The Pixel Mer©hant

Goodbye but not so long...

2012-01-31T02:35:00.000-08:00

Just drop in to say that this blog will no long be the place where I ramble and post images and videos. That place will now be here: http://waughphotos.posterous.com/ I am moving over because I like the look of my images there and they can be viewed larger which is always GOOD. So , if you followed me here then my all means follow me over there. Come on over...

Egnaro flavour - the making of an orange

2011-12-01T02:13:00.000-08:00

Nice little vid from the boys at mtb-news.de on the inner workings at Orange bikes in Halifax.

Flatland flat track

2011-11-26T12:58:00.001-08:00

Flatland flat track, a set on Flickr.

From a personal project shoot back when. All but the sun flare action shot were taken with Agfa Scala black and white transparency, a great film that passed away into the emulsion graveyard. The action shot was captured with a Fuji rangefinder on 6x4.5 neg.

One Day, Three Lights

2011-10-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Three images from the campaign shoot for the new Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 cyclocross bike that looks so good I thought of nicking it. Anyway, why three? Just to show how much the light can change during one session. This was shot in one of my favourite locations for quality of light and that is the South Downs of England. Maybe its because the sea acts as a ginormous reflector I don't know but whenever I go there it is good. And this day was no different. First shot natural light into the sun flares through the boughs. Second shot hours later, again almost directly into the sun that yielded a fantastic yellow-tinged glow, a bit like a Cadbury's Flake advert but without the beauty interest. Lastly, as the dark clouds gathered and made for a great backdrop, I had to use flash to balance the subject exposure and still retain that lovely sunburst. The window for the last two shots lasted half an hour to 45 minutes max. So it helped to work with an experienced model (thanks Jo!), somebody who knew that to get the very best out from the moment meant some spontaneous interval training. No nipping off to beat the traffic. These images and others will trickle out in advertising and road tests throughout the following weeks. Post shoot celebrations involved fish and chips and glugging back tea. I do like to be beside the seaside!

Unseen Wiggo

2011-09-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

Not published this image until now. That's because now, today, I'm right behind Wiggins in his bid to win the Vuelta a Espana. The Sky captain has been an example in the Spanish race and I hope he has the power to pull a victory from what is a tough situation.
This shot was captured at this year's track World Cup at the Manchester velodrome. The four man UK pursiuit team were in the holding pen before their race. Three members were sitting, elbows on knees and heads down. But, as I crouched in the narow space between the TV interview enclosure and the teams pen, Bradley decided to ease the tension with a big ol' relaxing pose. Boom! - job done. The only way I could improve this image would be to ask his team mate on the right of the pic to move. But that was never going to happen! Venga Wiggo, vamos!

Wide Eyed and Legless double exposures

2011-09-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Ian Cleverly, Rouleur magazine's dep ed asking if I wanted to shoot some of the guys from the ANC Halfords team for a feature that centred around Jeff Connor's book Wide Eyed and Legless, the tale of the British team's 1987 foray into the cauldron that is Tour de France. Connor was a Daily Star reporter and was meant to ride one of the tour stages beforehand and then write about it. Apparently, he got the gig because he was the only one in the office that didn't smoke. The resulting tale is of struggle, pain, lousy food and accommodation and every kind of ineptitude in between. Connor himself ended up driving one of the team vehicles, carry suitcases and generally mucking in. It is worth reading. So, since I remember that tour very well indeed; one of my fave years, it would have churlish to decline the offer.
I met up with former ANC team boss Phil Griffiths and riders Malcolm Elliott and Adrian Timmis at an Italian Restuarant in Stone in Staffordshire and over dinner squeezed off a few frames. But I wanted something a bit different from the norm. As the guys got up to leave I had a idea and asked each one to stand back to wall a I shot off a double exposure portrait of each. I met Paul Watson at his offices in Milton Keynes and Graham Jones in the offices of his employee down in Surrey. Each shoot, as is the way when shooting with a writer in attendance, (no offence Ian!) was quick, falling at the end of the interview. This is one of the reasons I chose the double expsoure route. It would have been too easy to come back with something regular, and wouldn't have looked that arresting considering the locations.The double expos can be seen in the current issue of Rouleur, no 25.
For the camera techies, I shot with on camera flash with one of these on the flash head.

Time - he's waiting in the wings

2011-05-25T04:49:00.000-07:00

Time. There's not enough of it. Not for me, nor I imagine, for you. And not for men like F1 driver Mark Webber, a human programmed to go fast. His life revolves around training, testing and driving the Red Bull Racing RB7 car. So time is at a premium. I shot Mark recently when he joined members of the Subaru Trek mountain bike team for a spin around the local trails before they headed up to the World Cup in Dalby Forest, Yorkshire. It was ace to see people from very different sports interacting and mutually respecting each other's game. But the best bit for me was at the end of the day when I took a quick group shot and Webber said: "hey, you don't mess around, I wish they were all as slick" . And then later when shooting a cover for Shred magazine with Jonathan Horgan-Kobelski and his partner Heather Irminger , JHK remarked along the same lines. This is a complement and I was flattered. But the point of this is that the more time we take over images, the more antsy and less relaxed our subjects become. Professionals are always busy. I have no wish to interrupt their lives, which is why I nail the shots early on and then move on. I know through the viewfinder when the shot is good and a quick check on the LCD is confirmation. Hopefully, my subjects will remember me for that.

iPhoneography

2011-05-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Or whatever you want to call it is grabbing the attention of people who wouldn't call themselves photographers in the conventional sense - and who can blame them? The camera in the iPhone 4 is a great little tool that virtually does away with the need to carry a compact camera. It has a 'flash' and it can be 'zoomed' (although not something I chose to do that often) and shoots video. A whole host of apps have appeared to complement the camera and convert the images into tiny works of art that can resemble Polaroids of our childhood to faux tilt shift and almost every photographic look in between. Pro photographers have fallen in love with the new toy, ahem tool. I know I have. Anyway, I digress. The point of this blather was to show this little site I stumbled across that contains the sort of work I am talking about. Art. Nothing more nothing less. Unless you disagree..... Click the pic

(Happy) Accidents Will Happen

2011-04-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Old schoolers will tell you that digital has done away with happy accidents in photography - and provided you have an inkling of what you are doing, they are right. I 'suffered' this happy accident recently whilst shooting the former World One Hour cycling record holder Graeme Obree for a lead feature for Rouleur magazine. It was to be a one day job. Hop on a plane at Stansted, cab into Glasgow to meet Graeme, shoot the pix and home. Job done. I took the Hasselblad 501CM because I reckoned that Graeme, with his analytical thought train and love of engeineering, would appreciate it and it would give us something to talk about besides pedalling a pushbike. The shoot went well. Two rolls of 120 through and some digi pix to give a few extra angles. But when I took the second roll of 120 out of the back I knew something was amiss. Instead being taut and ready to be taped up, the roll was loose and ,well, soggy feeling and I could tell that light would've leaked into at least part of the film.
The lab later told me that the film itself had come loose from the backing paper, causing wind on difficulties. Anyway, I had frames in the middle of the roll intact. But this strange multiple exposure revealed itself. And I love it. And so does Rouleur! I reckon it will make the cut. To produce that in digital would mean a lot of computer work (for me!) There, a happy accident that worked in my favour.
Of course, I would never have shot the whole session on just the 'blad. I had the confidence knowing that I had back up. Best of both worlds I reckon.

I was a Paris Roubaix Virgin

2011-04-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Strange isn’t it. After shooting bikes for so long this was my first time at the famous Paris Roubaix race. I’ve seen it countless times on’t telly and the big reason I love the race is , of course, the pave sections. When I started shooting bikes it was road that I aimed at but when mountain bikes entered the fray I was sold. I have shot fat-tyred machines for a long time but always watched the Paris Roubaix because, discounting cyclocross, it is the nearest the road guys get to off road. The rough and tumble, the carnage, the mechanicals and crashes that form the race and decide its outcome are fascinating to watch. One year it can be a dustbowl (like this one) , the next an epic muddy morass. Brilliant!

I went over principally to cover the Paris Roubaix Challenge for Cycling Plus the day before, which is a shorter ride for The People, but still incorporates many cobbled sections. After taking a few shots of the man that is Sean Kelly, looking trim and well up for the run, I mounted the moto (always moto, never motorbike!) and was off into the riders. Starting at 7.30am meant the temps were low but the Spring sun was starting its arc into the sky. The light was pretty amazing for photography, casting long shadows as it hit the groups of riders from the side. Bright yellow rape fields set off the multi coloured Lycra of the riders all heads down and set for the long day in the saddle. So, anyhoooo. Flash cards choc-full, swift Duvel at the Arrivee to wash the grime from the roof of my mouth and it was back in the car to re-charge (batteries and body) for the following day.

I had maps, I had the expected times of arrival of the peloton at a multitude of spots, I had water, grub and even a co-pilot/navigator. But I still only caught the race twice. Sunday drivers are international, the roads are narrow, there’s a lot of traffic on a race day and I am a yellow chicken are all valid points and excuses. There were moments of indecision as we opted for a spot further up the route rather than risk missing the riders completely and be chasing our posteriors. We opted for Quivey, a short and narrow cobbled dive between houses and barns and then a longish drag up through the fields, as the first ambush point. The obligatory camper vans were there before us, along with a few locals. The crowd grew larger as the clock ticked over and some hour or so later the TV choppers hoved into view. I chose a high bank from which I could shoot 300mm tele images and then , when the group came beneath me, I could shoot wide angle pix on a second body using the pretty village as the backdrop. A billowing dust cloud from the countless vehicles in front of the race was the signal the riders were due at any second. Thankfully a brisk sidewind whipped the dust away so I could get clean shots. Boom, boom, boom. Hit the first gruppetto. Wait. The snaking of the main peloton in the distance. Boom, boom boom, that’s them in the bag on the tele. Drop it in the grass and shoot wide on the 12-24mm. Boom, boom, grab everything and speed ramble back to the car.

Tear-arsing up the motorway (watching an Eddy Merckx emblazoned Merc bullet off the slip and squeeze in between the car in front and my own at a rate of knots: most impressive sir. Chapeau!) got us nowhere. The slip we wanted was blocked. Feck! Guarded by guards they were. It was non, non and triple non. Head further north. Double back to get to Orchies. I saw a great bar there on the Challenge that would make good images. But non. More blocks. Park up. Walk down a farm track to the pave at Champin-en-Pevele. A crucial point. Campers to the left of us, campers to the right of us. Sun bathers, beer swillers, mask wearers, TV watchers, horse riders, radios, barbeques, smokes, smells. A sense that something Big was coming and it would be too long before it rolled into town.
The best thing about this race is that it criss-crosses fields on the ancient roads, switching this way and that like some giant Etch-a-Sketch. There are no hedgerows and you can see the race coming from a long way off. And you can walk to a spot where you can see everything unmolested and be so close to the riders that you could touch them if you wanted. Try that in Formula One. Again, I maximised my shooting by switching between the long shot and the wide. The lead group came through: I caught three keepers of winner Van Summeren leading the breakaway group of four. I got even more of Hushvold and his group of chasers containing the race favourite Fabian Cancellara. . By the time race reached my point, field was decimated. I waited until the very last rider had come through, switching between sides of the road so I could get back-lit and front -lit images. I was wasted. The driving, the excitement, the cross country yomp with my gear all took their toll. There was only one thing for it. And there it was a small village sports hall with a bar. Full of happy French and Belgians. That cherry's well and truly lost.

Hell of the East Vid

2011-04-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

Went out to a remote part of Essex yesterday; the flatlands between the Blackwater and Crouch estuaries where the so-called 'Hell of the East' bike race was being held. Private roads,often full of potholes, and rough farm tracks to form part of the course, a homage to the famous Paris Roubaix race in France and other classic early season races held in Belgium. The race was in doubt this year but sponsors stepped into save it and two or three bigger teams entered to make good fist of the racing itself. So, inevitably there was more press interest and more photographers! I have shot the race three times now and decided to forgo stills and practice my video DSLR technique instead. It ain't easy! Under two minutes footage from a three odd hour race. Hey ho. Still learning. Always learning.

