A new break through.....

It has been a while since I updated my blog. If I haven't said it before, I said it again. Shooting the Prospect Park races aren't for the uninitiated. Early morning with little light and the worst ambient lighting you can possibility have. If you aren't up in your game and to understand your photography craft from inside out and backward, you are simply capturing garbage shots. I feel that I have a new break through in capturing these early morning races. I always feel that if any photographers can produce great shots shooting our Prospect Park morning races, they can shoot any bike races in the world....:) These morning races really push your photography equipments to their limits, and some more too.

Not much going lately.....

There are about 3 major races left this season, Kissena Championship race, Mengoni Grand Prix, and Pete Senia Memorial race. Very disappointed about the cancellation of the Nancy Morgenstern Memorial Race at Bear Mountain. Thinking that it would be a great opportunity to learn about the logistic issues involved in covering a longer circuit race. In a longer circuit race, you don't get a lot of opportunity to get the shots. At the same time, you have to get back to the finish for the finishing shot.

The end of the season...

This is it...the end of the season. It has been great photographing the races. Made many friends and captured many good racing moments. Of course, I always continue to strive for better photos, better compositions, and better techniques to actualize my vision in order to produce quality shots.

There are couple of races I want to cover before the end of this season. The Nancy Morgenstern race on 9/11 (may not cover all the fields since that would require a whole day shooting)....maybe one of the CRCA club races in Central Park...and the last race of the Tuesday Night Race at FBF.

Well, I really want to race couple of races too. I have to renew my cat 4 license. What isn't cool with it is that my renewal would only last until the end of this year. How does this be a renewal if it does not last for 12 months. Yeah, thumbs up for USCF. If I want to race again for 2012, I have to renew it again after Dec 1. Man, I really want to do couple of races though....

After the race......

It has been a very busy weekend for me. 2 major back to back local races. The Lou Maltese Memorial Race in Central Park was different. I have my complaints. Usually the early hours and early morning light. That makes photographing action sports extremely difficult. The whole park was under shades of trees. This is called for high ISO. The park also repaved the road with some very dark asphalt. That further makes the color cast more colder. Overall, there were a lot of work in the editing, in order to make the shots to look good and colorful. Looking forward to shoot the Central Park race more often, with only a month or so left in the season.

The Tour so far...

The Tour is underway for a week now. So far, too many crashes. In the past, we normally witness one or two big crashes. This year, we seem to be witnessing a lot of minor crashes. Many of the Tour favorites have been abandoned. Yesterday's stage is a bit crazy too. Top GC contenders crashed out at the front when the Omega-Lotto was driving the descend at an incredible pace to catch the Thomas Voeckler group. Then, a French TV media car knocked down 2 of the breakaway riders because the driver was trying to avoid hitting the tree. He could stop. No, he decided to veer to his right and pass the breakaway group. I have been watching the Tour for the past 6 years, I have never read and saw things like that to happen.

Looking forward to this coming Sunday race, Lou Maltese Memorial, in Central Park. I think I should shoot there more often. The race there does not get enough coverage. The loop is twice the length as the Prospect Park and so I need to sort out a new shooting strategy. I would probably need to wake up at 4am and out the door before 5am. And to get to the park by 6am. :)

Another interesting weekend....doping..

Ok, one of our local elite racers tested positive for doping. Bike racing in our local level....I don't believe you need to dope to make it big. I mean, if you need to dope in our local level to make it, you won't make it racing with the big boy NRC or UCI races. The sad thing is that the whole community is talking about it.

How was the shoots? Floyd Bennett Field has always been a nightmare. With the high noon sun, by the time at the finish, it is extremely difficult to create good photos. I will take an overcast sky any time. The Prospect Park race was fine. I was able to capture the shots that I needed. No fog in the morning.

I am going to take a week break from the shooting the race. I feel that I need some time off to feel refreshed and inspired.

Harlem crit...

It was a busy weekend. The Saturday Lucarelli & Castaldi Cup race was a warm up to the more bigger and longer day on Sunday. Great weather but was a bit too sunny for myself as well as photographing the race. A lot of patchy bright/shades on the course tend to throw off the light meter. It was a 6 hours shoot. Had some sort of Belgian waffle with pork and BBQ source. It was OK. Glad I made the decision not to bring my 500L. Not sure I could carry an additional 9lb lens on me for 6 hours. My long focal length was sufficient enough for the job. However, I certainly didn't want to be the photog shooting the finish too close while riders sprinting at 45 mph+.