Summer is over and well…it’s been a while since I posted anything here. Not that I haven’t been shooting. Since my last post I’ve traveled to Alaska and Seattle AND cyclocross season has started here in the Pacific NW. I’ve been spending time shooting CX races for the last month or so. Early season Central Oregon CX=dust, dust and more dust. The rains will be coming and I plan to be shooting some up in Portland this fall/winter and CX Nationals are once again going to be in Bend so there will be plenty of CX weather to come.

I started a YouTube channel for my event photography company where I have been posting the highlights reels for our events: http://www.youtube.com/cascadeeventphtgrphy

We also started a Facebook fan page to keep everyone up-to-date on what going on: http://www.facebook.com/CascadeEventPhotography

Here are a few of my favorite pics so far from this season, stay tuned for more.

Enjoy

-t-

Last week we had a deluge of cyclist descend on our fair area. Over the week 3 sets of races took place. The largest of the 3 was the USA Cycling Jr./Under 23/Elite National Road Championships, which ran in conjunction with the Para-cycling National Road Championships. My partner and I spent the week shooting the action and the emotion of the races.

Racers from the age of 10 and up raced on a variety of courses around town. The younger juniors and para-athletes competed early in the week in a road race around the golf community of Tetherow, a criterium around North West Crossing and an individual time trial on Skyliner Road.  The older athletes competed on a similar, but slightly longer, time trial course, a fast and furious 4 corner criterium course in downtown Bend, and the ever grueling road race course around Awbrey Butte.

The older racers were definitely exciting to watch, however I personally got a lot of personal inspiration from the younger and para athletes. Even though in some of the younger age groups there was marked disparity in ability, it was great to see the drive that these kids possessed to try their best and not give up regardless. The para-athletes, some with missing or deformed limbs  and others who were blind, showed everyone what it’s about to enjoy the sheer thrill of competition and the determination to let nothing stand in their way. One para-athlete, Bend’s own Rachael Scdoris, is no stranger to high level competitions. Rachael, who is legally blind, has competed in the Iditarod Sleddog race in Alaska several time.

While the older athletes represent the immediate future of the sport, the younger ones represent the enduring nature of the sport. The para-athletes will continue to make an impression on me for many years to come, as they represent the drive and determination in the face of adversity that everyone needs to hold on to and strive to emulate.

Here are some of my highlights from the races. The entire set of race photos can be seen in the galleries at Cascade Event Photography.

Enjoy and stay inspired!

Last night a summer ritual commenced here in Bend, criterium (or crit) races at Summit High School (put on by Central Oregon Racing). For those not familiar with bicycle racing, a criterium is a race run on a fairly flat, short circuit (typically not longer than 1 mile). Racers do a set number of laps or race for a set time. There  are intermediate sprints (a.k.a. primes (prn. preems)), which add to the excitement as racers try to win swag or money (depending on the race). These races are great for American spectators as they tend to be fast, dangerous and fairly short (and often filled with crashes)–kind of the NASCAR of bike racing. The racers are separated by age or ability (or both). The C.O. series has 3 categories: Women & Jrs (under 18), B (category 3/4/5 racers any age), A (category 1/2/3 racers any age).

This weeks race is the prelude to a big week of cycling in Bend, which will see racers from all over Oregon and the US come to compete in the USACycling National Road championships (Tues-Sun), the NW Crossing Hullabaloo crit (Friday) and Pickett’s Charge Mtn bike race (Sunday). Turn out was somewhat light as some racers are getting ready for National or for the venerable Elkhorn bicycle stage race in Baker City, OR this weekend. Here are some highlights from last nights race and a gallery of all the photos shot. Stay tuned next week to Cascade Event Photography (my event photography company) for more pictures from all the racing.

Enjoy!

I figured since I’m not ready to be out racing myself yet this year, I’d go shoot some of my friends who are.

I decided instead of getting the typical face shots, I’d focus on showing the motion involved in bike racing (and a little pain). I didn’t shoot a bunch, but here’s some I hope you enjoy. -t-

I’ve picked the topic for this Friday’s too, texture @ the Mill District