Best ride ever....

2011-03-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I think so yes. Or at least top three. Piling your bike into a 1965 Dehavilland Beaver float plane and taking off to fly up the Gun Creek valley in the south Chilcotin mountains BC, Canada, land on Warner Lake way higher up and then slice and surf through some of the best singletrack ever surrounded by golden aspen trees. I felt like I had landed in a Sombrio advert. Fond memories indeed. Do it before you die. Or die doing it if you wander out at night and a bear gets you.....

Do Photographers shoot for other Photographers?

2011-03-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

That's what I am wondering. Or put a different way, does it take a photographer to recognise what is going on in an image and look a bit deeper? And does that matter? I have been taking pictures long enough now to make it very hard to disengage my viewpoint. I become an instant critic - whether that be good or bad. I critique and I don't even know I am doing it. I would really like to get back to looking at a picture with fresh eyes, the same way a child produces a painting that they could never recreate as an adult.
I see the light, the composition the impact and effect it has on me. It's a bit like my curse as a drummer: when I listen to music it's the drums I hear first followed by the bass. And maybe percussion if there is any. It takes a while to hear the whole band. It's a switch that cannot be turned off no matter how hard I try. It's been hard wired into me.
But I know that people who don't take pictures, or at least, don't take pictures on as regular a basis, see very different things. Fans of cycling see the rider's brand of shoes, helmet, the way he wears his knee warmers, the colour of his sunglass frames before they look at The Picture. I think the picture hits them but in a very different way. Like it takes me a long time to pick up song lyrics. Never at the first listen.
The point of being a working photographer is to make money from one's images but I do wonder how big the market is for buyers of imagery shot a little bit out of the box to what is the norm. This was brought about by watching a video of a recent downhill race posted over on Twitface. There was nothing new, nothing that challenged the viewer. The format is a clip of the rider with his name on screen and then onto the next rider with his name on screen. The seminal freestyle motocross video Crusty Demons of Dirt broke that ground way back in the early 90s. And yet On Any Sunday still remains the more satisfying watch.
In the stills game it is similar. Despite what the comments say, I don't find it particularly 'awesome'. When a photographer picks up a camera and produces something like Lifecycles then I pay attention. Nothing to do with budget, all to do with ideas. Approaching the subject matter from a different direction. Making a new statement. Documentary can be still be art. It doesn't have to be a 100 riders all shot with the same light set up in the same spot. Is that a personal challenge? Only when it is cold and wet! Or maybe you think differently? Then let me know.

Golds, Rainbows, Ice and Fire

2011-02-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

I can't claim to be a massive fan of 'circular' sports. Honestly, even motocross which I really enjoy carries a little less magnetism once the field is all mixed up and I can't work out what rider is winning, or second or 15th. Likewise track racing. Team pursuit racing? Yes. Two man sprint? Easy. Points race? Aaah fageddabowdit! Madison? Nope. But I put this down to my owning the attention span of a very small gnat rather than anything else. Obviously, I can follow F1 because the order they go off the grid is usually the finishing order which is easy to work out for even a pea brain like me! ;-) Still, that's no reason not to attend a World Cup track event now is it? To decline such an invitation would be churlish. So I didn't and found myself easing my way through slippery seas of freakishly large quads and giant glutes at the recent Manchester race.

Britain won gold, rainbows seemed to be everywhere I looked, a certain Miss Pendleton provided the ice and all the riders breathed fire. Anyone who watched Saturday's race will know about Awang's splinter (stake more like) and Rouleur blogged about it here using my images of the Kiwi rider Edward Dawkins. Awang had crossed the line and collapsed around bend one and I was caught up in the melee in the finish straight.

Here's Ed giving Juan Peralta Gascon the stinkeye for (allegedly) causing the pile up.

So USA! Olympic gold medallist Jamie Staff was coaching the American team whilst keeping a beady eye on the goings on in the GB pit right next door. He could only watch as former team mate Hoy rode his rivals into the dust - or boards - to take the gold in the keirin. I snaffled one of my favouritist (my blog my language!) portraits of recent times and came back with a small bag of bangers - that's pictures I am happy with.
Of course, I'd really like to show them here but the printed page on old papery stuff still has the last word in that respect. So look for them. They will come. Oh yes, they will come.

Sun's out , all out!

2011-02-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

Today the sun shone. It was shining when I woke up and is still shining weakly as I write this. It was the excuse I needed to get on a bike and ride out into the countryside. Bike riders know this is good for the soul and, I believe, it is doubly so for freelancers who spend an inordinate amount of time chained to a computer. In my case the Mac is in my basement so the urge to feel fresh air and blue skies is a pull

Do it fluid

EveryTrail - Find trail maps for California and beyond

I always take my iPhone in a plaggy bag and set off the Everytrail app as I leave the house, for no other reason than I like watching the little blue me (close the graph and you can see it!) riding around the lanes when I get home. Today the low sun flickered through the hedgerows like a strobe and left long shadows across the fields. The recent winds had died. I'm glad I went.

I know....sometimes mine sucks.

2011-02-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

That's why I need to watch this over and over again.

The Plastic Fantasic Holga

2011-02-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

Analogue Daydreams - The art of Holga photography from Jim Elson on Vimeo.

Introduction to the Holga 120 toy camera from photographers Ghee Dondlinger and Mathias Meyer and film maker Jim Elson. A cult item and really great fun to use - occasionally throwing up a surprise gem image!

Should I take it to the bridge?

2011-01-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

There are many communication gaps to be bridged in my line of work. Perhaps the most important of those is trying to translate a picture editor or art director's vision conjured up in a warm Mac-strewn office into something that works on a wet and blustery hillside. I exaggerate of course - sometimes it isn't windy. Often the bridge isn't bridged, and I know now that this is my fault because I am still being a little, shall we say, old fashioned. I like a brief. A brief is a starting point from which many things can happen and usually do, but at the very least it attempts to set down on paper some guidelines for a shoot and what is expected. Whether it is time constraints or too much Twitfacing or whatever, I get fewer and fewer briefs. Often to the point that I don't know where I am supposed to be! Briefs used to be delivered from the commissioner of the work, because they are the ones that need the work and are paying for the work.
But now I find it is up to me to make calls to eek out information such as where are we going? What is the nature of the job, when do you want the images delivered by etc.etc. A deep, stubborn part of me wants to be told such vital info since it has a bearing on the shoot. For instance, I recently did a shoot abroad and paid a lot of money on excess baggage for equipment that sat in its cases in the hotel room the whole trip! For the actual shoot I needed different gear that I didn't have, probably because the job changed shape somewhere over the ocean. Taking everything I own is going to be my practice from now on. But the point is I could have got better images and more of them had I had a small piece of kit. And the final bill to client would have been smaller. If I were to go a butcher , I would tell him what meat I wanted and how much of it. Likewise a barman would expect me to knoow what drink I was after and the quantity. So why is it different in this instance? I'd be interested to hear your opinions on this, something that bugs me. Or perhaps I shouldn't lose sleep over it?

If you build it they will come...

2011-01-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

My shots should tell the story. It's going to big off the scale. What? you ask
THIS I say..

Is the steam up Bracket?

2011-01-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

The title may only mean something to readers of a certain vintage - but the pictures speak to everyone who rides a bike! Enjoy.....

South East Regionals champs-back on the Blad

2010-12-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

HogHill Regionals 2010 - Images by Geoff Waugh

The light fired, the snowmelt made conditions tough to ride but great to shoot. I managed three rolls during the one hour event. Not a great strike rate and I could do with a spare back for the camera and an assistant to reload for me! But what I did get I was pretty pleased with. The contra jour monos are particularly pleasing. An 80mm lens on a Hasselblad is like a 50mm standard lens on a 35mm outfit so framing becomes an issue if you want to exclude track debris - by that I mean spectators and other people with cameras! That said, the more I shoot with this camera the more I understand it's legendary status.
Wish I'd got one years ago!

Don't mess with the Vicious Velo

2010-12-07T10:40:00.000-08:00

Because they are bit angry over there.....

Just sayin.....

Rogue Flashbenders - speedlight modifiers

2010-12-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

Middle sized RFB - bendy rods are sewn inside the blue material

Let's face it, there's a plethora of small flashgun light modifiers on the market these days. From the DIY Fairy Liquid detergent bottle remnants held on with a rubber band to sophisticated units such as Gary Fong's Lightsphere and WhaleTail. We are all trying to eek the best quality light we can from the most portable flash we use and we want the modifiers to be simple, unobtrusive and easy to handle.
So when the Rogue Flashbenders landed at GWP Towers I was interested to see how they fared against the opposition. But before I do let's go back a bit. I bought into the fairly similar Honl system pretty soon after it was released, buying my set up direct from David Honl in America. The Honl system is base around a thing called a 'speed strap' which wraps around the gun head and to which light modifiers are attached by Velcro. Snoots and flags can be used as well as coloured gels.
Rogue Flashbenders are thus called because they incorporate bendy metal rods inside the fabric , allowing the user to push and pull them about to shape the light to what is required or to add a signature look. They come come in three sizes - or at least I got three sizes! Smallest is the bounce card/flag which is 228mmx127mm and can be used to bounce a little catchlight into eyes and soften the light a little. A piece of black material can be slipped over the item to convert it into a flag to prevent light spill. The second model is the small positionable reflector which measures 254mmx178mm and has two rods inside that allow you to really move the shape around. It can be rolled into a small snoot,for example. Largest of the trio is the (drum roll) large positionable reflector and at 245mmx280mm is a veritable spinnaker on your gun! But it also offers a much larger area to bounce the flash from and thus a softer light. This size 'bender' has three rods and is infinitely 'shapeable'.

Large RFB (fitted and bent) and smaller brothers

Apart from the ability to be formed and deformed to suit, the other difference between the Flashbenders and the Honl system is that the former have their own attachment strap built into each unit. I found this easier and more convenient to use. The Velcro patch is smaller and seems more pliable (One of the beefs I have with the Honl speed strap is that (on mine) there is a rigid plastic tradename patch that demands the strap be placed accurately which is time consuming, although I think this is now much smaller and located on the end of the strap) And a short piece of flat elastic makes for a really snug fit on the gun. Even the sailsize of the LPR never felt like it was about to fall off. (Something that the Fong Lightsphere is prone to in my experience).

slingshot on the banking at Gent Six Day

In practice at the Gent Six Day track racing, I found the middle of the three sizes added just the right amount of punch without forming any sort of hotspot that a 'bare' gun might. Yeah, I looked a little odd next to the press and agency guys but so what-it's results that count and I was more than pleased with the outcome of this testette. The RFBs are small enough to throw into most camera packs and, of course, can be collapsed to fit smaller bags. I like 'em. Product photography courtesy of my iPhone just so you know!

The spectacle that is Six Day Racing

2010-11-29T12:25:00.000-08:00

Went to my first Six Day race last Saturday and Sunday to shoot a photo story for a new American title called Pavedmag . The dates fell kindly for me this year because the Saturday coincided with the World Cup Cyclocross at Koksijde and I did what many Brits do when that happens which is go to the cross and then the Gent Six and then crash in a hotel. I had heard of many stories from the Six Day events and seen hundreds of pictures but nothing really prepares you for the real thing. Unlike UK velodromes I have been to, at Gent the public are allowed inside the track where they drink and sing to their hearts content. Huge fans blow in hot air and amplified dance music ups the ante. Brilliant! Small cabins on each straight are 'homes' to the riders for the duration of the racing and there they eat, rest and take massages before re-entering the ring. I say ring because I felt that the race was like a mad cross between a bullfight and Rollerball . And whilst I struggled to keep a handle on proceedings, the locals appeared very knowledgeable - cheering and fawning over the local hotshots. I came away at 2am flashcards stuffed with images and a high pitched whining in my ears. Just like coming home from a good night out (er, without the pictures). The pic above is from the derny race which sees the riders topping 60kph. And when things go wrong it can be spectacular. Check out this high speed rear tyre blow out and Kenny De Keetele's cat-like reflexes to save it. If you get a chance - GO!
I drove back from Gent to Calais into a beautiful sunset that slowly faded over the snowclad fields. It seemed very tranquil compared to only an hour earlier. At one point I could see cars parked and course tape and men carrying bikes. It was a local club cross race. Some things never change.

