2007 W@W race #1 gallery up.

OK. I've gone through my shots from the race on 06/20/07, dumped the really *really* bad ones, and put everything else up online at my pbase gallery. Check 'em out.

If you want copies of the pbase-sized images, you're free to right-click and save-as. Free for blog/web/email whatever non-commercial use you want. If you want full sized digital ($10) or prints ($25 including shipping), shoot me an email and we'll work out the details. Any full sized digital or print will be far better quality than the small shots on pbase. Those shots were bulk-resized, and not tweaked at all. I'll take good care of the full-sized shots.

Here's a shot I spent some time on this afternoon. I took the shot of Camp from my earlier post and cloned out the other rider (sorry buddy). It came out pretty well (IMNSHO). Photoshop skills are coming along. Slowly.



Here's one more. This is the "oh shit" moment when the guy from my last post looks down and sees the ginormous gash in his leg. He's OK. He posted on the MORE forum that the gash was 5"x1"x1", and I believe it. It took 30 stitches to put him back together. 15 *under* the skin (effing OUCH!) and 15 *in* the skin.



I realize now that had I been a more seasoned photojournalist, I would have kept snapping detail shots of him and his injury with one hand, while dialing 911 with the other. Damn it. I guess these things come with experience.

Some people...

This guy just can't keep his friggin' tires on the ground!


W@W race, 2007
See what I mean?


WW@W race, 2006

The first photo would be so much better if that poor second rider didn't look like he was about to run face-first into Camp's ass.

Anyway. I shot the first Wednesday at Wakefield race last night. Well, most of it. Halfway through the first race, a guy (rider #707) crashes in front of me. Not badly. Just a bobble/fall/hop off the bike kinda crash. When he goes to hop back on his bike, he notices the 4-5" gash on the back of his right calf. That thing had to be 1/2" deep or more. Thankfully, I only saw it for a brief second. But it was bad. The guy says something like "Shit, that's a big hole", hops off his bike, pulls his shirt off and ties it around the gash. I tell some passing racers that we need a medic out here (back side of the power-lines, maybe a 1/2 mile from the start/finish line). I grab my cell phone, punch in 911, and look up to see dood jogging/limping/hopping down the trail towards civilization. I say something like "Er, that might not be the best way to do things" just before 911 picks up and I give them the scoop. They ask "Is he having trouble breathing?", I say "I dunno, he just took off jogging down the trail, so I guess not". When he jogged off, he left his bike, so I decide to walk it back for him. I have an 10-second-long internal debate about whether I should walk it back now, or at the end of the race, after my shooting is complete. I decide now, in case he has somebody with him who can take it. By the time I get back to the start/finish area, he's long gone in the ambulance. I leave the bike with the race organizers (it was too small for me anyway) and head back out into the field just as the second race is starting. I shoot all of that race, but have to contend with fading daylight.

So, the photos should be resized and posted tonight (not that anybody actually reads this blog (yet)). I'll post in the usual forums/blogs once they're up.

Sticking with the Creative Commons-esque give-something-back-to-the-community vibe, I'm going to give away digital copies of the small shots free for (non-commercial) blog/web/email use.

However, it must be said that "Beer ain't free". So if people want full size, printable digital images, it's gonna cost them $10. If they want 8x12" photo prints, it'll be $25. Contact me via email (gmr2048 at yahoo dot com) and we'll arrange things.

Quiet around here

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, but that will soon change. The Wednesdays at Wakefield race series is starting up next week. The full schedule is:

Race #1 - June 20
Race #2 - June 27
Race #3 - July 11
Race #4 - July 18

Make-up dates (in the event of bad weather) are scheduled for July and Aug. I'll be outta town for the race on the 27th, so let's all do a little rain-dance for that one and try to get it pushed back, shall we? Ok, thanks. Much obliged.

Also on the horizon is the Cranky Monkey race series. Starting the season off this year is a new "12 Hours of Cranky Monkey" on June 24th. Unfortunately I'll be outta town for that one too (keep on rain-dancin'!). The rest of the series kicks off in late July and goes on into August:

Race #1 - July 29 - Wakefield Park - Annandale, VA
Race #2 - August 5 - Wakefield Park - Annandale, VA
Race #3 - August 19 - Fountainhead Regional Park- Fairfax Station, VA
Race #4 - August 26 - Quantico Marine Corps Base - Quantico, VA

I'm still short my preferred lens. I called Sigma a couple of days back and they claim the repaired lens will be shipped out early next week. I'll be holding my breath. If I have to, I'll rent a similar length lens for a race or two, but I'd rather keep my $35 in my pocket and use the lens I already own. Or maybe use the money to rent a nice fish-eye, or ultra-wide lens and get some new and exciting angles.

Hopefully I'll see you on the trail. If you do see me, pull some sick moves, so I can get some interesting photos of you and use you as a resume filler, k? Thanks again. You're too good to me.