I know I said top ten on my blog but I am a rubbish editor at times and so here's 12 of my fave shots from last weekend's World Cup downhill and 4X cross race from a very midge-ridden Fort William (as you will see). I also shot a bit of film for relaxation which can be found here
Fixed Ideas?
Fixed wheels bicycles or 'fixies' are used by the terminally hip not just to negotiate the city streets but to perform stunts and even play polo upon. I sat in a coffee bar in London's east City and watched out of the window as they passed by in their droves, all mixed in with the original users of track-style bikes, the despatch riders. That sparked this personal project idea. This is what we got on the first day. More to come and then I will migrate them to a new layout for all eternity!
Houffing it in Belgium
In the Ardennes for the Mountain Bike World Cup. The sun shone, the riding was good and the racing even better. Grimbergens,Duvels and Jupliers flowed. I had sore legs but it was well worth it. Check out a quick edit of the Gig and Gigs worth I captured over the weekend. The full feature will appear in the next edition of MBR but if you want to see a little extra take a look at scribbler Andy Waterman's VIDEO shot on my D90. Pretty good considering I was too tight to lend him anything more than a 50mm f1.4.... hasta luego muchachos!
My Kinda Review!
Mate mate mate mate mate mate mate. Thems are some frikkin pictures. I'm all over them captain,
stirling work.
John Hogan
Features Editor
Two Wheels Only
Gent Wevelgem 71
Belgium. Wednesday, April 8. Driving like a lunatic around the flat fields of Flanders, peering from my right hand drive car out along the road so I can overtake a tractor or a lorry or a bloody caravan, and not miss the first photo spot. I missed it. F**K! The field was split by the wind and flying. The photo points I had painstakingly mapped out the night before were kicked into touch and I hoofed it to the Kemmelberg.
Good job I did. The place was rammed. Packed to the gills. Luckily a shop keeper let me park on her drive and I had a couple of mile trudge up to the cobbled section of the climb.
Staked my place amongst the cycling mentalists and waited. Move and lose your spot,simple as that. You have to get up very early in the morning to bag the choice positions. Above is what it looks like and below the race winner Edvald Boasson Hagen making his move. As Duffers would say Chapeau!
Trek World Racing Team 2009
Trek has given me the green light to show a few of the images I shot for them of the new World Racing team complete in their spangly new uniforms. I hinted over on my blog that I had been up to something a bit special and whilst I can show the portraits I am still not able to show any of the new bikes. Trek has told me in no uncertain terms that it has a custom carbon framed guillotine for these very occasions and that my head won't be the first to roll. Gulp! The shoot was high pressure because of time constraints and the various other places the riders had to be. The downhillers were testing suspension and racing in the first round of the Maxxis Cup in Gouveia, Portugal. The XC racers also had bike set up duties. Still, for once the sun shone on the location and we could work easily. Both Tracey Moseley and Andrew Neethling have already made the podium in Maxxis Cup rounds and the Fluckiger brothers claiming a result in the arduous Cape Epic. Will TWR dominate the scene? We'll have to wait and see.....
New Lowe Pro Brochure hits the mat....
I love it when the FedEx man comes because it always means something good. FedEx don't deliver tax bills or purvey bad news. At least not to me. They bring trinkets and shiny bobbins all wrapped up in a nice purple and orange box! This time the man brought the new Lowe Pro 2009/2010 brochure samples that include yours truly. Like I said somewhere else, I am one of only two Brits to be sponsored by LP and it feels gooood to fly the flag! When I opened the brochure and looked at the other photographers, I nearly choked on my bacon sarnie. I am on the same pages as such luminaries as Mary Ellen Mark and Steve McCurry. If I was prone to saying it, I would say Oh My God! But we all know how annoying that is so I won't. Still, it is an honour which ever way I look at it. I shall endeavour not to have too many arguments with baggage handlers in my position as a Lowe Pro ambassador!
Warhead's in the Clict photo annual!
Yep, bless those Aussie boys for having me onboard. The Clict Photo Annual is a luxurious hardback editon of the magazine and features beaucoup/mucho/plenty of fantastic photos from some of the World's best bike photographers. And me. Published by Freewheel Media down under, the book is also available as a softcover item although I don't know where it can be bought and only have this address if you fancy one for your shelves/toilet/caravan/layby browsing:
Oh, and did I mention it is a limited edition piece of work? And that it costs $29.95 Aussie dollars? Well, there you have it. Nice.
Focus and new jackets for my PWs!
Well that's it for another year. I did my bit by talking on the Daymen stand and later for BJP on its stand at The Hub. I was surprised when I arrived at the NEC because the number of people descending on the halls made me think it must be the first day and not the last. Inside it was its usual bustling self. And I did my usual thing of wandering around not really looking at much in particular. Still, I didn't need to because Angus from JohnsonsPhotopia accosted me and dragged me off to his stand where he plied me with free sweeties and thrust these handy little units into my sweaty palm. He's a very nice man.