'BladCross

2010-11-15T01:42:00.000-08:00

Had a bit of time yesterday to scan some medium format stuff I shot at Eastern Region cyclocross rounds.

Regional Cross - Images by Geoff Waugh

The 500

2010-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

Blimey, finally got around to talking about this bag. It is the Lowe Pro Flipside 500AW and it is blue and black. And it is limited edition. Only 1200 of these beauties will grace this earth and I have one in my gimp basement. But it wasn’t until my trusty ComputrekkerPlus AW (IMO one of the best packs LowePro has produced) started showing signs of it’s age that this here coach put that there pack into the game. Still, I’m no stranger to the Flipside ideal. I use its smaller brother, the Flipside 400AW (dur!) loads. In fact most shoots that see me boarding a plane sees the familiar rounded shape of the 400AW on my back and in the speedy boarding queue. I can cram the 400AW with enough gear to do a demanding shoot with two bodies, two speedlights, 12-24,17-55, 70-200,10.5 fish and 50mm inside. The outer pocket takes the Pocket Wizards and all the other photo gubbins I need.
Well, the 500AW is a veritable tardis. I nearly got lost in there and had to send up an emergency flare. I could, if I wanted, get my 300mm 2.8 inside and still have room for enough shorter glass and two bodies and two flashguns. Most backpacks are designed to house at least one body with a lens attached and the 500AW is no exception. Since I had a costly adventure when a helicopter baggage handler crammed my pack into the hold and sheered the 70-200 lens off the body with the lens mount still attached, I choose to keep body and glass apart until I want to introduce them to each other. So, with the added depth that the 500AW offers, I found I could stow two guns, and three (count em) Pocket Wizard Multimaxes into the upper space obviously shaped to take a camera body. The bodies I stashed on the sides , along with the wide zooms and the long zoom down the centre.
I’m not a tripod kinda guy so I’m not going to carp on about the concealed tripod cup and the straps on the front of the pack. Rather, I want to talk about the mesh side pockets and the cinch straps above them which allowed me to store a lightstand in each and pull down the straps to makes everything stable: important when stumbling and bimbling down a muddy mountain side which is more than often the case. The pockets are big enough to still allow some space to stow overtrousers or a small bottle of water with the stands in place. This is a Very Important Thing. Do not underestimate the need for water and dry trousers.
The usual organizing pockets sit inside the front compartment for pens, phone, keyflash, cables etc. But it must be said that the pocket is easily large enough to store a netbook or an iPad,. On this particular shoot I threw, figuratively speaking like, a Rayflash ring light. It would also easily swallow a good size waterproof jacket or fleece. Did I say keeping dry was important? Oh yeah, anyway fully loaded the Flipside 500AW is no featherweight and this is where the harness steps up like you have David Haye (insert name of your favourite heavyweight here) fighting in your corner. The load sits well up the torso and with the sternum straps tightened down, the pack is easily to transport. Super comfy. Super important to my health. There is a large carrying handle on the top of the unit that makes small shifts around, like from car boot to floor to speedy boarding queue to overhead locker that much easier.
And lastly, why Flipside? Because entry to the pack’s contents is through the back of the unit i.e the part that sits against the wearers back. This means your cloths stay relatively clean and dry when you dump the pack down in mud or snow. If I were to add one thing, or change really, to this already great item is would be coloured ends to the main compartment zippers. Blue or red, something that can be easily spotted and grabbed when in a rush. Perhaps glow in the dark? The black ones tend to hide beneath the hip belt or inside the zip covers– or maybe it’s just me? (yes,get your eyes tested. Ed)
Oh, and why just the one snap? (I think we can safely call it that) Because this was taken at the end of day long and complex shoot in the Lake District when it rained stair rods and never stopped. Of course, because I had waterproofs (did I mention that?) I was dry but my cameras were less than enamoured with the conditions and I decided to put them away for good once the last frame was captured. Promise to do better next time, honest.

They gave us the greens of summers

2010-10-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

This year will see the demise of possibly the most famous film stock ever produced. Kodachrome was first made by Eastman Kodak in 1935 and survived through thick and thin (exposure-wise!) until 2009. But now the final nail is being hammered into its coffin. The very last day that the reversal film, closely associated with venerable publications such as National Geographic, will be processed is December 30, 2010. And if you live in Europe the deadline is November 30. Now I'm not being too sentimental here; when I shot transparency film (that's slide film to digital newbies!) Fuji was the brand of choice for action and in particular Velvia 50 for its shocking cartoon colour punch. But I had experimented with Kodachrome 64 and loved sending the bags away and receiving a small box of mounted slides sometime later.
So, when a friend over in Vancouver showed me a pic of some boxes of Kodachrome and said he was going to send some over I was tickled. Then I forgot all about it, and then I heard the door bell ring and then the postie delivered the brown package with the familiar airmail and customs stickers. Game on! So, I have five rolls of Kodachrome 64. And that sounds like a project. I have roughly a month to expose the film before the final process deadline makes them redundant. The only 35mm film cameras I still own are a Nikon 801, a Lomo LC-A and an Horizon Perfekt. Should be interesting to say the least. Watch this space as I cuss loudly at things like winding on, catching the end tab, getting the perfect exposure from a compact etc.etc. blather, blather...... Until then, here's Paul Simon's ode to the famous emulsion

Always learning, always....

2010-09-28T03:42:00.000-07:00

I made a mistake at the Three Peaks. And it's a long way to go to make a mistake; a near 600 mile round trip. But as the header says, we're always learning and I shan't do it again. Oh yeah, I came back with some photos, but I could see from the images that circulated the net like wildfire after the event that I had been too complacent. This video on the British Cycling site brought it home to me how much I had missed.
Obviously, in a race of this nature one cannot be everywhere, but I had taken my cross bike and decided to ride between locations, carrying light: a Hasselblad, Horizon Perfekt and the trusty white Holga. First mistake was to go to the same spot as I did in 2008. I got a banger there then and was suckered in. The rocks look amazing and you can see the field as it strings out up Simons Fell. The ride back down to the road was great though (eyes off the prize already Mr Waugh?).

Then I prevaricated. Turn left and ride the road to Whernside or right and go up Pen y Ghent lane? I went left and hooked up with some most pleasant ladies also race chasing. Whernside was full of walkers. Why not? It was a beautiful day and the Ribblehead viaduct is sort of famous. But I was getting frustrated about my backgrounds. I shot a few panos of the viaduct with and without riders but was frustrated with the multiple line choices. Luvvy alert! You know how it is. Still, the descent down to the tea van was wicked. Oh dear.
Not chasing after the leaders meant I still had plenty of time to ride back to PyG lane and push up a ways and take some shots.
BUT, I should have stuck to my original plan which was to shoot Simons Fell and then go as far up Pen y Ghent as possible. In fact, if I do it again I will only go up Pen y Ghent and shoot the sh*t out of it! I spread myself too thin. Looking at my panos there are one or two I like. But no bangers. Not for me. My medium format is still in the dev so we shall see. But, like the racers, I am not phased by this year's edition, they will be back to attempt a personal best and so will I. Maybe without a bike, they are way too much fun.

Wondrous Resurgence of Analogue?

2010-09-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

I am a total magazine freak. Right now there is a pile of mags next to me that extends from the floor to the arm of the couch, with titles that cover everything from photography to biking to fashion and tractors (kidding - pay attention at the back). Now and again I dip in to read a snippet but usually to look at images. The Pile, as it has become known in the Waugh household, also doubles as a convenient tea/coffee cup rest whenever someone is nice enough to boil a kettle ;-) And when I am not sitting next to The Pile I am probably in a newsagent looking at new magazines. So it was that, after flicking the pages, I bought two magazines that piqued my interest immediately. Having the words 'Photo Special' or 'Photo Annual' on the cover is usually all it takes. The Surfer's Path did it with the headline: 'The wondrous resurgence of analogue surf photography in the digital age'. To use surfer parlance, I get super stoked scanning and pondering the amazing images of these globe trotting athletes doing their thing in the big waves. The colours and action are almost unbeatable, and the lifestyle and candid photography takes some beating too. If I look anywhere for inspiration it is here. I don't think there is a similar resurgence of film in cycling photography, but some of the passages in the magazine, the word 'surfer' could be replaced with 'biker' or surf photographer with bike photographer. For example:
"They were an essential, integral part of the 'scene', travelling with the pro circus as the all-important iimage-makers , a group of well known and well-loved shutter monkeys happily nuzzling on the teet of the industry."
I found that like some of the old and new school surf photographers, I had turned to shooting film some of the time to produce a different effect from what is expected. We shoot the majority of peak action and lifestyle on pixels but go analogue for various reasons. I know with me it for the sheer enjoyment of the medium, for the unexpected and the excitement that goes with it. And (here comes the latent geek confession) because I love film cameras. My Nikon D300s comes nowhere near my Hasselblad 501CM as a design classic. A genuine thing of beauty. Although the latest release from Fuji could seriously change that.
I found myself in agreement with paragraphs such as: "But there are moments of beauty and drama in every surfer's (biker's) daily reality. These are moments captured in a glance. The gray-scale mornings, the boards (bikes) at rest before the paddle (ride) out........ " Now the sweeling ranks of surf photographers have turned to analogue equipment and individually purposed composition in order to access this difference in vision..."
I really soaked up the features in this magazine. Whether you shoot or even like surfing or not, as a photographer it is worth looking at. Unfortunately I couldn't find the articles on the mag's website
Shame really, but you could do worse than look at the websites of guys like David Pu'u or Jack Brull

Schoolboy error

2010-08-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

See that white bit, that's cloud that is.

You'd think I'd know by now I realise. But that is clearly not the case. Even after shooting a season of World Cup mountain bike races where it rained at every round bar two, (Yorkshire and Scotland. I know, who'd have thunk?) I can still turn out unprepared. Take last Wednesday for example. On a catalogue shoot for a major high street bicycle retailer I decided rain gear was not appropriate. Actually, that is not 100% true. The truth is the weather had been warm and dry, with fantastically lit August evenings of the kind that make the English (whoops, UK) countryside so lovely. I was lulled into a false sense of security. The Gore stayed in the house. I had a thin Howies waterproof and a beanie hat in the car. Didn't even take 'work' shoes. The shoot was in two parts - cyclocross and then a night time mtb session to show the various lights on offer.
Like most photographers , I had already built an image in my mind that I wanted to capture. Flashes were staying in the bag. Natural light would rule. But, like a lot of days, that notion was cut into quarters and sent to the four corners of the photo kingdom, as we arrived at the location to find it in a cloud. Thick mist shrouded the area. A regular pea souper guvnor, make no mistake. In the trees the mist was not as dense. I managed to capture some images shooting wide open (2.8) at ISO3200 (it was pretty dark, get the picture?) Anyone who has shot in these kind of conditions knows that the human eye makes it look way better than it really is. Flash has to be close to have any effect. It's very like running high beams in fog: doesn't work. Wall of white. Not great. So that was hurdle one to overcome. One of the images is above. Natural light. Mood. I like it.

Yooohooo. I'm in here. Somewhere.

Then came The Big One. Night time shooting. It was always going to be strobe lit but by the time the light had dropped enough to use the bike lights (about 5pm. Did I say it was dark?) the rain had come on with a vengence. Plastic food bags over the strobes and Pocket Wizard Multis did their job but before long I could feel the trickle of cool rain run down my pants. UK pants not US pants. I got the necessary shots. We were all pleased with them. But I haven't had wet and minging jeans like that since I was a teenager. I took the pic above to show the river of running water coming down the trail, but even that doesn't do it justice. I walked into the bar for some some post shoot food like John Wayne walking into a showdown. Lesson learnt. Probably not.

