Tag Archives: Canberra

Canberra for Capital Punishment !

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I was in Canberra on the weekend to witness the resounding positive vote for the return of capital punishment…… on a MTB.   What a great day for the riders as the early morning cloud cover kept the chill to a bearable temperature and the sun eventually burst thru to perfect blue skies.  Whether you completed the 50 or 100km event you would have been captured by the photographers working for Aurora Images as you jumped, banked or flew by in a blur.  The course as usual started in Kowan forest and made its way thru Sparrow Hill, Madura Pines then a short spin thru Canberra taking in a climb over Black Mtn to complete the adrenaline rush at Stromlo MTB park.

The following are a selection of images I shot over the varied terrain during the day.  Jump over to Aurora Images for all the images shot on the day.

Shooting images was so varied over this course from pine forest so thick that setting up camera shots 6am proved almost impossible to catching the super fast action of screaming down the perfect XC trails of Stromlo.  The winners for the 50k finish in approximately 1hr40 to the last 100km competitor taking 9hrs30.

I saw a few locals from the northern beaches out there competing, good to see such a variety of people mixing it up, proves that these events are not just for the elite riders and anyone can have a crack and get the enjoyment from completing these challenges rather than just winning.

The camera gear was put thru some work even though the weather conditions were perfect.  Dry conditions cause alot of dust which can cause havoc with sensors and front lens elements.  A good quality blower never is too far away on these days.  The flashes were put to the test as well as usual, nothing melted or dead thankfully but more and more batteries always seem to be needed.

To the organizers at AROC, great job, the event ran without a hitch and I know your team were out there even longer than us.  I’m sure the efforts all paid off and I personally want to thank you for the 2x huge bags of fruit buns and 4x large bunches of bananas they didn’t last long but were the best I have tasted in a while.  :)

Thx

Gil.


The Mont 24 – 2012

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The Mont 24 - 2012

The Mont 24 - 2012

On Saturday at 12pm another running of The Mont kicked off at the Kow.  Fortune shined down upon all who attended as the sun was out and the course was dry and fast.  Numbers were reported to be 4000 strong and as usual it felt like it with the continuous train of riders not stopping from the first rider on lap 1 to the sweepers on Sunday afternoon.  I was shooting the event for Aurora Images with a group of 7 other photogs and images will number 70,000 strong with us all shooting away. Check out the Aurora Images website for the official images to purchase.

The Mont 24 - 2012

The Mont 24 - 2012

This event has such a variety of track terrain, there is countless perspectives and locations to capture.  The dark pine forest, the big sweeping corners, the fast fire-roads and the majestic white gum trees all make for great shots.  Even the competitors make it alot easier as plenty dress up for their moment of glory and fun to the fast racers cranking out the hot lap trying to beat a personal best or a mate.

The Mont 24 - 2012

The Mont 24 - 2012

This year I tried shooting some night shots trying to capture the racing in a more complete coverage.  Just because it gets dark doesn’t mean that we need to turn off the cameras as racers put on there battery charged lights and head out.  Placement of flashes so not to blind riders upon approach but also to provide enough fill flash is always a fine balance.  Then finding that interesting background object to light up and provide some interest requires pre-dark reccy’ to locate as doing so once dark is impossible.

The Mont 24 - 2012

The Mont 24 - 2012

Some unnexpected issues with trigger devices in new gear proved testing, but once corrected provided alot more shooting options than just your standard one-camera one-flash scenario.

The Mont 24 - 2012

The Mont 24 - 2012

To the Paul and Allen and all the rest of the organizers, volunteers and anyone else involved great work, great event and look forward to shooting again next year.

Gil.


Inspirational Surprises

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Outer Edge

Outer Edge Magazine

As a regular practice I like to visit to a local newsagent and survey what types of work is being achieved by photographers with similar interests.  Usually this means grabbing one of the “outdoor lifestyle” or “adventure racing” style of magazines and seeing what images are being used for commercial use and what event images are popular.  All in all, this practice is used to inspire me with new ideas and how I can try and come up with a new look or perspective on capturing the same action but in a different way.

With great surprise, I picked up the latest edition of Outer Edge magazine and as I flipped the pages I spotted some imagery that looked familiar.  As mentioned before, I have been working for Aurora Images at events over the last four months and was very excited to see some images from the Mont 24 MTB race which was held in Canberra on April 9th and 10th.

I am, as some of you know, an ex-cyclist who use to road race.  Now I admit, I was a virgin to such a spectacle these events offer as the article confesses.  24-hour MTB racing is huge in Australia now and popular from the like of the pros to your weekend warriors justing wanting to get out for the weekend.  Just the sheer numbers prove it, 2856 competitors alone at this event.

So  if you, like me, want some inspiration pickup a copy of Outer Edge and flip to page 58 and sit back in your favourite chair and look over the selection of images that shows just how much fun can be had whether it be hammering a muddy corner perfectly, raising your arms as race leader, or weaving thru the trees at last light with only a helmet light to guide you.

Happy Reading :)