Comments on: Saturday at the Races – Cat’s Hill Crit 2009

By: Velodramatic

Velodramatic — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:32:08 +0000

Sure think Joakim,

sending you an email now

::M

By: Vinberg

Vinberg — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:35:02 +0000

Your photos are outstanding. Wonderful composition, and like you say, really bring the racing back into the capture. The photos look like speed and pain, rather than a little frozen. Truly outstanding–a lot for me to learn here about my own photography, and a ton to appreciate!

Our team is really interested in using a photo from your collection for our philanthropic drive this year–is there a way we can contact you about that (feel free to use my email).

Cheers–

Joakim

By: Dougie

Dougie — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:17:01 +0000

Your hard work at the computer sifting the wheat from the chaff has produced a great set from this race. Fine photography spaced with close interest for the cycling aficionado, brings the race to life in split second snatches if the action.
High praise for the hours of tireless shooting, and concentration on whats happening around you too, with the bird flying across and the spitting rider.
A job well done and shades of things to come in the future.

Dougie

By: Velodramatic

Velodramatic — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:27:07 +0000

The rollercross event was a nightmare to shoot because the stage with the riders went from subdued to full blast stage lights every time a race started. Exposures were all over the map and frankly what I got involved a bit of luck and predicting what the lighting guy would do next. As I recall I shot a good deal without flash using my 85mm f1.2 and 50mm 1.4 wide open.

Using high ISO and shooting wide open produced noisy files that conveyed some of the grit of the evening. It was Cross-inspired after all. When the floods blasted the stage all I could do was stop down or drop the ISO as fast as I could. After a few races I started to get a feel for the pattern.

The beauty of digital is you can make adjustments on the fly.

By: Veeral Patel

Veeral Patel — Tue, 05 May 2009 07:08:01 +0000

Thanks for your feedback. I had guessed you were using the high contrast preset but must have made some modifications. It was good to get your confirmation.

After looking at your work, I am finding my own color work to be rather boring. I didn’t realise the power of B&W till I really got engrossed in a few of your galleries especially the Rapha RollerCross. Especially the shots of the riders on the bikes. Couple of things remained a mystery to me was the lighting and the lens you used. Would it be possible for you to explain your lighting strategy ?

If I do work out my own B&W treatment in lightroom, I will call it the “Velodramatic B&W Treatment”

Thanks for the inspiration.
Veeral

By: Velodramatic

Velodramatic — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:38:32 +0000

MC, Gallery is now up. http://images.velodramatic.com/catshill09/roughs/ ::M

By: Velodramatic

Velodramatic — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:37:27 +0000

That was one sweet Specialized rig too.

By: Velodramatic

Velodramatic — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:36:24 +0000

Veeral,

The B&Ws are a high contrast treatment I’ve developed in Lightroom. It takes things out to the extreme and then I pull things back in a sequence of moves that have become very intuitive for me. Most club kits are festooned with sponsor logos and to my eye that detracts from the “racing” spirit I’m trying to capture. The B&W treatment helps bring the focus back to the riders and the struggle.

::M

By: MC

MC — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:47:24 +0000

You have a great eye. Sweet angles and perspective. Would you consider making some of those 350 available for viewing? I’m looking for some shots of the men’s 5.

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:42:18 +0000

Very nice photos. Thank you.