Blad in a Pack

2010-07-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

You would be forgiven for thinking that the little LowePro SlingShot 100AW is a bag for little cameras - but I doubt many would class the Hasselblad 501CM as particularly small. As you can see from the pic above, I get the 501 body with 80mm 2.8 lens and waist level finder attached. A prism finder slots into a separate pocket ,as does the lens hood. In the top pocket I can fit a Sekonic light meter and more than enough rolls of 120 film for my needs. I am in the process of shooting an on going project about the mechanics that work on the pros bikes at World Cup races and I can get most access (and they are more relaxed) early in the week before the battle lines are drawn. After more years than I care to mention shooting this kind of stuff, I really can't be arsed to lug a big pack around the pits, so the 100AW works out just fine for my needs. I have a pro set up in a pack I an throw over my shouler and get around with minimum fuss. Sounds odd but this becomes more obvious when trying to negotiate crowds later in the week, with a big pack and flailing tripods! Just look at how chilled I am! So laid back I'm not even using he small counterbalance strap that prevents the pack from rotating on the body. Useful when you are riding a bike, for example.

Since I want the full impact (theoretically) of the medium format pictures to happen when the images are published, I have made a mini slideshow of some of the out takes and other stuff I took because I liked the look of it.

Blad in a Pack - Images by Geoff Waugh

Of course, when the action begins I have to break out the big pack and my fave is the Computrekker Plus AW which holds a full load plus a laptop. There it is keeping me company in the gondola up the Anoch Mor mountain, shot by ace lensman and midge magnet Steve Behr

Knowledge is power!

2010-06-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

I can still remember the day I bumped into Martyn Ashton. It was at a very early downhill race at Checkendon near Reading. (When I say early I don't mean 7am , this was around 1993/94). Martyn was there with his mate of the same name and both were wearing clothing slightly different to that most mountain bikers of the day tended to sport. Tighter and brighter and with some odd shoes. I soon discovered this was trials riding gear. But more than that I saw close up the skills that riding trials brought to the mtb arena. Between fits of giggles and jokes, these two were making the course - which by today's standards is just about XC - look positively flat: hopping logs and putting their wheels exactly where they decided they should go. Between then and now Ashton has put himself firmly at the top of the skills set league. He has ridden for major teams such as Volvo Cannondale and regularly rolls out to perform his brand of two wheeled wizardry at demonstrations around the UK and beyond.
So it is only right that he should produce this book 'Mountain Biking Tricks and Techniques' to pass on his knowledge and help us stiffbacks to understand the dynamics of a bunny hop or a rolling endo. (If you don't know what tht means it's all in there!) Starting at the beginning with safety gear and progressing through a catalogue of tricks and bike skills that would have me kidnapped by a travelling circus should I master them all, Martyn's straightforward and clear prose breaks down each technique to have you up and away in no time. But there's more: he's only drafted in his best mates to add their voices to the book, and Martyn's mates are world class riders such as former World Downhill Champion Gee Atherton, freeride sensations Danny MacAskill and Grant Fielder, Current World DH champ Steve Peat and all time trials legend Hans Rey amongst others. The boy's got some book of contacts!
Clearly laid out and with great images by Ashton's Animal colleague Robin Kitchin, the book deserves a place on any budding mountain biker's shelf-and some not so budding too. Published by Cordee and priced at £14.95 I'd say it's a bargain. Go on splash some cash you tightwads! To see more click here

Oh me too!

2010-06-08T02:48:00.001-07:00

"Photographers, like any good artists, are deeply insecure. They need plenty of strokes, hand holding, and plain old sympathy. Photographers are genetic whiners, pissers and moaners, and royal pains in the ass. I know. I am one of them." David Hume Kennerly. Pulitzer prize winning photographer.

Catharine's day

2010-05-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

This is a shot I took three weeks ago of the Luna Pro Team racer Catharine Pendrel standing on the podium at the Houffalize World Cup mountainbike race. The national anthem of Italy is playing for winner Eva Lechner, and Catharine is stealing a glance; probably to see if Eva is filling up. Either that or top step dreaming. As every coach will tell you visualisation is a strong part of the mental game.
Flash forward three weeks to round three of the World Seriesat Offenburg in Germany and here is Pendrel in her Canadian champion uniform tackling the infamous Wolfsdrop section of the course to a baying crowd.

Together with team mate Georgia Gould, Catharine rode away to victory, here being welcomed by a phalanx of photographers (I <3 alliteration!) and the winners spoils. What a difference a rest makes.

Heavy Matters

2010-05-12T11:32:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow I am flying out to Graz in southern Austria. From there I shall jump in a rental and drive the 50 odd minutes to Maribor in Slovenia. All in the name of the UCI mountain bike World Cup. Indeed the first round of the downhill series. It all sounds exciting. And it is. The season opener is the time when we see who has been training most and who has been drinking the most over the winter period. Let the circus on the hillside begin! But, what is less enthralling is the journey. See those scales up there? Originally I bought them to weigh bikes that I was testing and writing about for magazines. But now they are being brought into play to weigh my luggage. You guessed it. I am flying Ryanair! Ryanair seems to fly to all the places I want to go. Funny that. Mountain resort nestling in middle of nowhere? Ryanair has found an place to deposit passengers close to all of 'em. Actually, I looked at flying Easyjet to Venice and a longer drive but the costs are pretty close and I drove well over 700 miles to the last event. I know what knackered feels like and what rumble strips sound like! . So here I am dividing pieces of kit into bags. I have put a body and three lenses, a flash, laptop, card reader and cards ino my LowePro Pro Runner 350AW. The bare minimum to allow me to work should things go astray from the flight. I flew the same arrangement on Ryanair recently with no check in hiccups so I'm praying for a nice guy or gal at the desk. I put - and this really hurts-my fave lens, the money lens, the Nikon 300mm f2.8 into a Peli case along with a smaller lens, another gun and lots of leads,drive,padding,rain covers etc. The scales sunk to just under 15kg. Wahey! So I have a further 15kg allowance in my other bag. And that is earmarked for tripods, chargers, batteries all crammed into Lowe Street and Field pouches for a bit of protection. Clothes? You must be joking! Nah, I'm joking. It's not a fashion parade though so it's walking boots, base layers waterproofs and a toothbrush. Pretty much. Yeah, I may smell on the plane come Monday but so long as I don't pay excess and don't sit next to some ravishing beauty frankly I don't give a damn.....

My fave Dalby XC pic

2010-04-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

My fave image from the UCI Dalby World Cup XC race last Sunday is hardly a peak of the action style shot, but it's different and I like it. It's one of those times when a calculated experiment results in something not fully expected. A bit like cross processing or 'flashing' your film back in Ye Olde Dayes. Let's face it podiums are only really interesting for the those that stand upon them and the team managers and mums. How many have you seen? Hundreds? Thousands? Step up, take flowers, take bottle, shake bottle, drink (not too much-mind you are athletes) then get on the top for the assembled photogs. I have usually finished and am sipping a double machiatto by the time the national anthem comes around (French,mostly), but since I had a vested interest in a couple of riders I hung around. I got the standard podium shot and then moved to side to get this one. I used some old fashioned techniques here that, if you are old fashioned, you will understand. BUT I got crucially lucky with Champagne cork that appears in the frame under the chin of the race winner Nino Schurter. I admit I couldn't replicate that in a trillion, zillion years. Well, I could paste on in in Photoshop but that wouldn't half as rewarding. Often the unknown is a treat. To see more images that made the cut take a look here.

Tweed Run with a LowePro Pro Runner 300AW

2010-04-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Firstly, the Tweed Run needs explaining. It is a social bike ride around the streets of London wearing garments preferably manufactured from tweed and bicycles as retro as possible. If a gentleman or lady can look like he or she just landed from the 1920s or 30s that is A Good Thing. The ride is some 12 miles and takes in many of the city's landmarks; Buck Palace, The Mall, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and, of course, Saville Row where the world's finest tailors ply their trade. The only way to cover the ride and experience the day out is to get on a bike and roll out with fellow tweeders.
And, to my mind at least, the only way to shoot such a proper event was to use film and my Hasselblad 501CM camera. I took a Nikon D300s too, purely to crack off a few action shots, where time, or lack of, would be an issue. So what bag to use? It just so happened those kind folks at LowePro has furnished me with the Pro Runner 300AW part of a new line of backpacks for this season. And what's more they sent a green and black item rather than the photographers 'any-colour-so-long-as-it-is-black' favourite! The green is not like the old Lowe Pro green, even though it is described as pine green. Praise be! Nope, it's a darker, forest green. The sort of green you may find in the twill of a nice tweed or a clan tartan. Bonus! But enough of the surface stuff. The 300AW is a shallow pack. Unlike it's bigger brethren, it has no laptop compartment and the profile against the back is super low. In fact, in the pic below, taken by a friend, the pack is so slim you cannot see it! It was perfect for the Hassy and the D300s minus the battery pack and with a lens fitted and ready. (I took a 12-24 for the wides and a 50mm 1.4 to give a similar perspective to the 'blad. And threw in my Rapha town gloves and a silk scarf to look the part.)

The zips are not the sticky waterproof kind that making one handed opening with the bag on the ground close to impossible. Because I wanted to carry a circular folding reflector I opted for a folding bike with a luggage rack. The Pro Runner was so stable on my back that I never used the waist belt and only clipped up the sternum strap every now and again on longer stretches (secretly, sections where I wanted to get RAD on a folding bike!) Also in the pack were rolls of 120 film for the Hassy, a wallet of cards for the Nikon that never got used, and a Sekonic light meter. The payload of the bag is way more but after more than a decade of lugging heavy packs over mountainous terrain, I need to travel as light as I can.

I could have used the mesh side pocket to stash a bottle of water on the lovely warm day but in my excitement I clean forgot. Luckily there was a most civilised tea stop in Kensington Gardens where I could refresh myself whilst taking in the amazing outfits and tasty bicycles. I chose to leave the ride on The Strand and make my way back to my car at the start, but those that saw it through partied to the sounds of The Gentleman Rhymer and a jazz band. How very civilised. What ho!

Many thanks to Daniel Bosworth for the images of moi!

JUMP BOYS!

2010-04-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

I may have mentioned before that I recently had the pleasure of shooting Billy Doherty of The Undertones for Cycling Plus magazine. Billy is a keen rider - and it probably helps to be fit for hammering out three minute power pop tunes on his tasty sparkle finish Premier drum kit!The band really looked after us and it was great to see the faces of a fired up crowd that knew the words to every song. From a technical shooting point of view gigs are always tricky. Low lights (I hate using flash, for anything except dragging the shutter for creative blur) and constantly changing colours make life tough. Bands (well, drummers to be more accurate) shot on my old Nikon D2x needed a little attention in post production to clean up the noise associated with high ISOs. But my D300s handles scenes like these with much more aplomb. Nevertheless, I found my trusty 50mm 1.4 prime lens useful in a pinch. The stage was pretty cramped so it was task to eradicate mic stands and assorted gig paraphenalia.

Still, out on the floor I could use the 70-200mm lens to good effect for this image of the lead singer Paul McLoone who does a very good job indeed of filling Feargal Sharkey's shoes. (alas no Parka)

It's been a while since I shot any live music and I came home a happy chappy. The portrait images of Billy will appear in an issue very soon. Can't wait. Until then, I've got the 'tone's greastest hits in the car annoying the heck out of my daughters. Isn't that what music is for?

Win, win, win! The last copy of Goodbye Quartermile Lane.

