Events

Oct

2014

Redass Downhill, Round 4: Stromlo

The weekend gone saw Gil and I, under the guise of OuterImage, make the trip down to Canberra to cover the final round of the Redass State Downhill at Mount Stromlo Forest Park and put on by Rocky Trail Entertainment.

It’s the first time I have shot downhill racing at Stromlo. Gil and I started at the top then leapfrogged our way down. It can be hard to shoot at Stromlo as the light becomes quite harsh through the day and race day was no exception. Bright blue skies and a glaring sun kicked up some harsh shadows on the course. During times like this, you really need to pick the location well and let the rider ride through a sun patch or use flashes to lift them out of the shadows. The track was dry and dusty which can make for some great shots though as the dust gets thrown up and can really add a sense of movement to the shots.

There are some great features on the course including the Rock Garden, G20, Road Gap and Triple Treat. Unfortunately they also took a toll on the riders this time round. Perhaps as it was the final round the riders put that extra bit into the race and pushed themselves just a bit too far. The dust also can be rather treacherous for the riders taking away from the grip of the tyres.

All in all, it was a great finish to a great season. There are a few smaller races to coming but the next big one will be the Cannonball at Thredbo again. Hope to see you all there.

Aug

2014

Kathmandu Adventure Race: Glenbrook

The Kathmandu Adventure series is a multi-sports race that takes place in some of the most picturesque spots around Sydney and beyond. This year I was there to cover the event in the Blue Mountains National Park near Sydney as it took place in the Glenbrook section of the park. The event included rogaining, mountain biking, kayaking and trail running.

Jul

2014

Sydney Trail Series, Manly Dam

Had a bit of a fun play around yesterday shooting trail running at Manly Dam, a small dam nearby here. I wasn’t there on any official capacity more just to practice my trail running photography. It’s nice being able to shoot for myself sometimes. and not having to worry if I am getting all the necessary shots or shots of all the competitors. It let’s me try out a few ideas that have been running around my head and things that I normally don’t get to do if I am working a job.

The Sydney Trail Series is a great short to medium distance runs through some wonderful bush and scenery around Sydney. Gil and I shot the Kamay race for them previously which was held along the stunning coastline of Kamay National Park. Well worth checking out if you are into running. You can visit the Sydney Trail Series website here

Jul

2014

Gravity Enduro State Round, Kempsey

A new track is now officially on the mountain bike racing circuit, Kempsey. The State round of the Gravity Enduro was held up there a couple of weekends ago.

For those who haven’t heard before Gravity Enduro is a mix of downhill and enduro racing. Competitors will ride a technical downhill section but then have to pedal through an enduro section style of track. The bikes being ridden are also a mix of enduro and downhill styles.

This was the first time that the race had been run at the purposely built track and by all reports the track went down well among the competitors. With Gil away visiting family, I travelled up there by myself and set up camp at the nearby Hat Head National Park. This is a beautiful spot where i have camped before. There is a great spot to watch whales nearby and kangaroos in and around the campsite. I made the most of the trip and tried to capture a few landscapes there as well.

There were only a small number of competitors who made the trek up and with 2 tracks running it was difficult to get a shot of everyone. One thing that made the track really special from the photographer’s point of view was in the afternoon there was some seriously beautiful backlighting streaming in through the trees.

Jul

2014

Shimano GP: Round 3, Ourimbah

After a short break Rocky Trail Entertainment’s Shimano Gp is back. Last weekend saw the round 3 happening at Ourimbah State Forest on the central coast. Rain the day before kept the dust down but did not leave the track overly muddy.

A fine day as always at the wonderful Ourimbah track. The best thing from a photographer’s perspective about the Ourimbah track is the variation of locations to shoot at, from rainforest in the lower sections to eucalypt forests in the higher areas of the tracks. This year Gil and I focused our attention on the higher sections. There was areas up here that I had never even had the chance to visit during the years shooting here. Some of the trees in the top area are just stunning in the right light. Being not as thickly forested as the rainforest areas means it is also less strenuous on our flashes and some of the shots can be shot using the available light coming in through the trees.

If you are in the area and haven’t yet had the chance to enjoy these wonderful tracks I certainly recommend giving them a go.

Jun

2014

Vivid Festival 2014

Every year for a couple weeks at the end of April Sydney switches on the lights for the Vivid Festival. Various buildings around Circular Quay are lit up in a variety of fashions. There is also sculptures and artworks around the foreshore who’s principle design is based around light. It is a beautiful way to see the city, all lit up like this and it is very photogenic. It is rare to see so many photographers out and about at the same time in Sydney but everyone with a camera makes the trip down to the waterfront over the 2 weeks.

This year I somehow managed to avoid taking any photos of the Opera house though this is one of the main features of the festival. Not sure how I managed that but didn’t realised until I returned home after shooting. Oh well, there’s always next year.