Mountain Biking

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

: The smoke ceremony, a traditional welcoming to the land from the locals

: The smoke ceremony, a traditional welcoming to the land from the locals

: Teagan Molloy during seeding

: Remy Morton in his bright kit

: Remy Morton in his not so bright kit

: Troy Brosnan on his way to the win

: Pat Butler dominates having just moved up into Junior Men

: Jackson Frew heading for a 3rd place

Sep

2016

The Jetblack 12hr Mountain Bike Race

The final mountain bike race for the 2016 Rocky Trail Entertainment XC season was the Jetblack 12 hour. This year it was held at Mowbray farm MTB track near Picton in the southwest of Sydney. It was a couple of years since previously shooting my last XC race there. Though the course was basically the same, weather over the last month or so had altered the terrain around it.

The main change in the features around the course was the missing lake. Heavy rainfall of the previous weeks managed to wash away a dam, draining the lake in the middle of the course. Rain had left the track over-saturated. More rain overnight had also added to the puddles, making some sections of the track more like water crossings. Although the previous night had been another wet one, the new day dawned windy but otherwise the weather was great.

Terrain along the track varies quite a bit. It heads through open fields with some nice views across to the city, crosses and drifts along a small creek that was once the lake and heads off into a young pine forest. The wet weather had closed a couple of sections of the track making the course shorter. However, this just meant faster laps, bringing the riders back in front of our cameras more often.

At 10am a mass start sent mountain bikers racing off into the fields. The harsh light in the open fields below the start line meant shooting there was tricky. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before a few clouds came rolling in and softened up the light a bit. I followed the track in the same direction as the riders were headed, stopping when I came across shots that I liked. By mid afternoon I had made it probably halfway around the track. I realised the best locations to shoot the sunset would be in the fields and dams back near the start so I packed up my kit and headed back in that direction.

Nightfall saw me playing with my lights around the lakes and puddles. By using a mix of flashes and dragging the shutter to create long exposures I was able came up with some interesting effects. When water was added to the frame I threw reflections of the riders lights into the mix. I always have trouble balancing the riders lights with my flashes. The problem is, I end up losing portions of the bikes due to over-exposure caused by the riders lights. Exposing for the riders lights is tricky as no 2 riders seem to have lights of the same brightness. Practice makes perfect though and each time I am out there I seem to get a little bit better. The good thing about 12 hour and 24 hour races is that I get plenty of practice and plenty of chances to get it right.

Below are my picks for the race.

: DJ Nigel kept the tunes going all day

: Paul from Gloryfy doing his thing

: Owen and Craig from team BH

: The mass start

: Zigzagging across the bridges

: Single trails through the paddocks

: Claudia heading up the hill

: Recent rain meant big puddles.

: What was once a dam is now a creek

: Team Fizo crossing the creek……

: ….and along the riverbed

: Sunset at the farm

: The puddles seemed to grow as night fell

: A little bit of light can go a long way.

: The final laps into the night

Mar

2016

Superflow: Ourimbah

The first round of Rocky Trail Entertainment’s Superflow Gravity Enduro took off last weekend at Ourimbah. There was a great turnout for it with almost 200 riders in the pack.

I was up there under the guise of Outer Image again to getcompetitor shots for all involved. Gil was away for the weekend so in his absence I called in the talents of Jaime Black to give me a hand. Jamie settled in on the downhill track and I moved to cover the all-mountain trail. Having shot at Ourimbah so many times before I was wondering where I might find a new angle but there is always going to be a spot or angle out there. I soon found a nice rock section where people are jumping over and tested a couple of different angles on it until I found one I liked .

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: Collecting the numbers and practicing using the race tags

: Rider Briefing

: All sorts of Larrikens competing in the race. 🙂

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: The first round of the 2016 Superflow Enduro series took place at Ourimbah on the Central Coast

: Male Elite Podium

: Female Elite podium

Mar

2016

James Williamson Enduro

For the second year, I was invited down to the wonderful Wingello State forest to cover the James Williamson Enduro or the Willo as it’s more commonly known. I would have to say that this is one of my favourite races on my calendar. The forest scenery that they race through is truly magnificent and both years that I have been there a fog has blanketed the area adding to the atmosphere and ambience.

Being the First race in the National XCM series the race draws in some great riders from around the country but despite the competition, there is great camaraderie. The event is held in memory of James Williamson who did a lot to progress the sport. Proceeds raised at the event go towards the development of young riders. To find out more about the charity and James swing over to the James Williamson Enduro event website

After the event and after everyone else had seemed to leave I stuck around the forest for another night and explored the area. Despite the areas of pine forests being cleared by the Forestry Commission it is a stunningly beautiful area. It backs on to Morton National Park and the forest gets wilder as you get closer to the edges. Lyrebirds roam the forest floors and seem to spend most of the day singing away.