Eclipse?
This week, as the eagerly anticipated eclipse drew near, residing in Rochester, NY, I was filled with anticipation to capture some breathtaking photographs of the corona and the overall event. Unfortunately, the weather had its own agenda, resulting in a complete absence of eclipse visibility due to cloud cover. Despite the inevitable disappointment, Rochester's unpredictable weather is something one learns to navigate with a sense of resignation.
However, it's worth noting that the brief span of darkness, coupled with the dramatic cloud formations, lent an eerie atmosphere to the day. This unique experience was further enhanced by sharing this moment with our friends and neighbors. Below is a selection of photographs I managed to take, offering a glimpse into the event's subtle beauty.
How was your experience? Did you have better luck?
Capturing the Spirit of the Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon: A Race Photography Reflection
I was delighted to be invited by Ron @ GF Media to photograph this year's Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon. It had been a while since I had captured a race, and although I was confident in my abilities, I couldn't help but feel a bit unsure about the quality of my work. Race photography requires a different skill set than taking portraits or shooting for oneself, as you have to set up and compose your shot quickly before the runners pass by.
Despite my worries, I woke up early and traveled to Ithaca to meet Ron, as we have done many times before. We had a general idea of where we wanted to shoot, and we trusted each other's skills. My aim was to capture images that made the runners feel proud and accomplished - something they could look at and think, "I kick ass."
During the day, I reflected on our philosophy and realized that Ron and I share the belief that our goal for the day is to bring positivity and joy to people's lives. We know that the races we photograph are challenging, and we want to celebrate the efforts of every participant - from the first to the last. We could easily set up a camera and take unedited shots, but that's not our style. We believe that we can do so much more by capturing and honoring their achievements.
One of the things that struck me the most was the sheer determination on the runners' faces. Some were gritting their teeth, some were smiling through the pain, and some were just looking absolutely exhausted. But every single one of them was pushing themselves forward, step by step, mile by mile. And as I captured those moments on camera, I realized that this is what it's all about - not just the final outcome, but the journey to get there.
As the day drew to a close and the runners crossed the finish line one by one, I felt a sense of accomplishment wash over me. Yes, I had captured some incredible photographs, but more than that, I had been a part of something truly special. I had seen people push themselves farther than they ever thought possible, and I had been there to capture those moments of triumph. And when I looked back at my photos, I knew that each one of them represented a story - a story of hard work, determination, and an unyielding spirit. And that, perhaps, is the true spirit of the Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon.
Here is a collection of some of my favorites. I'd love to know what you think.
Full Collection Here: Gorges Half Marathon | RNR - 2023 by Ron Heerkens Jr / Goat Factory Media Entertainment
W04: let's shoot a race again!
This week was a blast! I was invited to shoot the Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon by my good friends Ron Heerkens Jr. and Ian Golden at Red Newt Racing. This is the fifth time that I’ve had the pleasure of photographing this race and as usual the event was SO MUCH FUN.
The early morning drive to Ithaca provided some beautiful sunrise opportunities and throughout the day you couldn’t have asked for better weather to run (or photograph) a race.
Here are a few of my favorites from the day…with a bonus few from my post-race trip to the top of Taughannock Falls.
2016 Muddy Sneaker Trail Race
To my mind, every year the trail racing season only really starts when Mort says "Go" at the Muddy Sneaker Trail Race. It is a classic race with a long history that ends up being a family reunion of sorts. It is a place where everyone shakes off the winter, breathes fresh air and enjoys the upstate NY scenery as they beat themselves up across 12 miles of hilly terrain.
To my mind, every year the trail racing season only really starts when Mort says "Go" at the Muddy Sneaker Trail Race. It is a classic race with a long history that ends up being a family reunion of sorts. It is a place where everyone shakes off the winter, breathes fresh air and enjoys the upstate NY scenery as they beat themselves up across 12 miles of hilly terrain.
Traditionally at Muddy Sneaker, the weather is cold and the skies are grey, but this year we were blessed with blue bird skies and warm weather. Of course, I was there with a camera in hand. My goal in processing these images was to capture the vibrancy of the environment, as the colors burst forth in their full Springtime glory. I hope you enjoy!
HI TOR NAPLES, NY - FUJIFILM X-T1
2015 Twisted Branch Trail Race // The Ascend Collective
Earlier this year I had been approached to shoot the inaugural running of the Twisted Branch 100K - which I immediately jumped at the opportunity to do. What wasn't to love? Trails, check. Opportunity to showcase Upstate New York, check. Support friends who were running the race, check. In Spring, all of these things seemed amazing, but as the race drew closer and my ideas started to come into focus, the sheer logistics of trying to cover runners...
Earlier this year I had been approached to shoot the inaugural running of the Twisted Branch 100K, which I immediately jumped at the opportunity to do. What wasn't to love? Trails, check. Opportunity to showcase Upstate New York, check. Support friends who were running the race, check. In Spring, all of these things seemed amazing, but as the race drew closer and my ideas started to come into focus, the sheer logistics of trying to cover runners traveling on 62 miles of point-to-point trails seemed nearly as difficult an effort as running the race itself.