2010-03-31T01:48:00.000-07:00

Back in 2006 when I heard the Eastway cycle circuit in east London was to be razed to make way for the 2012 Olympic games stadia I got off the sofa and photographed a lot of the final races. Some may recall I made them into book that sold out (you wouldn't know that bit!). Well, I have unearthed a copy. (I like saying unearthed because it's sounds a bit like I have found some Beatles or Dylan photees or something). It is the very last copy to be produced and since they were printed I have lost the layout templates - but you can make it yours in this so-easy-it's-stupid-not-to-have-a-shot competition.
All you have to do is follow me on Twitter and tell me in no more than 100 words-direct mail please not tweets -what made Eastway such a great place to be. Simples!
Obviously, this will appeal to London centric types but folk travelled from far afield to sample its delights. Even the best ever cyclist - no, no, not Lance Armstrong - Eddy Merckx, tipped up one time. International cyclocross races have been contested in the grass and mud around the periphery. Testers, mtbers those funny bikes that look like coffee beans and the ladies that worked the tea urns and made the cakes all gave the circuit such a great vibe. So here's your chance to own a slice of cycling history with none of those boring old words - just pictures. Wahey!

Publish and be damned....?

2010-03-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

Publish and be damned, that’s how the old newspaper cliche goes- but the internet has completely obliterated that quaint old notion. In words terms anyone can say just about anything they want and there are no hyperpolice roaming the ether, truncheons pulled ready to feel collars and break heads! And even if there were, the offending copy can be removed with the click of a mouse.
In picture terms it means everyone - yes, I mean everyone, wants to see images instantly. Like yesterday! They couldn’t even wait for the length of time it takes for a Polaroid to work its magic. Think about how the majority of people view images. They are either taken and stored on their mobile phones or digital compact cameras. Showing a friend a picture of little Billy at the beach, or Jessie’s first birthday is no further than a press of a button. This is A Good Thing. Absolutely. Sharing photos amongst friends and family will always be one of the most important aspects of photography. Seeing images posted on Facebook has driven home just how valuable those memories are.
But it’s a very different deal in the world of editorial shooting. Editors want exclusives. That will never change. They pay their contributors to go out and write a story or shoot some photos and do not expect to see those photos anywhere until the the first run comes off the press all and warm and smelly (good smelly, not bad smelly) and is sitting under their nose being dissected, before some poor sub editor gets a rocket where it hurts. Pictures shot on a commission may not actually see the light of day anything up to two or three months later. In internet terms that is a lifetime. Most netheads have long forgotten the event. The conundrum for the photographer is that he stands to gain from striking when the iron is hot. When memories are fresh and emotions still run high. That’s where event photographers win. The first thing I am asked is ‘when can I see the pictures?’. Some even want to view the images on the back of my camera. Because they can, and because that’s one of the reasons the LCD screen exists. And that’s what they do with their own cameras. So, you see, it’s hard to tell them they can see it all in its glossy (if we’re lucky) paper glory, but that they will have to wait. And the strange thing is I am the same. I shot a race yesterday knowing the pix are incubating on my drives, waiting for the right month to hatch, and yet this morning I was trawling the net looking for my own instant gratification from the very same event! As they say over there: Go Figure. But the bottom line is integrity. Being commissioned by a magazine means that publication not only trusts you to bring back the goods but also not to spill the goods en route back to the office! (of course, no one delivers images to the office by hand anymore-and God Bless the Internet for that!). It’s a dilemma. It’s temptation. What would you do?

The Real Eastenders

2010-03-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

OI! You're 'avin a larf aincha? Sort it aaaat! Here's a little grab shot, taken during a commission for Cycling Plus magazine, that saw us pitch up in deepest Hackney. As it 'appens right in the square that formed the inspiration for Albert Sq in Walford. Would you Adam and Eve it? I spotted this faithul hound waiting outside the newsagents for its master's return and when this guy stepped around it I flicked the switch. Bingo. I think the image has all the trappings of the East End. Bet the dog's name is Bullseye..... (still wondering what the rope around it's belly is for!)

Is Youth wasted on the Young?

2010-03-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

Of course it isn't. I get accused on a pretty regular basis of spending too much time on Facebook. Yeah, perhaps,but like my 20 Bensons-a-day habit, I can handle it! One thing Facebook has done has brought me back together with parts of my youth. Like when an old friend popped up and dropped into the conversation that her daughter was studying to be a photographer. Ace, I thought to myself. More the merrier. Bring it on. In my usual head up my jacksie, cocky way, I offered up my services. Well, turns out this lady doesn't need any help from me! I checked out her website and loved the very first image I saw. I found it so refreshing to see someone with ambition and a plan. When I was 20 all I could think of was clubs and bars, erm, and other stuff. Imagine, knowing what you want to do at a young age and having the skills and the drive to go and do it?! I went back to my old school not that long ago and where there was once a playgound, there is now a spanking new photography department. Ironic. Fantastic. I missed it (although I was always busy in the art rooms) but think of all the new talent spewing out of its doors on an annual basis. Not only do women like Laura have the vision but they speak the digital langauge; something us One Time Users of Film don't find intuitive (well me at least) all of the time. So I use Facebook a bit yeah, but when I discover all the good things that have happened to old mates it makes it all worthwhile. Check out Laura's work if get a chance.

Pocket Wizard TTL for Nikon finally arrives? And breath....

2010-03-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Well, testing has begun on first prototypes which is A Huge Thing or not that big a deal depending on how much you rely on TTL exposure. Personally I am not that concerned with the TTL - but I have been chomping at the bit to get my hands on high speed flash sync modes. Allowing me to fire my flashes at anything up to 8,000th of a second is good news not only for freezing issues but also for using larger apertures for shallower depth of field images. So here is a video of the protos being tested courtesy of Charlie Sorrel at Wired.

Rain workarounds. (or - go indoors)

2010-02-28T15:49:00.000-08:00

Very often the weather has a big part to play in my photography. Obviously it can bring great light, although that is not nearly often enough, but usually it brings rain. And that's exactly what happened
during my last shoot for a bike mag. On the drive down to the storage lockup tiny drops on my windscreen turned into great dollops of freezing water. Not good. One of the riders had been caught getting to the venue and was soaked to skin and shivering. We had a quick pow wow. The theme of bike test was urban so why not shoot them inside amongst the aluminium lockers and harsh lighting of the lock up? Game on. This is one of the few times I have used Nikon's Continuous Light System (CLS), knowing that in such a small space any remote flash would pick up the signals from the pop up flash unit on my D300s. I put an SB-800 each side of the door frame out of sight to back light the bikes and illuminate the corridor immediately behind. then I dialed the tiniest bit of fill-in from the camera flash. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Job done. Almost. In an ideal world I would have shot the bike completely square on to the camera, but I was from a small area where four corridors intersected and as such had no room to manouvre. Square on was too close to the subject for the correct perspective.Hey ho!

Brighty Scores with a District

2010-02-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got a call from Trek asking if I could do a fast turnaround shoot of former pro footballer and now BBC footie pundit Mark Bright taking delivery of his new District. I weighed up the options i.e sunshine and riding v working and money then jumped in the car and pinned it up the M1. As with all things photographic there is a faff factor, whether that comes from the snapper's end or the subject' end or anywhere in between. This time it was the warrenty dept doing whatever they were doing as I stood outside watching the glorious winter light disappearing behind one of Milton Keyne's aluminium warehouses. (Costco, if you must know). So, I had about half an hour to bag Mark with his bike before dark. I chose a one light set up for speed and used a piece of the sun that was coming in onto the alu background. But enough photo-speak. The carbon District looked every bit the stealth bike and Brighty went home made up with his new steed. But not before a little clowning for the camera. We got some 'proper' pix though, of course. Job done and in the bag. Next!

Back to the Future Prt II

2010-02-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

Got a call from MBR last week that sent me up to Thetford Forest for to shoot images of the retrobikers
with their vintage mountain bikes, enjoying a little ATB action. Don't know why they picked on me - probably because, like a fine wine, I am vintage myself and can remember all that coloured anodised stuff that was once the trickest of all things trick. (No one says 'trick' anymore either - or for that matter 'sano', my favourite Mountain Bike Action magazine turn of phrase). Nevermind, first bike I saw wheeled into the blinding winter mist was an Orange Elite, sparkling in its gold livery and looking every inch the early 90s steed that it was. More was to come, Nuke Proof, more Oranges, and my fave (naturally) a bright green Fat Chance Yo Eddy. I kept as real as real can be by shooting all the portraits on film with my Hasselblad. No intricate lighting or posing either. The intention was to make the subjects appear of their time and surroundings. Made me almost wish I'd never thrown that box of anodised chainrings, bolts, bar ends and cranks away. Look out for the full feature in the upcoming issue. Tip: clicking on the image should open it so you can witness the Hasselblad and negative film loveliness.

NO FUN

2010-02-11T14:02:00.001-08:00

NO FUN, originally uploaded by wideopenwaugh.

At all

World's Most Expensive Light Modifier?

2010-02-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

I went to Focus on Imaging last year, principally to speak on the LowePro and BJP stands, but with the added fun of wandering the aisles looking at all the stuff. I always drop by to see Flaghead because they do Quantum Q-Flash and I like seeing what is happening in the world of portable light units. I have used Q-Flash for years now and still love the light quality versus lightweight the system offers. In fact I am still using the T2 versions which are ancient by today's standards, but continue to do what I need and that's enough. Anyhoo, I noticed a tasty snoot on the stand that could really use. Until I saw the cost. I'm not tight (it says here) but if there's one thing I resent paying for it's sunglasses because they always get lost or break, and ,well, snoots. Afterall, it's only a metal tube isn't it? Well yes, it is. But it's a very thin-walled metal tube of a certain diameter to fit inside the flash housing clamp and snugly around the blub. But then I had one of these moments! I cut the steerer tube off a completely knackered Rock Shox Totem bike suspension fork lurking around in the musty recesses of my garage - offered it up to the bare bulb like a lunar module docking sequence (you had to be there) and VOILA! It only fitted perfectly :-) So I now have what is probably the world's most expensive snoot. A full 700 quid's worth. Blingtastic.

Random pic of the Day

2010-02-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

A crisp winter's morning and the sun gleams on the spires of the charming middle England town of Leamington Spa. But that's the last thing on Charge racer Rich Cunynghame's mind as he rails a berm during the RLS4X winter race meet! This is a shot from a feature for Dirt magazine. Coming soon to a newstand near you....

Irish Legends

2010-02-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

I've been scouting around my archive again and came across some work that I shot on a Bronica ETRSi which was de riguer circa late 80s probably because Graham Watson used one. They were big and heavy and slow to load but the quality was better than the 35mm bodies. Loading whilst on the back of a swaying motorbike was always interesting. Anyway, here is the man Sean Kelly pre start of a stage of the Tour of Britain. I love the down tube shifters and Mavic brake levers. And no under bartape cables here. Kelly shunned the new technology for a while as we know. But he still sported the Avocet computer. Very of its time. Then we have fellow countryman Stephen Roche in the start hut and ready for the countdown. Campagnolo Delta for Roche, a man for the big Tours, as opposed to Kelly who savoured the arduous one day Classics. Roche is sporting his 1987 World Champions stripes, so I think this must have been shot a year later. Both images were shot on Kodak Ektachrome transparency film and I am constantly blown away by the quality that comes off my humble scanner. Enjoy!

Dallalgio Cycle Slam 2010

2010-02-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

The Lawrence Dallalgio Cycle Slam kicks off very soon. Feb 12 in fact. The big man has been pounding out the miles around Richmond Park in preparation for five days of purgatory in the saddle to take in the grounds that will host games in this season's Six Nations. More than that he has cajoled a list of sporting celebrities to share road tales and SudaFed cream with him en route. Just look at em. I don't expect them to be as supple and graceful as Lance on a bike but so long as they get there and raise money for Lawrence's charities then that's all that matters. If you fancy donating, it's right there on the page. Good luck Lozzer!

A nice surprise...

2010-01-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

I went in to the Visor Down offices recently to shoot some product for the magazine and low and behold spotted this front kicking around on the desk. I thought it looked familiar; Jamie Witham on a Triumph 675 out in the country lanes. Magazines are always looking forward and shooting for them often means you forget what has been published in the rush to get the next one out of the door. So it was a nice surprise when Barry the art director confirmed it was, in fact, my image. And that I had scored the editorial page image and a main road test feature - the Triumph, Ducati 848 and Suzuki GSX-R750- inside. The feature was shot on the Mallory Park track and then I got half an hour of Jamie ragging the Triumph up and down for the cover before he had to shoot off for a meeting or summat. I've shot a fair bit of motorbikes but this is the first cover so I was chuffed to say the least.