Made in the USA by Hildozone, these little plastic thingamajiggies are actually cozy little coats for Pocket Wizard transmitter and receiver units. So no more bent aerials. Wooohooo! The units, called strangely enough 'Jackets' have a cunning little loop in the end where the aerial is slotted and the threaded base of the PW fits into a corresponding slot on the Jacket base. Nifty! So no more of this kind of storage for me...enough of the 'what's in your sandwiches?' jokes!
But there's more. Hildozone also make the 'Caddy' which screws into the tripod thread of the PW (that's it at the bottom of the first image) and uses an elastic loop and hook system that can be attached to light stands, tripod legs, small snakes suffering rigor mortis etc. Sorted! Put the two items together and you have a full plastic jacket for your PWs. No sign of such stuff for the new PWs, but they have pre-empted such embarrassing moments as a droopy aerial by incorporating a fold down version. It's all good.
IT'S SHOWTIME!!
I must be doing something right (or someone's been taken ill) because Lowe Pro and the British Journal of Photography have asked me to talk on their respective stands at Focus this year. So, if you happen to be in the neighbourhood of the Birmingham NEC on Wednesday 25th February, I will be discussing my work as an editorial photographer. The Lowe Pro stand is B10 and my slot is 12.30pm, and the BJP are situated in The Hub where I will be appearing at 2pm. Hope to see you there.
Wet and wild in deepest Oxfordshire
Two Wheels Only (TWO) magazine has a strange take on shooting it's clothing pages. And it's one I love! Instead of photographing waterproof oversuits on a guy riding a motorbike why not stick them on a top flight jetskiier and let him test them underwater? So that's why 14-year-old Jack Moule found himself togged up in the latest gear and being asked to 'do a sub' one more time. Give him his due, because in December the water was absolutely ice cream headache temperature. The fact that I got Jack to do it all was probably because his loving mum was on hand to tell him to do what the 'nice man' wanted! Bonus! And here are the page layouts hot from the art director's sweaty palms. The issue is on the stands right now.
Isle of Mull, Scottish Cyclocross finals. Not far then!
A nine hour drive up to Andy Macca's place and then straight into his camper and off through the December murk to Oban for the last ferry over to Mull. Even the promise of classic Calmac food was not enough from keeping me from crashing out on the upper deck benches for some well-deserved shut eye. A lot of Belgian beer, whisky and Nicaraguan rum (??!!) was sunk in the pub and later in the hostel and some - well one- never made it to the start line! Epic scenery, hospitable locals and a landowner prepared to let some crazy crossers ride around in the grounds of his castle, made for a fantastic end to the year event. Click on the image or here to see the pics and even some moving moments courtesy of my new Nikon D90...
November, busy, (cold) busy,(wet) busy....
2008 International Aperture Awards
It always nice to do well in competitions, but when I got an e-mail from the International Aperture Awards to say that two of my images had made the top ten overall my stoke meter went off the scale! My images, one from southern France and one from the Three Peaks Cyclocross race had made sixth and eighth overall in a very strong field. It not only fired me up to shoot more but to enter more comps! And why not?! There's some great images on show. Take a look around the IAA site.
Ian Drake Interview
I ground to a halt in another M1 tailback and tried to remain calm. Not easy when you know your next coffee fix is still 40 miles away. Oh, and you are going to be late for a shoot and this time of year the light doesn't wait for anyone. Squeezing through the single lane filter, a floored it up to the Peaks to shoot British Cycling's Ian Drake on a ride in his local hills along with some portraits at a cafe stop in Crich ( land locked but with its own lighthouse!). Luck was with me this time and the forecast sleet never materialised. A dusting of snow was in the fields and a low winter sun shone its milky light onto my subjects. Perfect!
Stay on the paths....
It was like a scene from American Werewolf in London. Me and Andy from MBR were shooting a ride feature about England's highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn on the spine of the Pennines at 2,000ft. It was dark and freezing cold when we finished the night shots and when we went into the pub the landlady claimed to be full and to have no record of our booking. And it got more mad. Clearly she had lived a solitary existence for far too long, not only gracing our company with barrages of expletives but entertaining a chicken and a flock of sheep in the bar! I kid you not , the photos don't lie. The local ale is called Ewe Juice. So thanks Tracy for a good night in and a great curry delivered from god knows where..... cluck, cluck.
Snow place like home (I know, rubbish wasn't it?)
I love shooting the clothing for TWO magazine. They aren't your usual 'here's-a-jacket-sit-on-that-bike-and-look moody' type of pages. Oh no. This time we took the bike gear, put it on some snowboarders and let them loose inside the Tamworth Snowdome. The bike boys had been at their Christmas shindig at the NEC Bike Show the night before and that cold air was working wonders at clearing their fuzzy minds. I tipped up in silly fashion trainers and got minor frostbite. Don't need any more toes amputated thanks! It was a top laugh....
