Seb Rogers: mountain bike photography

Two wheels good

i don't often post links to other photographers' work here for, well, obvious reasons. But if you like bikes, enjoy looking at pictures of bikes and have a spare ten minutes, there are a couple of places on the web worth visiting at the moment.

Foreign Policy's online magazine has a photo story tying together bicycle use around the world, from the Tour de France to transporting bananas in Burundi. And the Boston Globe's Big Picture feature on the Tour has some stunning images from the toughest race on earth (TM).

It's enough to make you want to go out for a ride.

Goodbye 2009, hello 2010

(Belatedly). So. That was 2009. 

A year that saw me score a dozen or so covers, run my first ever - and by common consent hugely successful - Alpine photo course (watch this space for news of the 2010 Alpine course), rediscover bikes with silly skinny tyres, get rained on once too often, have a hand in breaking thousands of pounds worth of kit and even take the odd photo or two. 

New year's resolutions? Ride my bike more (you'd be surprised. No, really). Continue to find new ways to make photos of riding bikes as enticing and exciting as possible. Buy a house with a garage. And, er, that'll probably do for now.

Thanks for reading, and here's to a brighter and better 2010. In the meantime - and breaking my self-imposed rule not to publish anything here before it's appeared in print - here's a sneak peak of some '09 stuff that'll be appearing in various mags on a newsstand near you very shortly:

Client: MBUK  Nikon D3, 16mm f/2.8, approx. 10 secs f/5 @ ISO2500, two radio slaves

Client: What Mountain Bike  Nikon D3, 17-35mm f/2.8, 1/2000sec f/8 @ ISO200

Client: Tri Plus  Nikon D3, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/200sec f/13 @ ISO200, two radio slaves   

The Doh! factor

When you take into account all the variables that go into a successful shoot - from trail conditions to weather to traffic jams to recalcitrant kit to simple lack of inspiration and on and on - it sometimes seems pretty amazing that I come back with anything usable at all. But that's what I do - come back with the goods, time after time. It's what I'm paid for, and I'll do everything in my power to make it happen.

But for all the vicissitudes and uncertainties associated with weather and all the rest, one thing I've been relatively luck with over the past 13-odd years is crashes. Or rather, a relative lack of them. 

Until recently. Y'see, in the past couple of months I - or rather, riders on my shoots - have successfully destroyed one range-topping, all-singing bells-and-whistles carbon frame... and one front wheel. And when I say 'destroyed', I'm not dressing things up. Here, for example, is the frame that emerged rather the worse for wear after a lowish speed over-bars bailout:

Yes sir, we do folding carbon frames. Provided you only want to fold it the once, in one direction

The front wheel suffered a broadly similar fate, in remarkably similar circumstances.

Rider injuries on my watch so far have been, thankfully, considerably less severe. But I can't help chuckling inwardly at some of the risk assessment paperwork that's been shunted my way recently (largely, it would seem, to appease the legal bods and insurers). Mountain biking hazardous? Why yes (though arguably less hazardous, statistically, than crossing the road or, indeed, getting out of bed). But surely that's one of the reasons we all do it.

Or am I missing something? 

Own a piece of Olympic history

One of the perks of my job is getting to meet and, occasionally, ride with the stars of mountain biking. Entirely unsurprisingly, these men and women are just like you or I... but faster on a bike. A lot faster.

Oli Beckingsale lives just down the road from me, has helped me out on more photoshoots than I care to remember, rides a bike faster cross-country than most people and has represented Great Britain twice at the Olympics. He's also a great guy. Which probably explains why he's auctioning several bits of kit from his racing career in aid of a children's charity. The Beijing SIDs are particularly cool - a genuine one-off and a piece of Olympic history.

Have a rummage down the back of the sofa and put in a bid. It's in a good cause... 

Alpine high

I love it when a plan comes together. Last week's Alps photo course was, by all accounts, a huge success. Amongst the comments and feedback I've received are these:

'I thoroughly enjoyed the course, and I learned a lot, and had great fun too!'

