Sitting in the first corner, I try to get myself as small as possible (eternally a challenge) so that the cyclists don’t clip me as they race by.
Bike racing is always a challenging sport to shoot. It’s not like you can simply stand in front of the competitors and ask “hey can you hold that pose for just a second longer?” No way, most of the time these athletes scream by at mach 3, totally oblivious to the world. Their heart rates are through the roof and every thing goes black except for the person they are following. My job is to catch the essence of the moment. What is it like to slam your bike into a corner at 25 mph? How does it feel to be in “the drops” pedaling as fast as possible down an 8% grade on 1/2 inch tires wearing only lycra.
This night a good buddy of mine, Jerry Olson, and I ventured into the world of track cycling. We headed out of town for the bubble of Boulder in search of some fast paced track action. Half an hour later, we landed at the hub of all Boulder track racing. . . Boulder Indoor Cycling. On any given night, cyclists clip into the pedals to warp around this 142 m. oval. The 45˚ corners hold each racer in place and drop them into incredible angles that make great pictures.
On this particular eveningt a group of locals had gathered to train. Chris, Ingrid and Erika were great sports. They rocked some new Tiemeyer bikes and buzzed me every every chance they got. Each time I asked if they would “go again”, they were absolutely in. They hammered around the oval time after time so that I could get a couple of shots.
My favorite aspect of cycling is the speed. It doesn’t matter if it is uphill, downhill, on the flats or around a banked corner; I love the speed. And, I try to show this through my imagery. Motion blur is one way to show the great velocity that these athletes carry. Tonight crafting that “blur” was my goal.
It really isn’t very tough to shoot a static cycling shot. Modern digital cameras have an amazing ISO range and current lens technology can stop the fastest moving object. So tonight I was looking to combine the use of flash with a slower shutter to generate the feeling of the velodrome . Every 8-10 seconds a rider blew through my view, focussed on the black line. This focus and speed is hard to explain to someone who isn’t there at that instant. The wood against carbon wheels creates that muted thunder, and heightens the rush of the race. This isn’t a stagnant moment, it is intense as well as instantaneous. What better way to capture the feelings of rider and spectator than blur? Warp that image. Make it scream. Show the intense concentration, the sweat…the pain. Show the speed. Enjoy.