Getting together shoots without a lot of agency/client guidance can be a total nightmare or it can be a liberating, fun deal. Nothing in between really. Yesterday morning’s shoot got delayed several times but luckily when we finally got around to it the weather was perfect and the model great. Wanted to keep it really simple (out of necessity and aesthetics, both) and the sweet morning light was just bathing us in soft, pretty atmosphere. Got a cool trip coming up next week, more as the moment approaches.

Going through the sculling photos I realized how pretty rowing pictures can be, I’d sort of forgotten about that. As much as shooting rowing all the time can wear you out, it is truly the most photogenic sport I’ve ever shot. Speaking of that, shot the D2R2 randonee in Western Mass on Saturday. Shooting was decent but the course was awesome, I’ll be back next year but on a bike. Like 80% dirt roads, some super-steep climbs, and lovely surroundings. Never seen the randonee scene and it’s entertainingly different from racing - think beards, massive saddlebags, and supremely cool retro steel frames. Pretty cool to be exposed to a whole alternative bike culture that loves bike as much, if not more, than leg-shaving racers. Let the poppers pop and the breakers break.

So when Sheldon called and asked if I could try something different for our annual brochure shoot I said I’m more than up for it. I’ve shot a ton of rowing, in fact it’s what got me into shooting in the first place, but not much recently and never with supplemental lighting. The challenge was to shoot a sculler on the water and give it a real pop by shooting with the same strobe set-up I use for mountain biking. The issues promised to be many - water, moving boats, swinging oars, to name a few - but it seemed like a fun thing to at least attempt. The shooting was not without its frustrations, not being able to keep the  strobe launches from drfiting biggest among them, but I was pretty pleased with how this looks. Given half a day to do the same thing we could really nail, perhaps someday.

Little vacation to my old hometown down on the Cape, very nice to be back at the beach. Did a great shoot down in Boston the week before, really, really good. And now sorting out some extremely cool projects in the next 8 weeks. It’s no secret I’ve been doing a bit of work for these fellas and here’s one from a project we did earlier in the summer. I rarely shoot 35mm film and after this project I think I’ve decided it’s not for me any more. I shot almost equal number of 35mm and 67 and much preferred the medium format work. Strange. I can smell CX in the air so I’ve started unearthing the gear (especially the wheels/tires) and am anxiously awaiting what will be the coolest CX bike in North America. Yes.

So I remember what I was going to talk about yesterday. Road grading. Getting on the dirt roads around here is a big part of stringing together rides. And it’s usually no problem, but about once a year you hit a road right after, or while, it’s been re-graded. Pretty much turns a nice hard dirt road into a shifty, soft, sketchy nervy ride. And you’re lucky to get off the dirt without flatting. Interesting observation, eh? Took my CX bikes out of the rafters yesterday to start fixing them up. Not too early for that is it? Shot this at Eastern China Normal University in Shanghai.

I had something interesting to talk about but I forget what it was. So I guess just check out this shot from China, one of my favorites from the trip. Shot at Ocean University in Qingdao. A closed lunchroom on campus, the colors were great. I’ll let you know if I remember, but it seems unlikely.

Yes, I do still shoot bike racing, just not nearly as much as I used to (mostly a conscious decision.) But when I do I try to make it cuont. Certainly shooting Adam C winning NORBA mountain bike nationals at Mt Snow was worth it. AC was going so fast on the downhills, just visibly much faster than any other rider. The challenge turned out to be the course change, which eliminated the first section of technical riding in the woods. That section was where I liked shooting because it was so close to the base area. When you’re carrying over 100 lbs of camera/lighting stuff by yourself climbing halfway up a ski mountain is zero fun and that’s exactly what I was forced to do this year. But I did find the right spot and set up the full lighting system. Another photographer, who shoots a ton of racing, came by and asked if my set-up wasn’t “overkill.” I conceded that it was but that I’d not found a way to make images look like I wanted otherwise. He snickered. I still think it’s worth it but it may explain why I shoot racing sparingly.

Last summer was all about getting on planes and flying all over creation, this summer has been more about getting in the car. Seriously, I’ve had countless 2+ drives all over New England the past 8 weeks which I guess is better than flying (no airports.) This shot is from the West 4th St Playground in NYC, part of that project I’ve been gestating. Oh, raced the Mt Snow NORBA champs on Friday. I flatted while riding in 4th place, right behind 2nd and 3rd. I know, KNOW, I had it in me to finish 2nd, it was that kind of day. Finished after fixing the flat, but 12th ain’t the podium. Guess I need to get on the tubeless tip. I’m going to the circus today, seriously.

Went to Mallorca, Spain last week for a shoot and found out first hand why all the pro teams go there for winter training: it is crazy ideal for road riding. Perfect roads, perfect weather, great food. And it’s not even that bad a trip from the East Coast. So I’m back for a bit, with some day trips here and there, including one this week down to Gotham - first time a couple years - and I’m going to try to squeeze in a personal project I’ve been lining up for a couple years. It’s all about waiting, waiting, waiting and then finally getting it done when the opportunity presents itself.

So I told Sparky to watch out for a potentially nasty waterbar on the trail. “Lift up your front end and slow down a bit or you’ll take a trip over the bars.” Turns out he didn’t know what a waterbar was and wasn’t about to ask. The X-ray reveals the result. I’m getting a bad rep, it’s the second time in less than a year that I’ve taken a friend mountain biking (same trail) and they’ve ended up in the ER with a broken bone. Work has been steady on with way too much driving time (28 hrs of driving in the past 8 days), but next Tuesday I get on the plane for the sweet trip. Shooting for 6 days in Mallorca. Good group of people and, well, it’s Mallorca.