Rutland Cross on a 'blad

2010-01-24T15:09:00.000-08:00

Took one camera to the National Trophy Cyclocross round at Rutland Water and that was my Hassleblad. I understood that I would be restricted in many ways. No built in light meter, no wind-on,no autofocus, one fixed lens. No nada. But what it took away with one hand it gave with the other. More mobile, less faff, superb glass, no back ache!
I soon learned what I had forgotten from so ago: the 80mm lens is the standard focal length on the 6x6 format and that meant if I wanted to isolate a rider, or whatever, from the background or crowd then I would have to get closer and find a better position. No biggie. In fact, for once I left spectators and debris in the frame on purpose. I slowed down. I took for ever to unload and reload a roll of film. I found the back to front waist level finder a bit of a mind game. So what. I got cold wet feet from wading in the reservoir. I shot six rolls of film and I had a grand day out. But this wasn't a paying commission. There were no deadlines. Still, given the right client and the right deadlines I wouldn't hesitate in using the camera again. Sitting feeding negs onto the scanner and listening to it hum away is fairly theraputic! Can't say about a flickering light on a card reader now can you?
NB: I am not a retrogrouch. At least I am trying not to be. I believe in using different tools to achieve varying results. If you like the images leave a message. Signing onto Blogger costs nowt and takes minutes. Ta!

Where's Ian?

2010-01-22T13:09:00.000-08:00

The Shredded Wheat factory in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire is a lovely old building that once pumped the sweet sickly smell of malt cereals into the air. Surrounded by modern glass and steel office blocks, the factory stands in the middle of waste ground being prepared for further construction. The demolition ball has been in and done its worst. It makes me wonder just how long it has left which is one of the reasons I went out to shoot it. These images were captured on very different days in January. The first late afternoon with the lovely golden winter sun. The second after the heavy snowfall that crippled the country for a few days. Please click here to see the entire slideshow in its bigness. (and hang around while it loads!)

Back to the Future?

2010-01-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

I hate sounding like a grouch. My kids tell me I'm grumpy in the morning but I tell them it's nothing personal! The idea of taking my Hasselblad to a bike race wasn't really an act of defiance: that would be as futile as Canute and the waves. (of which more later). Nope. It has more to do with the fact that I want to enjoy every photoshoot I do and I really like the notion of using a tool that isn't really designed for the job. And, next to the 9 frames per second, autofocus, colour-metering, 16G card toting digital bodies and lenses of now, it is patently overfaced. By the time I had pulled the magazine out of the back, wound off the film, opened a new roll and loaded it with wind-chilled fingers, the riders - my targets-had come and gone. More than once. But then I wasn't there to concentrate on any one man. No 'must get the winner' for me. Lovely. All I had to worry my tiny mind about was nice images and the taking thereof. I had a plan for this event which was held at Rutland Water in the East Midlands. The course went along the shoreline at one point and I took a pair of chest waders thinking I would get into the deeper water and shoot at water level back onto the shore. Well, a lack of water and a re-routed course put paid to that, but I did wade out in my wellies to attempt the shot. I think I nailed too. But not before a freak wave washed a gallon of freezing snow melt water down into my socks. And that right at the start of the race! Rather than look for the obvious: head on easy AF shots where the focus points pick up the subject and you can pop off a sequence and pick the best one later, I was forced to plan. To chose very carefully. Pre-focusing and timing. Getting used to a waist level finder: hey those guys are coming from the wrong direction! But it was a very pleasant day out. Now there is the excitement of sending the rolls off to the lab and waiting to see what I have got. No chimping today.
See, I don't like to think of myself as a retrogrouch, but if you don't challenge yourself every now and again what's the point?

Footnote: more strangers completed my camera than when I swing the Nikon DSLRs around!

Troy Paiva's Night Vision

2010-01-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Recently, I updated my Facebook fanpage status, saying that whilst I liked looking at awe-inspiring landscapes I have never had the urge to photograph them. Cityscapes however, are a different flashcard of pixels. Cities excite me. I love the architecture, the inhabitants running around like loonies each with their own agenda, the vibes, the creative buzz. The sleaze! So, when I stumbled across the website of Troy Paiva, I knew I had found a place where the landscape was photographed in such a way as to combine the two and snare my interest completely. Troy is an UrbEx (Urban Exploration) photographer. His photographs capture part of America’s recent past that has been forgotten and left to decay slowly - and beautifully- under the sun of the deserts and arid lands of California, Arizona, Texas and Utah. But These are ordinary documentary images. They are shot at night and Troy carefully and ingeniusly paints colour onto his subjects with gelled lights. The effect is amazing. One can see that long exposures have blurred the stars and smeared the clouds. Palm fronds meld into the night time skies. Silver moonlight and harsh shadows fill many of his stark vistas. Abandoned cars and trucks, airplane ‘boneyards’, gas stations that pumped out petrol in another era, and stations that haven’t seen a train in many a decade. You can almost see the ghosts of people going about their business. I love old Americana. And I’m a sucker for old American cars and it is this gallery on Troy’s site that really appeals to me and why I bought this book. I would have been content with a book of cars but the vehicles are outnumbered by the buildings. So what. I still wasn’t disappointed. I can still go back and look at the gallery until he takes it down. Don't by the way. To think that Troy doesn’t use lightstands or any accoutrements that might hamper him getting into and out of his locations fast is mind boggling. According to the book, he uses one strobe and a lot of flashlights - which I take to means torches. Everything fits into a daysack. I have to say that Paiva’s images have given me more pleasure than any I can think of for a long time. I dived straight onto Amazon and bought this book after seeing it on his website. Marvellous. I pretty much know that when I have some cash for books this one will be at the top of the list.

What Big Freeze?

2010-01-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

At least that's what I thought when I was taking this image from a commission down in Dorset last Tuesday. Yeah, the ground was iron hard from the frost but I was enjoying the white fuzz on the gorse and grass. But snow? Where? The riding conditions were pretty perfect (apart from frozen puddles which had to be spotted and negotiated with caution) and everything was looking rosy. Then it began to rain. Then the rain turned to sleet. Then my SB-800s begun playing up. My Pocket Wizards followed suit. Once the PWs went AWOL I tried using the flashgun's built in photocell but they went on the blink too. The Horror! Luckily I was down to the last bike of six and I managed to scrape by. The shots were fine. Not as polished as would have liked but circumstances such as these occur every now and again. It wasn't the first time. Then the snow hit with a vengence driving up the M3. Headlights into a whiteout. The snow settled on the motorway and lanes were no longer visible. Nice one! Just what you need when you are knackered after a 5am start. Slowed down to about 40mph and crawled up to the M25 where the path was considerably clearer. I love the days when you get a few stories to tell. Saving a job and then my own skin are just two of them. And more snow to come I hear. Bring it I say!

The future of your favourite read?

2009-12-31T03:16:00.000-08:00

For a photographer, the advent of the internet and the digital age has meant many changes. Some good and many,well, pretty crap. One of those is how our images are viewed. The nature of websites mean content is continually being updated so images do not stay around for long. And they are usually used no bigger than a postage stamp. (There is the deeper subject of how to charge for such image use but that's a whole eBook right there). Some websites, often belonging to news corporations, have taken the plunge and decided that, just because content is viewed on a monitor, it doesn't have to be that much different from the paper equivalent. One of those is the Boston Globe with it's BigPictureBlog. Images used big will always retain their IMPACT. How happy must the authors of those pix be? Almost as good good as getting a double page spread.. Now we see this idea from Bonnier R&D which looks stunning. Reading grat globs of text on a palm held device is a pain in the posterior. Enlarging the text to legible size means beaucoup scrolling just to read a sentence. Images are lost along the way. If this invention ever comes to fruition I will be first in line to have one. Every photographer, newsgatherer and magazine junkie (have you seen my toilet?!) should be watching this one....

The Power of Facebook

2009-12-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

See that guy there on the right? His name's Neil Cain and he has become a legend in the Waugh, Pearson and Motton households (that's the other two in the pic) thanks to the power of Facebook. I put a note about my work route yesterday on my FB fanpage. The shoot was of a ride from London to Birmingham. A long way. In less than ideal conditions. See pic:

Yes, that's snow, not pixel noise! Read the thread. Neil offered to bring hot coffee. And not only that he brought mince pies. Legend.
See, Christmas really is the time of goodwill to all men. Even men in Lycra. And it got spooky. Neil went to the same art school as me in Colchester and knew some of the same people. I mean small world or what? So anyway, here's to you Neil. I hope Santa brings you what you asked for. We need more Neils in this world.

Nikon D300s video first outing

2009-12-09T02:52:00.000-08:00

I sold my D90 as soon as I saw the D300s was on the cards (and then Nikon launched the mighty D3s, but that's another story).

I have a D300 and absolutely love that camera to the extent that I use it over my pro spec D2Xs. The screen, and most importantly, the files are superior in every way. So to own a virtually identical body with HD video capabilities was a no brainer.

And last week I got to give it a little run out at a local cyclocross event. The results are OK IMO, but could be way better.

I struggled viewing the rear screen in the bright sunshine, which made any tricky focusing with a shallow depth of field impossible.

There is this little item which would make life easier but at over 300 quid I can't see myself buying it anytime soon. In fact the cost of some of the latest VSLR rigs is getting on for twice the price of the camera body itself! Instead, I have just purchased one of these

which is definitely more useful for achieving decent shots from a caffeine addict. I already own a Hoodman Loupe which I reckon I can cannibalise to meet my needs. After that it's look out Scorcese. Or something.

One of my fave UK racers

2009-12-02T17:12:00.000-08:00

Robert Millar-Grimpeur - Images by Geoff Waugh

We like you too....

2009-11-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

Yep, spotted this at the launch party of the new Soho bike shop Tokyo Fixed Gear (looks great, 4 Peter St, W1. Don't buy the chrome vintage Colnago - I want it) and had to get a pic even on my iPhone. Skaters, BMXers, Fixie riders tend to be creative kind of types and so don't begrudge the odd snap being taken and repaying the compliment. Thanks for spreading the love. Refreshing or what?

It's a mystery, it's a mystery

2009-11-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

My front room came under a painter's brush recently and it forced to me pull down a few old cameras I have on the shelves. One of them is this little beauty - the Ilford Sportsman (no less) - which I bought a couple of years ago from a Help the Aged shop. I love looking at these contraptions with their fiddly little shutter, aperture and film speed settings but look is usually all I do. I don't care if they work or not because more often than not they are bought as props.

But I decided to relieve this camera of its leather (real!) case and put it back in its place in all its glory. Then I got to play around with it a bit and wound the film rewind. I even opened the back and to my surprise this roll of Ilford FP4 black and white film was nestling inside! In fact the film dial has brands of Ilford stock rather than film speeds stated in ISOs; HP5, FP4 F Pan, etc.

Obviously, I have fogged part of the film but what remains on the rest of the roll? Holiday snaps from a time long gone?Saucy pix from a hotel on the A5? Or nothing at all? I will get it processed. Oooh the suspense is killing me. Er, nearly.

Personal work pays...

2009-11-14T06:34:00.001-08:00

Yep, I scored a front cover with one of my fixie images. Actually the very first pic I took when I embarked on the project. Obviously, I either zoned in pretty quick or the subject was cool and relaxed. Or Both. This the cover the British Institute of Professional Photographer's monthly mag called - wait for it..... The Photographer. Yay! In its wisdom it decided to interview me about my work and run the piece in the December issue. Luckily for me, the editor also deemed to place the fixie fashionista on the front, proving that crash, bang peak of action isn't all I do.
So it appears that personal projects can pay off and are a most worthwhile undertaking. Not only have I made a nice little set of images, I have met some really nice people and made some interesting contacts along the way. Like the time I was shooting right outside Intersection offices and the publisher stuck his head out of the door to see what all the commotion was about. Priceless.

