"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Iowa City Crit

No, i didn't race it. I actually didn't know i'd be in town for it.

At any rate, let me know if you were out there today by any chance. In between other obligations i was able to take some photos of the cat 4 race and will be going back out there for the Cat 3, pro/1/2 (sorry ladies)

I'll post some regardless but just in case i have something of you and didn't post it, let me know if you were there, what race, what you were wearing...

This was my first bike race i've photographed, i'm fairly happy despite a very low shot:keeper ratio

These are mostly the pro/1/2 race and a couple cat 3. I haven't gone through the 4's but they were my worst shots as it was the first...

I may post a few more later if i get around to it. The pro-race was working towards a great finish with the top 3 pulling 40 seconds ahead of the pack and together going into the final stretch. Unfortunately, for some reason, this year the start/finish was a lot more narrow than in years past and they had a "heads-up" rule for the sprint. Furthermore, the guy who won had it sealed meters before the line. So, photographically, it wasn't too exciting.

1.) Some dude
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/2447433476_345efd4153.jpg

2.) This is on the second lap, the start/finish is at the top of the hill (to give you an idea). I'm not sure what he was thinking. It was a 20 lap race on a course that was .8 long and on halfway in the 1st lap he tried to venture off on his little own self. He got 7th (and an 'award' for being the "most aggressive")
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3190/2447433394_0b4b0fb225.jpg

I got a few neat shots today by utilizing a remote and a mini-tripod.

3.)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2447432672_0e77ecbf0f.jpg



4.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2357/2446607851_b08972b933.jpg

5.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2266/2447432462_da76222114.jpg


6.)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2447433240_df3fbbd009.jpg

7.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/2447433140_ff8c9934fc.jpg

8.)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2447432558_98a7f2baf3.jpg

9.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/2446607007_37ab9350e7.jpg

10.)
Making a move (for 4th...) to start the final lap
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2400/2447432058_e1c25c3fed.jpg?

I meant to post this one too, i kinda liked it
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2087/2447433052_c36fe9d09c.jpg

#6 is a keeper. Great shot.

Thanks. I'm not very keen on the framing. When i got my last job at the last paper i worked at i had access to just about any piece of gear i would need, so when i ran into some money shortages the lenses were the first to go.

That leaves me currently with a 28mm and a 70-200. I really think a 50mm would have made these panning shots a little easier to frame. Alas, work with what ya got and make the best of it...

If the dude in the orange vest wasn't in #7 it would be my strongest i think.

I think the framing is fine. I am a firm believer in no rules are written in stone. I think that shot works just fine as is. I would not like the shot as much if it were more centered.

It's not so much the "centering" (in fact when i have motion shots like that i much prefer to leave an open space in the direction they are going), it's that i can't see the road. I think it's a more dynamic photos when you can see the rubber on the road...

Thanks for the shots - a few teammates and I were there doing the cat 3 race - looks like you got one of em in #7 (yellow bike). Any more?

I totally saw you taking the pics with the mini tripod at the corner on the pentacrest. I'd actually forgotten about the race as well, I saw it was going on after just as I left the library after spending the last 8 hours writing a semester paper and just caught the tail end of the 3's and the Pro 1/2.

Thanks for the shots - a few teammates and I were there doing the cat 3 race - looks like you got one of em in #7 (yellow bike). Any more?

I actually have a few of them chatting on their bike pre-race. I'm sure i have some more during the race, i'll take a look.

Dem were some sexy bikes BTW...

I like #9. Crop it to frame it a bit better and I think it would definitely be a keeper.

I like #9. Crop it to frame it a bit better and I think it would definitely be a keeper.

The trick is being able to crop it as ideally as possible while maintaining a somewhat normal aspect ratio. When you are dealing with newspaper & magazine print the "rules" are a lot more flexible but i tend to present my photos on the web as if they were prints. Unfortunately for that shot it just wasn't framed right in the camera and as such their aint a whole lot you can do about it.

Those are some great pictures. I can almost hear the chains whirring and the gears clicking....

The corner shots with the tripod are outstanding.

Thanks. I certainly had to get close...if you're aren't close enough to be scared you aren't close enough :). I would have rather not used the tripod and instead been looking through the lens, but i suspect there would be a few people fairly mad about that...and a carbon fiber sole to the head wouldn't have felt very good.

For those concerned, i made sure to anchor the camera strap to my foot in the event that the camera wanted to fall into the road.

Taking these photos made me much more excited about racing...the date approaches.

Timmyquest do you have any more pictures of the Great Dane riders, the ones in orange/blue during the 1/2's race?

I'll look for both of you guys tonight, i'm gonna go for a ride right now in fact but i should have some time afterwards.

Dem were some sexy bikes BTW...[/quote]

Thanks!

time is running out for tonight...humm

not bad timmy, not bad at all.

#6 is a keeper. Great shot.

+ 1 2 3 4 5 7 8...
Yep, I like 6 the best.

Thanks for the shots - a few teammates and I were there doing the cat 3 race - looks like you got one of em in #7 (yellow bike). Any more?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3063/2453319377_88eb852e3a.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2085/2453319333_74761a06d4.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2395/2454146108_fc61bb2960.jpg?v=0



Timmyquest do you have any more pictures of the Great Dane riders, the ones in orange/blue during the 1/2's race?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2019/2454146058_231fd9dffe.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/2453319117_8ae5f9c1f8.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/2454145932_da5c083c09.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/2454145902_839e97294c.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3144/2453318879_994b8b94ff.jpg?v=0

Thanks man. The shots are so great I can even tell Frank(Great Dane white helmet) is wearing his armwarmers on the wrong side.

very nice

Thanks man. The shots are so great I can even tell Frank(Great Dane white helmet) is wearing his armwarmers on the wrong side.

About time he got some new socks to go over his shoes. ;)

I was expecting flies to start landing on them at GD #2 before the start. Is that the natural color, or were they just stained from riding in the rain?

Thanks again! These are very nice pics - probably the best ones of us this year and we had a pro shooting us a race we did at an auto track earlier this year. (you got me in the 3rd from the top)

Thanks again! These are very nice pics - probably the best ones of us this year and we had a pro shooting us a race we did at an auto track earlier this year. (you got me in the 3rd from the top)

Meh, everyone is a pro once money is exchanged...

Check your PM

Just ran into this guy walking is flatted bike down the road. I recognized the kit long down the road because its sponsored by one of the two LBS's in town.

I offered my help (a lowly patch kit...he was waiting for a ride) and recognized his face right away. Told him why i recognized him and am gonna shoot the shop an email. Funny how things like this develop.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/2446608413_91ce86a258.jpg?v=0

It has been said before, it's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it.