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.