Halloween Hatrick

2009-11-02T05:32:00.000-08:00

A trio of portraits from the Rollapaluza Muddy Hell cross race at Herne Hill on Saturday night. I set these up (I did a few) and shot them pretty quickly because the real racing was due to kick off within half an hour and a crazy traffic jam in Camberwell meant I didn't get to the venue exactly when I had hoped! To be honest, I wanted a bit more ambient light in these shots and I'll leave extra early next time because I want to dial this look in. Can't wait another year though..... And thanks Gary for giving me a hand.

All praise the tubeless tyre

2009-10-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Because this may not have happened.....

This is Ivan Oulego, a Spanish rider that has been on the downhill scene for many years and is renowned for his all-out riding style. But at the Worlds in 2000 high on the Sierra Nevada - his style got the better of him and sent him tumbling into the dust. I am in the process of databasing my transparencies for my stock so don't be surprised if little nuggets like this-that never saw a drum scanner or printer's ink- appear from time to time...

Viva las Holgas - the book!

2009-10-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

Viva Las Holgas

vegas through a pla...

By geoff waugh

Book Preview

Yep, my small but perfectly formed collection of Holga images has been collated in between softback covers and is now for sale on Blurb. Take a look at the preview. I have to admit they did a good job of the printing. It's a nice little keepsake.

Back in the day

2009-10-16T15:08:00.001-07:00

Recognise this chap? This was taken back in the day. I suppose mountain biking is old enough now for me to be able to use that tired expression. This is the 2009 World Mountain Bike Champ Steve Peat lofting out of the start gate at the European championships in Metabief, France in 1994. Look at the Kona/Sintesi. Lovely stuff. Look at the stem length and the spindly Marzocchi fork. Still, at least he had disc brakes. Blindin! The point of this is I have been beavering away uploading a gallery collection called, strangely enough, 'Back in the Day'. Jump in and take a look around. Laugh at the technology and the clothing, or simply try and remember some of the names (that's what I am doing). Distilled Mountain Bike mag looked in too. Bless em. Until soon amigos mios.

It's not that far away

2009-10-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

Took a bit of a circular route toward shooting the cross races in Belgium. Down towards Lille and on to Wallers to find the fabled Arenberg Trench. I've never shot the Paris Roubaix but have watched it many times on TV and I always love it when the pack comes hurtling into this section at 60 odd kph. The entry is across a railway line and then there is a subtle descent. Scary shit! Skittling would be a better word than hurtling. From there I went onto Kwaremont to find the climb of the Old Kwaremont. It all looks easy on a sunny autumn day but it is narrow and slippery. I realised when I got into the tiny town square that I had been there before with Robert Millar and Robbie McEwen when we shot Robbie's Rabobank Colnago for Pro Cycling magazine. Roger Hammond was also living in Belgium at that time and popped up too in his Riley Elf. True! From the Kwaremont to one of the most famous - the Koppenberg via the Patersberg (which actually seemed steeper). I didn't have time to get to the Muur at Geraardsbergen. Perhaps during the Tour of Flanders itself , although there may be more people there then.....

Viva Las Holgas!

2009-10-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Got some scanned at last. Here's a small slideshow of the plastic fantastic in full effect. I love em. Just wish I had had more time to shoot this kind of material since the Holga is at its best in bright sunshine. I have made a square format book with these images and more called 'Viva las Holgas' and I can't wait to see it. I may sell some if it's up to scratch. Well Christmas is just around the corner afterall...

Gotta love McNally

2009-10-05T07:01:00.000-07:00

And Joe,that burger looks disgusting!

No explanation necessary. Contains mucho swearing

2009-10-02T16:23:00.001-07:00

and what is it about the no car thing anyway?

Crossvegas shot of the night

2009-09-28T12:12:00.001-07:00

Oh yes. Don't ask me why muscly men in gold lame pants were in a field at a cyclocross race afterdark, but this guy obviously felt a need to join them. No pit brolly but style for miles eh?
Look out for more (proper) images in the upcoming issue of Rouleur magazine.

Interblog

2009-09-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Interblog - Images by Geoff Waugh

So here I am in my hotel room on my penultimate day in the City of Sin. It's 100 degrees outside (always sounds hotter in old money!) at 11am. Praise be for air con. Anyway, part of my mission here was to shoot some products at the Interbike show for MBR magazine. Whilst trawling the enormous halls one couldn't help but notice the recurring theme was fixed gear bicycles. They are all over the shop. Even suspension bike gurus Foes had made one. Doesn't it look mean in its aluminium scaled skin? But since I am into the aesthete of the old school (I never used to be and blame Rapha for that!) I only had eyes for the classic rides. I have posted a few here for you delectation. Nice aren't they? Just a drop in the fixie ocean really. Cinelli had em, the Taiwanese booths had loads of em. And then, I spotted this white Volvo just like The Saint drove back in the day. Wicked!

Holga does the seaside shuffle

2009-09-20T14:59:00.000-07:00

Holga Seaside Shuffle - Images by Geoff Waugh

I love my Holga. Did I say that before? Well there's a thing. These shots were taken on a family outing to the beach at Aldeburgh in Suffolk, a lovely place that time has almost (you can get online) forgotten. And they like it that way. On a bluebird day the Holga really shines. I put a roll of EPP through and x-processed it for full saturated colours effect. We had three kites that day. Two disintegrated in the high winds and the one pictured soared like the best kites should. And the twine gave me a lovely burn on my shooting finger. It was so bad I had to go to the Galleon fish and chip shop and eat an Admiral portion of cod and chips, followed by steam pudding and custard. Amazing healing qualities, but I needed a walk in the bracing sea air afterwards. Burp!

Vegas baby..

2009-09-17T06:58:00.001-07:00

I must admit I'm pretty excited about jumping on the big red bus to Las Vegas. The last time I was there was 2003 when I took in the Interbike show and then drove onto Virgin,(little airline link there..) Utah to cover the Red Bull Rampage. Since there's been a bit of a film renaissance in the Waugh household, I took a detour to Calumet to pick up some 120 roll film, before visiting Rouleur magazine. I am in a quandry as to what to take to the city of sin. My heart says Holga, but I was very pleased with the results from the Bronica SQ (see Roadwrites piece below) and the pix I got from my Fuji 645 in Vegas last time were nice too. As you see, I bought 160VC, Portra 800 for dusk and night shots, some EPP - the best stock for cross processing- and a brick of Kodak BW400CN which will be nice for some desert high contrast stuff and is especially good through a Holga. So what to use? I may toss a coin. I may lose some coin. It is Vegas afterall.....

Posted via email from Geoff's posterous

I Doooon't believe it!

2009-09-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Got an email today from Rich Cunynghame pointing me this. It's getting weirder by the week! Thanks Cunny and I hope you enjoyed riding in the wheel tracks of giants. And thanks Dirt for blogging the piece. And a really big and humble thanks to Mattias Fredriksson for calling my pix legendary! Mattias is a super talented photog himself and has just won the Crankworx photo challenge over in Whislter, British Columbia. If you haven't seen his work then you really should.
What I remember most about Are though, is not Palmer but the fantastic tunes the DJ was playing later that night. Hey ho! I wonder when the World Champs will revisit Scandinavia.

RoadWrites on film

2009-09-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

Phew, finally found some time to get the 120 rolls developed for my RoadWrites project. You know, it can be tough finding a lab that does that kind of stuff these days! I found one not too far from me called Menor (they even do cross processing, lawks a laudy!) in Harlow so I get to savour a little slice of Essex life when I visit. And that. Anyway, I am pleased with the quality of the contacts and pleased that the SAS style day in day out approach paid off. I got lots of punchy stuff which, when blown up , should look impressive. For the techy I shot these on a Bronica SQ with a 150mm f3.5 lens. The film was a hot potch of what I could find in various bags and four rolls of Fuji Superior that I bought from my local camera shop before I left for the aiport. Do you think I could find 120 film in Gatwick duty free? Fageddaboutit!

Downtime....aaaaaah

2009-09-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

No blogging for a week. That's what happens when I take a holiday. No apologies given. I took the girls - that's happy Nancy and angry Molly and Heather (not in picture!) to Morzine for a well-deserved break. As some of you know, Morzine is a mountain bike paradise. Lifts galore, trail after great trail;it's no wonder so many Brits make the journey to top up their buzz counter. But I didn't take a bike, didn't rent a bike and did look longingly at those that did! Still, we did plenty of things that I never get time to do, like taking the girls kayaking, and taking a chairlift up for the first time- and down too. (Actually, this is a great way to spot trails you may not have seen before). I did take cameras though. A mini-camcorder, a Lomo LC-A and a Bronica SQ. What? Too many? Don't think so. The cam and the Lomo are great holiday filming gadgets, and the Brony -well, I knew I was going to be near the Col du Joux Plane and wanted to add to the graffiti project I am shooting for Rouleur. Lucky for me I found some, snagged some cool landscape/last rays/cloud shots too and got back in time for my tartiflette and l'escargots. I came back pretty relaxed. Almost enough to wear the happy hat. Almost! The caps are courtesy of Velo Club Moulin (see my links). Look out for the black,red and yellow at a cross race near you. Au revoir mes amis! That could be wrong, I dropped out of French in the third year.....

Road Writes

2009-08-22T04:41:00.001-07:00

This is an interesting piece of graffiti I spotted in the tree section on the lower slopes of Mont Ventoux. I read it as 'Chance Last Lance' which made me, and a rider who was descending from Chalet Reynard and had stopped for a chat, chuckle outwardly. But then when I was processing the shot I thought, perhaps it was written for Lance as he climbed towards that familiar summit. ' Lance Last Chance'. In which case does it need a comma 'Lance, Last Chance' or a hyphen in that newspaper way: 'Lance - Last Chance'. I don't know but taken on face value it looks like a literal translation into English from another language. Anyway, I shot the writing as part of my RoadWrites photo story for Rouleur magazine. I have put a small slideshow up here that was captured on a 35mm DSLR, but the finished article was shot on 6x6 film so the crop and the feel will be a very different animal, with no riders. More abstract and graphic as it was intended (I took the digi set up because it's been a long time since I used medium format and I didn't want to come away with nothing! Ed's note: honestly is the best policy). I'm off to Morzine tomorrow on a family holiday, but I know that the Avoriaz climb and the Col du Joux Plane are very close by and have old graffiti on them. Time to sneak the MF in amongst the undercrackers and jars of Branston pickle....

And there's more...

2009-08-21T07:07:00.001-07:00

Naplam back on Intense

The story won't lay down!

Palmer in Are - ten years on

2009-08-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

It all seems a bit strange to me but that man Shaun Palmer has suddenly re-appeared in my life. Not only has the man that changed downhill mountain biking come back to the race scene after a long layoff but it is ten years next month when he came within a whisker of winning the World Championships at the Worlds in Are Sweden. Then in the July issue of Dirt magazine, Rich Cunynghame rated the shot above as his favourite ever! Back in 1999 myself and Mal Fearon were shooting for MBi (Mountain Biker International). Mal had gone up the hill to catch the action whilst I preferred to stay in the arena, close to the hotseat (A battered old ski chairlift) to get all the atmosphere and reaction shots. Unfortunately, I was unsighted of the finish line or else I may have got the entire sequence of Palmer's crash when he was up on the clock and about to take the hot seat and possible win. He must have been flying though because his momentum carried him up to the line itself, albeit on the ground. A man made ramp and mud-covered kerb put paid to his rainbow jersey aspirations.
I was on a 300mm 2.8 lens which was perfect for the sequence. Anything shorter and I would have been struggling. But first I had to get over my inital shock and not just take the camera away from face and become a spectator. I actually shot more frames then you see in the slideshow but they are very similar so this is a better edit. I included one of Palms singing autographs after the event, showing what a pro he is under the strutting! So, in frame two we have Palmer on the deck on his back - in the left corner veteran mtb photog Tom Moran in the purple MBPA vest-before slowly getting up to his feet, then sitting back down to survey the damage and how much tattoo ink he may have left on the tarmac. Then he is with his coach, former Tour de France pro Gert Jan Theunisse. I knew I had a great clutch of shots in the bag and in fact MBi ran the entire sequence across a double page spread. But I am more amazed at the continuing interest. The resort of Are is holding exhibition from what was a brilliant championship and fellow Swedish photog Mattias Fredriksson (who just won the CRankworx photo challenge) asked me to supply the images to be included. So click through to the slideshow and enjoy a tiny slice of mtb history!

