Tour Down Under 2010

Today, Dene and I headed into the city for the final day of the Tour Down Under for 2010. This was the first time I had attended the event and the first time I had shot any form of sporting event. The verdict? I loved it. Shooting sport is obviously different to other forms of photography, as you don’t have any control over the participants. They are zooming by, and that’s that. You can’t say: “Um, excuse Mr. Lance Armstrong, would you mind pedalling a little closer to me on your next pass, and try and take a sip from your water bottle as you do so… That would be great! Thanks mate.” No, thats not possible. At weddings, I am able to direct the party (mostly), and have them sit, or stand, or talk or do whatever I need. Of course there are moments when I am just letting things go, and I try and capture the unique moments when they are not posing, but still, I know what to expect from a wedding.

The weather was very hot today, and for these guys to average a speed close to 50kms an hour, after a week of torturous riding, is testament to their supreme fitness. I was actually unprepared for the speed in which they were flying by. In fact, I was puffed just walking around the track all day and lifting my camera to my eye actually became difficult. Damn, I really have to get fit.

I have posted a small selection of the images I captured today. I am fairly happy with them, however next time, I will definitely play with the shutter speed to be a little more creative. I really would like to have the background and the wheels blur to give the sense of motion, instead of the freeze-framing I have done with these shots.

I often slow the shutter down when I am tracking cars, and I like the effects I get, but with the cyclists today, I just wanted to practice getting a clear, focused, well framed shot. I look forward to next years event!