'The whole week was a wonderful experience, and it was a major disappointment to return home'

You can read more first-hand experiences from the whole week here.

To be honest, I'm breathing a small sigh of relief. Although I was certain I'd picked the right location and had every confidence in our hosts, trailAddiction, it was a new venture for me: new location, extended hours and an (intentionally) small group size. We were usually first out of the door and last back in, grabbing food with our fellow chalet riders before huddling over laptops for the rest of the evening... and then doing the whole lot all over again. Intense.

But the results were well worth the effort. Early mornings, late nights, sunburn and far too many chocolate croissants are all a small price to pay for the images that David, Niels and Linda brought back. There's already talk of a repeat course next year...

Can you say 'just one more time?'

Nikon D300, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/2500sec f/4 @ ISO200

That'll be Mont Blanc, then...

Canon EOS 1DIII, 70-200mm f/2.8, 1/250sec f/10 @ ISO200

Niels ladles on the cheese

Sony A100, lens unrecorded, 1/200sec f/16 @ ISO200

Linda gets acquainted with her camera's dynamic range. And the pic's not bad, either...

Nikon D80, 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6, 1/200sec f/5 @ ISO200, single radio slave

Shoot of the year

It's not in the shops for another few days, but subscribers will already be receiving the first copies of What Mountain Bike's annual Bike of the Year issue - and I can't resist giving a sneak peak at some of the photos I've been sitting on for the past few weeks. Go on, go out and buy a copy - it's got lots of shiny bikes in it, one or two decent pics... and you'll have the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you're indirectly helping to pay my mortgage. What more could you ask for?

Nikon D3, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/640sec f/5.6 @ ISO200

The Bike of the Year issue has always been a bit of a bumper round-up of the absolute best in mountain bikes and kit, put together by indisputably the most experienced test team in the business. But this year editor Matt Skinner pulled out all the stops, bumped a few of the suits' heads together and put into action a Master Plan of truly epic proportions - including a five-day shoot in the Lake District and a trip to California.

And yours truly got the call to shoot it. All of it.

Nikon D3, 80-200mm f/2.8, 1/320sec f/9 @ ISO200, two radio slaves

Nikon D3, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/200sec f/13 @ ISO200, two radio slaves

To say I was chuffed would be an understatement. Forty-odd pages of editorial in a single issue is a pretty good showcase by any standards. It's also a fairly big responsibility, and there were a few wobbly moments (me to Matt, on hearing of his plan to fill 28 pages of the mag on a 5 day shoot in the Lakes in early April: 'er... are you sure you want to do that?'*). But I love a challenge - and this was certainly it.

Nikon D3, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/400sec f/8 @ ISO200, two radio slaves

So I spent 11 days on location, 7 of them shooting. Drove 1500 miles. Flew around 10,000. Filled umpteen 2Gb cards with raw images, then spent nearly 3 days editing them down to a more manageable number before processing the resulting several hundred files to jpegs. Dropped one of my Pocket Wizards in a lake. Got sunburnt, twice. Stood in cold water for so long my feet hurt. Cursed the D3 sensor's magnetic attraction to dust, a lot. Praised its ability to turn in clean files in almost no light, several times. Rediscovered the joy of Duck Tape.

Nikon D3, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/60sec f/4.5 @ ISO1600, single radio slave

Nikon D3, 14-24mm f/2.8, 1/250sec f/11 @ ISO200, two radio slaves

And, although the resulting swathe of pictures in the new issue inevitably has me focussing on the ones I coulda shoulda woulda shot better, I'm actually quite pleased with the results. All 43 pages of them. 

With such a wide-ranging brief I had to shoot a bit of everything - from epic landscapes and atmospheric riding pics, to portraits of slightly reluctant subjects and the biggest, most complicated location still-life of bikes I've ever undertaken. it's good to get out of my comfort zone every now and then - it pushes me to try new techniques and look at familiar problems in a new light. And it's usually in situations like these that I turn in my best pictures.