FixieCity Project -part two is bagged.

2009-08-13T02:34:00.001-07:00

FixieCity - Images by Geoff Waugh

Are all bike riders nice, or do all nice people ride bikes? Even in fast moving, tension-packed, gun- toting (whoops went a bit too far then) London town it seems bike riders have time to stop and have their picture taken. But better still they all had time for a natter, to recommend other riders and places to shoot and generally shoot the breeze. (Apparently August is a quiet month for cycle couriers). Even Mo who looks nails with his fully inked arms and legs and huuuuge earrings was mild as a kitten. We stalked the same locale as the first session, and even though the weather was not as good, we bagged three portraits in quick succession - always encouraging. Spotting good photo backgrounds in London is not the hardest part of the job; there's one on every corner, and I found a place where I could use three different angles. (Domingo St if you really must know). Normally, I wouldn't include a close up but Mo's ink was so impressive I decided to run one pic. I think I will make a slideshow just for him at a later date. Click on the slideshow if you want to view the images more clearly.

Amazing surf photography

2009-08-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

I have dabbled with surf photography in the past but soon realised you have to be 100% committed to produce good work and not bunk off when its six feet and there's an offshore blowing. But I still always buy the Surfer photo annual when I see it on the shelves. However, this group of sub surface surf shots taken by the suitably named Jacob Cockle blew me away. Fantastic photography. Inspirational and technically superb. Go and take a look. You won't be disappointed.

Casy Stoner Desmo replica for TWO mag.

2009-08-04T00:55:00.001-07:00

Ducati Desmo Stoner Rep - Images by Geoff Waugh

You know you have something special when the road tester is so nervous he can hardly speak.
This racing Ducati wasn't on loan from a company test fleet, it belonged to a real live punter. And it is worth 55 Grand! Dropping this beauty would be very expensive - forget about the embarrassment. We treated it with the respect it deserved. Unfortunately, people that lived on the leafy roads around Crewe weren't given the same amount of love; have you heard those pipes?!! A great day out.

Saracen 2010 rock my Docklands studio

2009-07-30T16:24:00.001-07:00

Because that's how they roll, Saracen wanted to shoot their line of bikes for next year in my studio deep in the wet and windswept ruggedness of Docklands. Who was I to complain? That's what the parque floor is for afterall. Not a drop of Moet Chandon was split on the woodwork though, as we got through some 18 bicis ready for the new brochure. That's my assistant Phil there pretending he can take pictures, instead of buffing the tubes and making the tea as per his brief. For more about the bikes (and the truth) rock on over to Madison site. See ya.

if you publish it they will come.......

2009-07-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Bontrager2412 - Images by Geoff Waugh

I bought a Quechua two man tent for this event. The last one was a Halfords one man-er and I broke one of the poles folding it up. (It must be said at this point I am not known for my patience). I briefly scanned the instructions for folding before I left for Plymouth. When the crunch time came I was wet and tired. The tent went home with me pretty much pitched in the back of my car. It now resides in my back garden where it is alternately drying out and getting soaked. Anyway, Bonty 24 12 was as good as ever. I am really jealous of the guys that get to ride the swoopy singletrack on Cottage return. Maybe next year I will have more time for riding and not practising reverse origami. Enjoy.

Project Instant starts today

2009-07-24T01:26:00.001-07:00

Project Instant starts today, originally uploaded by wideopenwaugh.

Yep, thanks to my pal Nathan at Fuji, my long overdue instant film project kicks off today. Well, tomorrow to be really accurate but today I will pack those lovely little bricks of coloured goodness into my bag and head off down the motorway to glorious (hopefully) Plymouth on the English Riviera. I am covering the Bontrager 24/12 endurance race but that won't be the end of The Project. Oh no. I can see this one rolling for a long time...........

When the shit goes down, you better be ready

2009-07-18T08:41:00.001-07:00

I shot these images at 4am this morning. At 3am the rain wasn't that bad. Driving to the start of the 210k Salzkammergut marathon race-a sort of classic mtb event in the region- the weather worsened. Thunder, lightning - what more do you need? Shooting my rider in the dark in a field of 600 all wearing wet weather gear was virtually impossible. At least for me. The course turned into a raging torrent. I fully expected my man to come floating down the spate like a drowned sheep. When the racers broke above the tree line the temperature plummeted to 1 degree. The only respite was a corridor hewn into a rock face that provided shelter. But for ten minutes max. Riders soon capitulated to the freak conditions and began retiring, finding shelter and warmth wherever they could. My rider stopped when a marshall told him his lips were blue. But he still had a 60km ride to the finish point. A truly epic event, but one that the organisers were forced to bring to a premature end before someone died. Seriously. Yesterday it was 30 degrees and I got suburnt. They say tomorrow will be fine too. Whatever next hey?

Oooh exciting

2009-07-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Geoff

I am pleased to tell you that your image number PR_001_7725 has been shortlisted in the final round of the BIPP National Photographic Awards 2009.

Kind regards

Jane Goward
PA to Chief Executive

I got this mail whilst away on a press camp and I cannot even remember what image PR_001_7725 contains! When I get home I really must take a look.. Wish me luck.

Like, WaughStock maaan

2009-07-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time coming. Actually, it's been 'kin years coming but there you go. Finally I have attached a stock site and a print sales page to waughphotos. Well not me, because that would involve backside shenanigans that I have little time for, but my old school friend Neal Orange Peel over at ThemApples doesn't mind. Doing things in my natural reverse order, all I have to finish now is keywording thousands of images so you can find what you want when you want. As it happens, thanks to the digital age, many of them are done, but those that I shot on good ol' Velvia will need some attention. And don't get me started on the thousands of black and white negs I have stashed from my newspapers days. Grrr. Likewise I need to complete my pricing structure for the prints but suffice to say there will be signed limited run editions.... So up until then you can certainly take a look around at what I have uploaded to date. There's a few thou to keep you occupied. Put the kettle on. Pull up a chair. Peruse, people, peruse..

The Longest Day......

2009-07-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

World Cyclocross Champs, Hoogerheide, Netherlands. 2009 from Geoff Waugh on Vimeo.

Up at 3am to travel to the cross Worlds in Holland. Freezing cold. Course hard as iron fast as tarmac. Snow warnings for UK when he got back to the French side tunnel. Big fall in Kent. M20 closed. Trucks and cars scattered all over the place. I got in at 2.30am. Some of the party got back at 6.30 the following morning. Worth it though! This video illustrates the crazy nature of a cyclocross world champs - turn the volume up! Then a big stills slideshow. Stick with it......

100 Mile portraits

2009-07-06T14:47:00.001-07:00

The 100 Mile Club from Geoff Waugh on Vimeo.

iPhone Only.

2009-07-01T05:16:00.001-07:00

Yep, exactly that. Well, to be honest I did stash a Lomo LC-A in my Camelbak but this was a riding only break. I've lugged the black shoulder beast around the Passportes du Soleil route too many times now. So, yeah, the Alpes. Big. Bigger than the very biggest hill I ride in the UK. But that's why there are chairlifts. And wet too. Our first ride was down the Pleney downhill course which is a shocker when you have been riding around your local woods. Steep, rooty, rutted, the works. Arm pump? Oh yes. Pucker factor? F22. But ,just like the last time we attended the Passportes, the weather relented for the Big Day and the sun shone of the region offering majestic views and (almost) dusty riding. I only stacked once and at low speed.
The trails are still the best I have ridden - although why the organisers decided to switch the cracking singletrack down to Chatel with a fire road descent and then a fire road climb beats me. Still, now we know the way zip tying a board to the bars is no longer necessary. Roll on next year. Or even next month. Chapeau!

Throwing your toys out of the gondola

2009-06-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

The World Cup downhill course at Fort William in the bonny Highlands has seen some cameras on its damp midge-infested slopes. Imagine how many pixels are born and die during just one race, let alone an entire season... That's one of the reasons this year I took my toy Holga. It's a change of pace. You can kick back a little and view the scene in a slightly different way. And if you don't take all the DSLRS paraphenalia (I did) then you can travel as light as a small plastic box will allow. And whilst I was recovering from a big walk down Aonach Mor and hoping to find somewhere open that sold food, my bike colleague Andy Waterman was at the Smithfield Nocturne shooting the road crits through a toy of his own. Check it out. And whilst your at it check back to see my 'Ten of the Best' 'proper' pictures from the race over on my site. Cheers!

Cheers JPG Mag!

2009-06-12T05:07:00.001-07:00

I had almost forgotten all about this image I shot as an opening spread for MBR magazine in a feature about mud riding. But it appears those cats over at JPG Magazine approve because it was chosen as one of the shots in their 'Ant's Eye View' theme. Which is nice. Amazing what you can do with a sheet of Perspex..... Take a look around JPG - there's some amazing photography.

That's not a fixie - this is a fixie!

2009-06-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

A fixie from the past. A 100 tooth chainring paired with a 28 tooth sprocket. As ridden by a certain Mr Townsend of Cambridge on a bike called the LightBlue. Look out for the full story and the revived for '09 version of the LightBlue once I get back from the Highlands.

Urban Fixations....

2009-05-28T10:10:00.001-07:00

Fixies are the rage. No Doubt. They have gone from being stripped down, pure race bikes designed for maximum speed in the velodrome, to the ride of choice for bike messengers threading through lines of traffic and pedestrians, to the velocipede of the young and hip. There's a scene in most cities. Bike shops are cashing in selling £199 fluoro look-a-likes that last two weeks max. But hey, they are bikes being ridden right? So, I decided to get slice of the fixie thang and shoot some street level portraits. I had sat in a coffee bar at the crossroads of Goswell Road and Clerkenwell Road and watched as the fixies went on their way so that's where I started. I used an assistant (many thanks Nicky) and one of these. But since I still don't trust the Nikon Continuous Light System for anything other than indoors or low light scenarios, I used my trusty Pocket Wizard Radio transmitters. Armed and ready, all we had to do was stop our unsuspecting victims, ahem, subjects. Of course, once a fixed wheel is up to speed all it wants to do is keep rolling and so we had to do a lot of flagging and shouting above the din of the London traffic to snare our models. But once we told the idea they came in willingly. Working quickly we shot ten frames maximum and then let them go about their business. A lot of shoe leather was worn and a lot of coffee drunk but we think we did good. Going again to add some more to the project pot very soon. Keep dropping by. Click HERE or on the above image to see a slideshow of the fixie winners for this week.

Pardon my French

2009-05-25T06:17:00.001-07:00

Fakin'theTS

2009-05-22T13:10:00.001-07:00

Fakin'theTS, originally uploaded by wideopenwaugh.

This is two tests in one. Firstly I wanted to blog this image via my Flickr account and secondly, I wanted to try out the capabilities of this site It doesn't look too bad eh? Not perfect but good enough to make some people wonder if shelling out a lot of dosh - £600 upwards dependent on what spec floats your boat- for the Real Thing. You will see if you visit the site that it couldn't be easier. Upload, have a play with a couple of sliders, export and badabing! your very own tilt shift image. It's a bit ironic that this fake way of making shifted focal plane images has arrived just as a mini-spate of real lenses has hit the market. It makes me wish I had bought the 5x4 field camera my brother got for nowt when Joe's Basement, the 24 hour London Processing lab went belly up, but hey, you can't have it all. Meanwhile, like all the other digital natives, I'm prepared to fiddle with this little diversion for a while.