Events

Jun

2017

True Grit 2017

A couple of weekend ago I went and covered perhaps the toughest race that I have covered to date, True Grit. True Grit is a military inspired obstacle race held over a 10km or so track. What makes it so tough though is that there is also a smaller True Grit run in conjunction which is a punishing 24hr obstacle race and is also the Australian Titles. It was the 24hr part that I came to cover.

Heavy rain preceded the event and was forecast to continue over the weekend. I got out onto course just after the main race from day 1 finished up. I started out with the closest obstacles, a rope crossing and a 10ft wall climb. On the wall climb team work or help from strangers went a long way to getting up and over. A last gasp from the weather and the rain hammered down for an hour or so. Thankfully the Canon gear is pretty well waterproof throw on an OP Tech rain sleeve and an umbrella in between competitors goes along way to keeping the gear dry.

One section was called the muddy mile but due to the rain was more like a mile walking through a river. The muddy mile finished with having to duck under some barbed wire however around 3 in the morning the wire duck had to be closed off due to the river rising and covering the barbed wire.

I got so wrapped up in shooting that my night went way longer than expected. I grabbed an hour and a half sleep but think that I shot for around 20 out of the 24hr race. Its events like this that I love. Night shooting always adds an extra dimension and there is just so much variety in things going on to shoot

If you think this is up your alley you can check out all the details and get involved with the event when it next comes around over at the True Grit website here. They also run the standard True Grit in other cities around Australia.

: Get your balance on point for the creek crossing

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: If you failed or dodged an obstalce the its 10 burpees as payment

: Up and over the A Frame Cargo

: Getting down and dirty at the True Grit 24hr obstacle racing

: Drying out and warming the bones for the next lap

: Heavy rain at The Wall

: Heading back to the event centre

: Along the Muddy Mile

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: The obstacles don’t get any easier as the race goes on

: A bit of night time bouldering

: Night time adds an extra dimension for lighting

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: Across the finish line and out for another lap

: At least with the rope climb you were out of the mud and water for a moment.

: Morning mist adds to the atmosphere

: Over the water on the Tyrolean Traverse

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: 16hrs in and still smiling

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

: Barb wire kept them low on the Tyre Crawl

: True Grit and the 2017 24hr obstacle racing Aussie Trails

: Taking the win yet again Lachlan Dansie

: True Grit and the 2017 Aussie Titles for 24hr obstacle racing

Jun

2017

A Right Royal Adventure Race

Last weekend saw 2 days of adventure racing through the Royal National Park in Sydney’s South East. The event sports a variety of disciplines that sees athletes mountain biking, trail running, orienteering and kayaking through some of the parks fabulous scenery.

This was round 3 of Paddy Pallin‘s Adventure Series. The first one for the series was Cam’s Wharf near Newcastle then it went up to Queensland for round 2 and later in the year the 4th and final round will be in Glenbrook in the lower Blue Mountains.

Both days started off chilly down by the edge of the Hacking river but as the sun broke through things warmed up a bit. Sunday was a fantastic day for racing and being out and about. Saturday remained a bit cloudy but was fantastic light for photography with the clouds creating a one big soft box effect.

Here’s a few highlights from the race below.

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

: Maximum Adventure’s Paddy Pallin Adventure Race at the Royal National Park, 2017

Mar

2017

The Willo Enduro ’17

Last weekend I was down at Wingello State forest in the Southern Highlands for the annual Willo Enduro. The Willo is one of my favourite races to shoot simply because it is held on such a beautiful track. There are certain sections on the track that are just a photographer’s dream.

The weather for the Willo is typically a blanket of grey cloudy with a slight drizzle in the air. While that may not sound too tempting for most people, it is great for shooting in the deep dark forests that the race is held in. It drops the contrast right down so instead of having dark shade with super bright patches of light you get a wonderful even and soft light everywhere.

I went down to Nyes Creek crossing, a beautiful section of rainforest and ferns. I had shot there my first year and knew it to be a stunning section. Overnight rain had left the track slick and muddy and had more than a few riders sliding around in the damper sections. There is a section of tight switchbacks leading out of Nyes Creek. I thought this would make a great shot as riders snaked their way up in a line. As I was sitting, waiting for the first riders I realised that the switchbacks would probably be too challenging for most riders given how tight they are and how slick the track is. Since I was shooting for competitors rather than editorial, I quickly grabbed together all my gear and ran further down to where the majority of the riders would still be on there bikes. Not too many people appreciate shots of themselves pushing their bike uphill. Thankfully, around Nyes Creek, there is so many shots to be had and I was able set up again and still have a few moments before the first riders came.

This was my first year covering the event for competitors though I have shot it over previous years for an editorial basis. Normally I have had to move around a lot more but since it as competitors and only a 3 lap race I basically stayed put. Luckily since it is such a beautiful section there is an abundance of shots and angles. It was nice to be able to tinker with my lighting and try to get a shot exactly how I envisioned it. There was a break after the first lap so I moved 50m’s up hill and then another 10m’s further for my 3rd shot. I’m sure in that 60m I could have found moore shots too.

After the race I headed up to Bundanoon and spent the night in Morton National park. I awoke to the sound of a young lyrebird outside my car learning to sing. There was steady rain but in between the clouds there was a little bit of magic in the valley below as the forest came to life. Cockatoos, black cockatoos lyrebirds and beautiful scenery.

