Lyons Outdoor Games 2009
Wow, what a day! Had the privilege to shoot at yet another action- and talent-filled event, this time in Lyons, Colorado. I was invited by Nick Simcik and was told it would be a relatively small, “home-grown” event. Instead, it turned out to be a big, action-filled day with a very professional feel to it. Lots of talented athletes in all three events I shot: Kayak Freestyle, Bike Pumptrack, and Dirt Jump.
This was my first time shooting boating events and I had plenty to learn. Unfortunately the Kayak Freestyle event happened at mid-day which made for harsher lighting conditions than I would’ve liked. However, the overcast sky helped soften the light, and in hindsight I realized that the water acted as a fill reflector and drastically helped reduce hard shadows. Rather happy with my first water shoot…
Rolling on the Wave
Going Under
The freestylers absolutely impressed me with their stunts. Shooting dirt jumps and skiing, I got used to knowing what to expect from those riders – front flips, 720s, lincolns, and all kinds of grabs are the norm. But I had no idea what is possible in a small playboat. Looking forward to shooting more boating comps AND to get my own boat and start learning some stuff!
The dirt jump event was also a lot of fun and I was very happy to find out it would happen later in the day under softer and warmer lighting conditions. The looming thunderstorm clouds in the background made the sky misterious and dramatic and helped soften the light even more. Absolutely stoked on the results I got here - finally & slowly learning to balance my Ranger flash gun with the ambient!
Nick Simcik Showing Us Some Style
Despite the fact that it took him four-n-a-half dozen tries to stomp a back flip which he usually stomps on the first try (!!! 
), I absolutely love to shoot with Nick. He’s an extremely patient rider and never compolains about repeating a trick or trying a different angle if my initial shots don’t work out as planned. Not to mention, he’s always SUPER STOKED when I show him a decent shot on my camera’s LCD, which only gets me even more stoked on the next trick. Very cool!
Stomped! by Nick Simcik
Absolutely looking forward to seeing what he’s capable of in a Downhill event. Psss: Sol Vista Saturday the 20th with Simcik & Co. Early morning shoot, ride the harsh light out, then another shoot in the evening. Fun!
On a different note, over on the TGR forums we have a monthly Photo Contest. This month’s theme: Passion. I don’t participate much in that contest (for no particular reason other than being lazy), but I felt compelled to give my take on this month’s theme. My entries:
I usually don’t like to describe with words what I’m trying to achieve with an image. If the motif of an image or the story behind a series of images doesn’t jump out at you and make you feel that “oh, yes, I know that feeling!” moment, then the photographer has failed. Vis-à-vis, most modern “art” - WTF are those guys thinking?
I digress…
The second entry compells me to write a few words about it:
Rider Nick Simcik on his third or fourth backflip-bail of the day. I don’t think I need to describe how strongly this image conveys the theme of “passion.” What I would like to add, however, is simply a few words of huge respect and appreciation for what these guys do. Nick showed so much passion and dedication for his sport by going out there and trying over and over again, until he finally stomped several textbook backflips… which placed him 2nd in the competition! Congrats!