It's been a busy month. But a worthwhile one.

Nikon D300, 10.5mm f/2.8, 1/20sec f/22 @ ISO200

* Perhaps you have to be British to understand: the Lake District is to rain what Arizona is to the lack of it.

The freedom of two wheels

I have a rule that I don't blog about my family, but I'm going to make a rare exception in this case. It's bike-related, after all.

The other day my daughter had her fourth birthday and was given, thanks to her generous grandparents, her first 'proper' bike. She's been tooling around on a scootalong for about 18 months and pretty much had balance sorted by last summer, but the new machine has pedals and brakes (with levers and handlebars properly scaled for small hands). As you can see from Tashi's expression, she's pretty pleased. Yes, that's a matching helmet and Camelbak...

It's early days, but whilst the addition of pedals and brakes is a distraction that's overriding some of that balance practice, the other day she rode her new bike halfway to school, stopping only to have a drink halfway up the big climb. Like father, like daughter.

And it's nice to see the sheer excitement that the freedom of two wheels can bring, all over again. Remember your first bike? I do.

OK, that's my proud dad bit out of the way. Normal service will resume shortly...

Happy new year!

Here's to dry, sunny, dusty trails in 2009...

Nikon D3, 17-35mm f/2.8, 1/400sec f/7.1 @ ISO200, two radio slaves

Triptychs: last chance for Christmas

My last pre-Christmas batch of triptych frames arrived today and I have just two left. Orders are sent out for next day delivery, so there's still time - just - to get your order in for Christmas. But I'll need your order - and payment - by Friday 19th December to be in time for Christmas delivery. Email me if you're interested.

No idea what I'm talking about? See here.

The perfect Christmas gift for the mountain biker in your life?

Christmas ordering: please see here for latest ordering info.

What do you buy for the mountain biker who has everything? How about a signed, limited edition Seb Rogers print?

Well I would suggest that, wouldn't I? But hear me out.

I've put together four exclusive triptychs, each one featuring a series of three themed images beautifully mounted, framed, signed and individually numbered. The 20x60cm (approx. 8"x24") frames sit well on even the most limited wall space, and the deep black surround matches most decor. I'll only be making a maximum of 10 (yep, ten) of each.

Not much wall space? No problem...

Individually signed and numbered. I'll only be making 10 of each...

Oh, the themes? Here they are (the framed versions obviously won't be watermarked):

Mountain:

Sky:

Water:

Trail: (please note these images are presented in a vertically orientated frame)

I don't think you'll find anything like these prints anywhere else. And the best bit is the price: £99.00, delivered to your door. Yep, less than £100 for a framed, signed, limited edition print.

Go on, put a bit of riding magic on the wall of someone who'd rather be out on their bike...

You can pay by Paypal ([email protected]), or email me if you'd prefer to pay by cheque or direct bank transfer. I'll need to know which print you'd like and your delivery address. Please allow at least 14 days for delivery. For last-minute Christmas orders, please contact me before sending payment.

FAQs

- can you deliver outside the UK?

Sorry, no. I've had boxes specially made for the frames, but the glass is too fragile to send overseas.

- how big are the prints?

Each print is roughly 9.5x14cm (3.75"x5.5"). The frames are 20x60cm (8"x24").

- how long will the prints last?

Print longevity depends on a lot of factors including temperature, humidity and exposure to light. I've used the highest quality inks and paper and a professional printer to ensure that my prints are as resistant to fading as possible. With a little care in handling, display and storage they should last decades.

- can I choose which three pictures to put in the frame?

I've put a lot of time into matching each series of three images, so the answer is no, I'm afraid.

- where were the images taken?

From British Columbia and Nepal to the South Downs and Exmoor, via the French Alps and mid Wales. Each frame will have full captions on the rear.

- I have another question...

email me.

Christmas ordering: please see here for latest ordering info.