sky and then…they were off to race. While I broke down the lights (with the help of my assistant Jason) and got the extra gear back to the car, the skies opened up and began to pour on everyone.
For the next 3 hours the racers battled rain, slippery slopes, rocky downhills and greasy grueling climbs; all while I tried to catch as many shots as I could without drowning my gear. The weather made for very dramatic lighting and great images. The soggy hills also made for very treacherous racing and the Yeti Beti crew got slapped with a broken collar bone and some trail rash that required quite a few stitches.
Once we were all “back at the ranch” it was time to enjoy pizza, drinks and of course, the hot tub. Thanks ladies for allowing me take your team shots and be housemates for the weekend. Happy racing.
