Sports

The latest news from Sydney-based photographer Richard McGibbon as he travels up and down the East coast of Australia covering athletes on adventures and high-action sports events and races.

28
Jan
2017
Graeme Mudd: Downhill MTB

Graeme Mudd: Downhill MTB

Last weekend I went up to Awaba and shot with the Australian downhill rider Graeme Mudd. Graeme has just joined the Atherton Race Team, who make up the Trek Factory downhill race team, and he needed a portfolio update. As part of Graeme’s inclusion into the Atherton Racing Team he has picked up a whole bunch of new sponsors and new kit so the images were to include as much of the new kit and logos in the shots as possible.

Part of the reason I went to Awaba a couple of weeks ago for the Nationals was to scout a few locations for this shoot. If you look through both galleries you will certainly see some matching locations. The great thing was we had cloudy weather on both days which kept the light nice and even through the shots. The red and white kit stands out great against the greens and browns of the surrounding landscape. 

If you are in need of getting a portfolio update like Graeme or if you would just like a collection of great shots of you in action drop me a note and lets work out what best suits you and your needs.

Posted by Richard in Bikes, Portraits, Sports
16
Jan
2017
Downhill Nationals, Awaba

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

Posted by Richard in Bikes, Events, What's going on, 0 comments
11
Dec
2016
Superflow Enduro Championships

Superflow Enduro Championships

This year saw the first Superflow Enduro Championships. They were held at Ourimbah MTB track on the Central Coast of NSW. Unfortuneatle it came up against the opening weekend of Thredbo MTB trails which is always a favourite with the MTB crew. That said it was still a respectable turnout

Ourimbah is an old favourite and it seems that it is still no problem to find new shots and angles there. We have shot the downhill, and the xc series there over the last 4 years or so and the Enduro series incorporates a little bit of both. It was a great day for shooting as the sun kept itself hidden away behind the clouds for most of the day. This means that we can use flashes work a lot less and we can control the light to a much greater degree.

There was a couple of new faces on the podium at the end of the day. It was great to see Harrison Dobrowolski step up into the male elites and finish up second for the day. You can check out a bit more of this talented young gun here.

Below are a few of my images from the day.

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

Posted by Richard in Bikes, Events
03
Dec
2016
B24, Base in Bright

B24, Base in Bright

Once again the Thule B24 has rolled around put on by Base in Bright down at the beautiful little Victorian town of Bright. Nestled in the Victorian Alps Bright is set up for the biker with trails running everywhere to suit all levels of skill.

The threat of rain kept the numbers lower than expected but considering the forecast the turnout was great and certainly not a the small race it was when it kicked off 4 years ago. The weekend started out at the Bright Brewery with a track stand contest and a few beers while metres away people were casting flies into the water to chase the trout.

Saturday lunch saw the race get underway. First out were the solo racers then followed 15 mins later by the esprit d’ corps category. I shot a bit along the river then headed out to the new section of track called Tombstone. By all reports this super-flowy section went down a treat and everyone who came down were all smiles. Basically though, all the track was new as the course had been reversed this year to accommodated taking in Tombstone.

Early Sunday morning around 1am, I had just about dozed off in the back of my car when the sky lit up and the heavens opened with a bang as a thunderstorm rolled in. I felt pity for those still slogging it through the night. Some pretty torrential rain fell over night but by morning it had eased back a bit. A constant rain fell through the sunday at times becoming heavy again. I was rather helpless as first my lenses started to mist and then I saw moisture forming inside the camera itself. Not much to do but keep shooting anyway.

By the end of the races those who were still out on track came back plastered with mud but still the smiles would not leave them. I have long wanted to shoot a few portraits after a muddy race like that and I got more than my fair share of mud-encrusted faces after the race finished up

Sam Moffitt took the win with his first 24hr victory and Courtney Henry took the win in the female solo category with her 3rd ever mtb race.

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

Posted by Richard in Bikes, Events
03
Dec
2016
The Urban Adventure

The Urban Adventure

One of the more unique events on my calendar with Outer Image is Paddy Pallin’s Urban Adventure Race. It is an adventure race that takes place through the heart of Sydney. Competitors race around the CBD and surrounding suburbs doing various events and challenges. collecting points.

The events and challenges that I shot were only a small part of it. They included indoor climbing at Sydney University, slot car racing where competitors had to complete 3 laps of a circuit in under 25 seconds, frisbee golf at Centenial Park, a short sack race, dance lessons where it was all about the style and even price check shopping in the Paddy Pallin store in the city. A little bit of something for everyone.

The race attracts all types of people from some serious racers out for a day of fun to families with small children taking on their first adventure race. It’s definitely one to keep an eye out for next year especially if you would like to dip your toes into the world of adventure racing.

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

Posted by Richard in Adventure Racing, Events
01
Dec
2016
Harrison Dobrowolski: Enduro MTB

Harrison Dobrowolski: Enduro MTB

I went up to the Blue Mountains and met up with Harrison Dobrowolski, one of the young guns on the Australian Enduro circuit. Harrison has been ripping it up on the tracks and walking away with the goods in the races. This last year he took out the Under 17’s Superflow Enduro series winning it outright. More recently, he stepped it up with his first foray into the Elite category for the Superflow Enduro Championships at Ourimbah and finished up on the podium again. Definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming years.

I met Harrison at his place in Katoomba and he showed me around one of his favourite trails in the  mountains, No Friends near Mt Victoria. It’s a great flowy little trail with some really cool features. It would be quite a challenging trail in the wet as it runs down a small waterfall and along a steep slope under a prominent rock-band.

If you are an athlete looking to pump up your profile or portfolio, or you represent a company or brand looking to promote your athlete, get in contact and we can work out how to get the best images to support you.. 

Posted by Richard in Bikes, Portraits, Sports