Some gear restructuring...

So, I found out that the Empire State Olympic game has been canceled all together. There would be no qualifiers in NYC. Is a shame. Apparently, NYS is too broke to sponsor it. The game isn't attractive enough to lure more corporate sponsors. Looks like a slow month of June in NYC. I have some times to restructure my gear. The Sigma lens isn't working too well as I expected. Auto focusing is too slow for races. Just working out some gear replacements before late June. The next big race is the Harlem Skyscraper Criterium. I need to workout some logistic issue to shoot this race. I may actually need to bring out my BIG GUN, 500L, for this. How do I get around the race course carrying a 8lb lens?? I may not need to if I will have the gear that I need.

Shooting Race for the Wine and Tour de Parc...

It was certainly a somewhat crazy weekend for me. Shooting both races and get the shots processed and uploaded in time. Well, I survived. On one hand, with the Race for the Wine, I was shooting with a bright sunny day. Most of the times, I was shooting with a backlit sky and somewhat with the sun facing me. It got so bad that my finishing shots for the cat 4 and 5 were barely usable. Years of bird photography taught me how to deal with such situation during the shots and in post processing.

For the Tour de Parc, it was cloudy for the entire day. It was a long coverage for me, from 9am to 3pm. You know I am a flash person. However, my high voltage external batter for my 580ex II was running low on juice after 1k shots. I knew it would happen and I have couple of spare AA batteries. Obviously, it was not as good as my high voltage battery pack since it can't keep up with my 1dmark III burst speed.

Another challenge is how to effectively shoot and cull shots from a criterium. You have riders doing the same turn maybe 10 to 20 times. They don't look or ride any different than the 5th lap to the 10th lap. I took a lot of shots that day but I was only be able to use few in order to avoid repetitions.

I have some doubts about my new Sigma 70-200 OS lens. It does the job but I wish it could auto focus faster. Maybe more sharper at wide open. The weather wasn't that great on Sunday. Maybe I am demanding too much from my gear. Looks like in the month of June, the NYC racing calendar is somewhat slow. The next big race is the FBF time trial. I actually think about signing up.

Back to back races this weekend.

On Sat, we have the Race for the Wine at Floyd Bennett Field, early morning. It should have some good turnouts. The weather seems to be cooperating. Hopefully, there is a blue sky so that I won't have to deal with the white/gray overcast sky. On Sunday, we have the Tour de Parc in Long Island. It would be my first time shooting that race. Just looked up Google map, the finish has a long stretch of road. Maybe I could use my Canon 500L for the first time. I normally use it for bird photography. With this lens, I could capture some of the dead head-on shots of the peleton speeding down the stretch, without worrying about the safety issue. Of course, having the potential to capture some of the most awesome finishing shots too. With that lens, it would like I was on a motor bike, next to the rider, during the finish.

I just ordered the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 HSM OS. A new mid range telephoto lens. It should increase my keeper ratio over my Canon 70-200L F4 no IS.

Covering the Prospect Park races....

The past Saturday's Lucarelli and Castaldi Cup race was really fun to shoot.  The Pro 123 field was on fire.  According to the race officials, they were clocking under 7 minutes per lap.  What?  29 mph averaging over 13 laps.  Team Somerville Bike Shop really set the race on fire from the beginning.  No breaks lasted more than 30sec ahead before being pulled back into the field.  That led to some very exciting finishing sprints:
http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cyclings/LucarelliCuprace5-14/17052665_Qn22cZ#1291216178_Z6JN6d6

http://www.oneimagingphotography.com/Cyclings/Lucarellicastaldicat4/17062616_LnzkdB#1292189809_tdgtxhp

Shooting at the park has its own challenges too.  The race is usually early in the morning.  You don't get enough decent light until near the end of the race.  Most of the times, you are pushing your camera gear to the limits.  The park has a very scenic feel to it but also creates its own exposure issues.  Various shadowy patches cast by the trees can cause exposure problems with the camera.  In one moment, you are capturing a rider under the morning sun.  In another moment, you are capturing the rider underneath columns of trees.  Without light, there is no photography.  That's why I am a firm believer of flash photography.  As a rider, we like to bury ourselves and faces onto of the handlebar.  How do you get the light to the faces of the riders?  Really looking forward to cover the NY Empire State Olympic Game Qualifier in middle of June.  50+ miles over 15 laps.  1 field.  All categories.

Shooting the Tuesday Night Race at Floyd Benett Field.

Although the course is pretty much an abandoned airfield, it posted various challenges to cover the race.  Whatever you shoot, you have the sky as the background.  The background, by far, isn't all that interesting.  There are several areas in the course that can easily give the illusion that the race isn't held in NYC.  Panning shots are easier given that there are various long stretch of roads and very open.  The late evening light can post another problem too.  Typically, you have about 45 minutes of good twilight.  After that, be prepared to shoot with little ambient light.  Shooting at high ISO is in order.  Flash is pretty much mandatory.  Light come first.  Subject second.  Without light, there is no photography.

Really would like to cover this Sunday's Bear Mountain race.  Unfortunately, the race course changed so much since I last raced on it, that many riders didn't like it.  Worst, now, only 1 field can race on the revised course at one time.  For all the fields, it would take a good 7 to 8 hours coverage.  However, I will definitely shoot this Saturday race in Prospect Park.     

Before photography, cycling and racing are my passion...is in the blood.

I would like to thank the fellow NYC racers to continue to purchase my race photos.  It has always been an exciting day for me to shoot the bike races.  I do wish to continue to cover the NYC local races as much as possible.  What's the point of enduring an hour to 2 of suffering in the race without anyone documenting it?  Why must your suffering to go unnoticed?  I guess this is what is called the romance of cycling and racing.  Spending 3 to 5 hours in the saddle suffering in silence.  The only redeeming grace is either from your own victory and glory of winning the race.  Or just to have made it to the finish line in one piece.  Those hours in the saddle you have many things going on in your mind.  You begin to ask the big, philosophical questions about life in general.  This is what attracted me to cycling and racing in the first place.  Suffering, pain, agony, victory, glory, and redemption all played out in a cycling race.  Now, I want to document these experiences in the local NYC racing scene.  When I was racing back then, no one was documenting my suffering.