Fuel and flatlands
Ride needed an action photog to shoot a head to head bike test up in the windswept wilds of East Anglia (That's not a diss,(pun intended) I come from there!). I took the gig and prayed for good weather. It was colder than a witch's tit and the roads were wet in the morning which meant no knee down action, but by middady things head brightened and we got bagged some images. Problem was the batteries on both the KTM Superduke and the Triumph Triple were flat and each time the riders stopped or stalled it was necessary for me to tow them up to 40mph to turnover the engines! A new kind of bump starting to me, and one that needed arms, and nerves, of steel on their part and a smooth clutch foot on mine! After I shot the statics in a Tesco car park I then had to tow the Duke right across to get it started. You think car parks are big until you have a fence looming at 40mph! Luckily experience (on the rider's part) paid out and he got home OK........
Canon 50D advertorial
PhotoPro magazine called to ask if I could do an advertorial on the new Canon 50D camera for their January issue. Yes I said, of course, bring it on. Into the woods with my brother in tow and we made a few nice images. Being a natural Nikon user I had to re-adjust some of my thought processes, often doing everything in reverse, but it all ended well and both Canon and Photo Pro were well pleased with the outcome. It's on the shelves v.v.soon. Probably now by the time you've trawled through all this.....
I just shot James Bond
You know how it is, the phone rings and it's a magazine art editor on the other end. "Geoff, we need you to shoot James Bond. Now, This afternoon." OK, erm, but Daniel Craig is well hard. He isn't going to be afraid of a couple of cameras. "No it's his stand in for the motorcycle stunts on Quantum of Solace. It's alright he's a big softy". OK, the pucker factor had receded a little. But only a little. "He's working at a leisure centre north of Southend". Talk about thrown in at the deep end. I was to shoot former Grand Prix motocross racer Rob Herring in a leisure centre in the middle of nowhere. Short notice, no props, no light as such and get it back to the mag later that day. Just the usual then. Luckily Rob is a great guy who gave me time to scope the venue for a half decent angle. I chose the five-a-side pitch because I knew I could do something with the chainlink fence and it was out of the way so we could get on with the job. I even asked for permission first. I know, gnarly huh? Considering the circumstances it worked out OK and I got call from the mag - TWO, or Two Wheels Only - the following day to say how pleased they were. Which is always nice.
Three Peaks proper
The complete edit and slideshow from the world's toughest cyclocross race. Relive the pain and enjoy! Look out for the published photo story in the January issue of Cycling Plus
Rouleur Photo Annual 2008
Yep, it's that time again. Coinciding with the London Bike Show, Rouleur has published this year's photo annual full of delectable images and some scribbling from the best writers in the game. I can't say what the other photogs are bringing to the table but I know I have sections from the Etape du Tour, the Three Days of De Panne and the Tour of Belgium. I'm excited about the book since last year's innaugural annual was a great success and ran to at least two editions.
The annual will be on sale at the bike show on the Rapha stand (E16b) and in the retail zone. But if you can't wait (they sell like hot cakes honest) take a look here. As well as the annual you can view some of my images in the photo exhibition around the show. I am shooting in France on the Press day but will make it down to Earls Court for the Sunday. Looking forward to it too!
Representin' the UK!
I am really chuffed to tell The Whole World that Lowe Pro has signed me up to endorse its line of camera carrying luggage! This means I will be sporting a different bag every shoot dependent on the colour of my shoes. Nah, gedoutta here, just joshing. It actually means I get a profile in the International Lowe Pro brochure, and most importantly, a chance to throw in my views on camera protection and transport to the designers at the Lowe Pro HQ. Stoked! I have used Lowe packs for many years so it is nice to get on board. Oh, and the image? That's my Photo Trekker AWII complete with the insignia you get when you become a Red Bull shooter. A bit like getting your spurs but more useful. Being the only UK photog selected by Lowe Pro is a big deal to me so forgive my little horn toot....
In case you are wondering, I use the bag above, the new Flipside 400AW, a Vertex 300 when I want to cart a full load, a Toploader 75 and a Rover AW to stow my kit. And one of those bags will be in effect this weekend as I trudge up the fells of north England to cover the classic Three Peaks Cyclo Cross race. This is a real epic covering 38 miles with 5000ft of total climbing. Factor in the weather and the riders will take anywhere between 3 - 6 hours to come home. And all of them deserve a medal in my book. Good luck! Now where did Iput my waterproof socks........
L'Etape du Tour: ride for heroes
Why for heroes? Because not only was it 169km and over two huge climbs (they failed to mention to two fairly lumpy hills before the Tourmalet), the weather was wet and very cold. I felt for those people at the top of the Hautacam; they looked shot through on the descent down to food and a warm blanket. But a medal and a memory makes it all worthwhile and I know a lot will be back next year. Well done to each and every one that finished. You are hardcore!
