Taking only photographs – leaving only footprints
Reading events listings on the internet, I came across Living Room 2012. A 10-day public art event, with free performances in Auckland. One of these performances was a group of BMX riders. I was sceptical at first, especially after seeing a single ramp. However, the sun was in the right place and the riders had some great tricks.
Capturing motocross riders on camera is tricky, because you want them perfectly sharp but also need to try to convey movement (this is true for all motor sport photography). Here at the Extreme Enduro motocross event it was my first try at a decent two wheeled motor sport event and I learnt a lot. This riders eyes are perfectly sharp, but due to the high shutter speed it almost looks as though he is stood still. The shadow over his eyes nearly completely obscures the fact he is looking directly into my camera. Maybe next time I need to experiment more with flash and a circular polarising filter.
The biggest challenge with motocross photography and motorbikes in general is capturing the faces of the riders when they are all wearing full face helmets and the majority have their eyes covered. However, if you’re patient, their visor eventually gets so covered in mud that they have to move it off their faces. This is a Talon Eng KTM 250 ridden by Karl Langford from Somerset. It is one of the dozen or so really sharp images I captured at this event, but for my first time at shooting this sport, I am more than happy with that.
After deciding I wanted to do more motorsport photography I started looking around the internet for local motorsport events, in particular motorcross and motorbike races, something I had never photographed before this past weekend. Above is my most successful capture from The Tough One, an Extreme Enduro motorcross race at Back Cowm Quarry in Rochdale. Here we see the Clubman Class race in the morning. In the foreground is bike 38, a Gas Gas 300 riden by David Dudley from Ramsbottom. Behind him in the background is bike 52, a KTM 150 ridden by Harry Eccles, also from Ramsbottom. It was a massive challenge to get anything I was happy with in these wet and overcast conditions. Still I was happy I had gone and will hopefully make it to more motorcross events over the coming months.