If you want to see the complete gallery of photos and grab your images from the day they can be found here on our website.

If you have an event that you would like covered swing on over to Outer Image and touch base with us so we can work out how best to suit your needs

: Warning, Warning

: The Willo Enduro, Wingello State Forest, 2017

: The Willo Enduro, Wingello State Forest, 2017

: Charlotte Culver heads down to Nyes Creek Crossing during the Willo.

: Brendan Johnston on his way to the win in the Willo Enduro

: The Willo Enduro, Wingello State Forest, 2017

: Going down at the Willo Enduro

: The Willo Enduro, Wingello State Forest, 2017

: The Willo Enduro, Wingello State Forest, 2017

: One of the forests denizens

: Sunset at Morton National Park

: A young Lyrebird stretching his vocal chords

: Clouds of the Morton National Park

: Cockatoos in Morton National Park

: Clouds of the Morton National Park

: A black cockatoo in the clouds of Morton National Park

: I’ve got that feeling that I’m being watched

Feb

2017

Jetblack 24hr MTB

Last weekend saw the 2017 running of the Jetblack 24hr MTB race. This year the race was held at Awaba on the NSW Central Coast.

A crack in my radiator saw me running late to the event and missing the start which was a shame as there is always great shots to be had of the pack leaving the gate. In one way though, it was kind of a blessing as, for the first time, I was in the start area for the running of the kids race. I’m are normally out on track by this time and miss shooting it every time.

Once out on track the warm day saw thunderstorms building and it wasn’t long before they rolled on in. I stayed out through the rain well protected in my rain gear and dry under an umbrella but when the bolts of lightning started to get close I returned back to the car for a quick break and sit the rest of the storm out.

Night fell and I kept it close to the camp and start area. There is plenty to shoot in close vicinity. I found a nice little bridge and started dragging my shutter to get the nice long light trails and used a combination of flashes to capture the rider as they went past.

I snuck in a couple of hours sleep and set off again in the morning. After a short walk out I found myself in an area completely new to me. The rainforest here was nice and dark with a few patches of sunlight in which to trap the riders. I know there is still another section further out that I haven’t had the chance to visit yet but that will have to wait till the next time.

24hrs are tough races. They are physically and mentally exhausting for the riders but also to a degree for us. They do offer some fantastic opportunities to get shots that you wouldn’t normally be able to get during a usual days race, the night shots and the golden light of morning and sunsets (we missed this due to the heavy cloud cover this time). Because of all the variations 24hr races are among my favourite to cover.

If you have an event that you would like covered swing on over to Outer Image and touch base with us so we can work out how best to suit your needs

: The up and coming stars

: Starting out early

: Claudia Fiess knocking out laps in the rain

: Nightfall and the riding continues

: Jemma Burtonwood, the women’s elite winner of the Jetblack 24hr MTB

: Dragging out the shutter on the bridge

: Morning dawns grey

: Jetblack 24hr MTB

: Jetblack 24hr MTB

: Deep and dark rainforest

: Final turns

: Male Elite podium

: Female Elite podium

Feb

2017

Killingworth Enduro, 2017

We are back out on track with the first race of the season. A couple of weekends ago saw the first round of the 2017 Fox / Camelbak Superflow mtb enduro put on by Rocky Trail Entertainment at Killingworth. It was a bit of a scorcher again with temperatures pushing into the high 30’s.

Gil and I swapped tracks this year with Gil on the Fox trail and myself on the Camelbak. A new jump had recently been put in on the Camelbak trail so I made my way up to there and settled in. Although it wasn’t a huge jump but it offered the option of being able to just roll over it which meant I got shots of the majority of the riders. When there is an A and B line option then unfortunately I will miss quite a lot of riders. Thankfully, I found a nice spot in the shade from where to shoot the jump from.

After everyone’s first run I swapped over to the bottom of the Fox track to get everyone’s second run on there. I found a nice little corner that was super dusty and backlit so the dust really lit up well.

If you have an event that you would like covered swing on over to Outer Image and touch base with us so we can work out how best to suit your needs

: Pre-race brief

: A shot of energy at the Killingworth Enduro, 2017

: Its all about the timing

: Practice runs

: Charging with mates

: Heading up for the main event

: Airtime

: Back lit dust

: Charging into the corners

: Starting them young

Jan

2017

Downhill Nationals, Awaba

The weekend saw the first of the Downhill Nationals rounds for 2017. Since it was at Awaba (which is not that far away from me) and I figured I needed to get my eye in again after the christmas period I headed up for a couple of days shooting. The plan was more to just play around and try some new things than do any serious shooting. I missed the Friday practice due to other commitments but after hearing that the temperatures hit a toasty 45C I was quite happy I missed it.

Despite having shot at Awaba on numerous occasions it was the first time that I had ever shot a downhill race there and the first time I did a complete track walk-through. I love shooting new tracks because all the angles are new and fresh. It’s also good because when I need to shoot here again I know where to go to get the good shots.

Events like this where I am not committed to give me a chance to try different techniques. I played a bit with panning and blurred shots this time too. It’s not something I get to do too often as I usually need to see numbers to identify the competitor in the photo.

You can see the full selection and purchase your favourite images here on my website. Just put your number into the search box at the top or click the view all tags button beneath the search box and find your number that way.

If you have an event that you would like covered swing on over to Outer Image and touch base with us so we can work out how best to suit your needs