What immediately became clear was that I realistically needed at least one, but perhaps two other photographers to help cover that much ground. This was new territory for me as I typically work solo, and while I hold myself to a high standard that could be considered a burden to someone else. Things could get tricky...
Fortunately, I already knew two other local race photographers who I highly respect and trust since they take photography as seriously as me. Enter, Ron Heerkens Jr. and Alex Tong.
Over beers one night, Ron, Alex and I met to discuss the fact that we have been circling many of the local events and have been trying very hard to bring an authentic artistic perspective to adventure sports. We each agreed that our perspectives complimented one another and that combining them as a group could only be beneficial to our audience...you.
And thus, The Ascend Collective was born.
With finding other photographers to work with sorted out, we began discussing how we would actually organize ourselves in order to shoot Twisted Branch. As part of that strategy we decided Alex would debut The Ascend Collective a week before at the Dam Good Trail Race, which meant that it was up to Ron and me to manage Twisted Branch.
Obviously, the day would start early (2:30 a.m. in my case), but with so much ground to cover we would have to find a way to split up and cover as much ground as we could without missing too many runners. The answer? Leapfrog the whole way in approximately 8 mile increments. Seemed perfect at the outset.
Over the course of the race, Ron and I executed our strategy and were constantly chatting via text about where we were, where the runners were, and when we were moving to the next location. We relied heavily on GPS and maps (no cell service sucks) to help us cross the course as efficiently as possible. By mid-race, however, the field had fractured more than we had anticipated. The leapfrog method was still great, but approximately 30 miles in the leader (and eventual winner Daven Oskvig) had amassed a 45 minute lead and the rest of the field was split further apart than we had anticipated. We had choices to make. Continue to try to keep up with Daven and photograph others who were nearby, or let Daven go and wait for the rest of the field? Tough call.
Seeing as how our primary goal was to showcase this inaugural event in the best light that we could--so that we can hopefully promote it as much as possible--we decided that keeping up with Daven was going to be critical. We needed to capture him at the finish.
With that in mind, our focus shifted to ensuring that we could get as much of the pack as we could without missing Daven finish. I like to think that we succeeded, but there was a lot that we learned.
For example, by mile 49 I was stationed at one location for over two and a half hours and I captured 12 runners in that time frame. Because of the fragmentation of the field we weren't able to capture as many runners as I would have liked, which was unfortunate. Still, it sparked a lot of great discussion and thought about how we can better serve these types of events.
I think that we have a pretty great plan for next year.
By the time the sun went down, most of the light was gone and photographic opportunities were sparse. Ron and I met up at the finish, discussed how we thought things went (Pro Tip: we always think that we could have done better), and debriefed about how to organize the images, etc. I also got to spend time with good friends and cheer runners on. I was whipped, though.
Driving home I got to think about how fantastic the day was. How amazing the runners were. How much I appreciated the help and perspective that Ron brought to the day. I also thought about how fantastic the idea of The Ascend Collective is, to me, and how I look forward to seeing where it goes. Life is good.
TWISTED BRANCH TRAIL RACE
Full Gallery Here: http://galleries.theascendcollective.com/2015-twisted-branch-trail-race/
2015 Ontario Summit Trail Races
This weekend I was able to spend a few hours out shooting the Ontario Summit Trail Races, which seemed to be both a great challenge to all participants and a landscape showcase for the upstate New York trail system. Both of these things combined, in my opinion, to be a very successful inaugural event for the boys over at Goose Adventure Racing.
This weekend I was able to spend a few hours out shooting the Ontario Summit Trail Races, which seemed to be both a great challenge to all participants and a landscape showcase for the upstate New York trail system. Both of these things combined, in my opinion, to be a very successful inaugural event for the boys over at Goose Adventure Racing.
One of the things I enjoy the most about shooting these types of events is the solitude that it provides. When a marathon or half marathon covers the type of terrain the Ontario County Park trail system does, the field naturally becomes fragmented. During the lulls I am able to simply remain silent within the woods and I recharge. In these times I am reminded of John Muir.
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."
2015 Muddy Sneaker Trail Race
This past Saturday marked the 16th running of the Muddy Sneaker Trail Race in Hi Tor Wildlife Management Area. Once again, the crew at Goose Adventure Racing didn't disappoint. Between the great Saucony and SmartWool sponsorship, the solid turn-out and, the perfect conditions, you couldn't ask for better -- and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to head down and shoot the event.
This past Saturday marked the 16th running of the Muddy Sneaker Trail Race at Hi Tor Wildlife Management Area. Once again, the crew at Goose Adventure Racing didn't disappoint. Between the great Saucony and SmartWool sponsorship, a solid turn-out, and perfect conditions you couldn't ask for better--and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to head down to shoot the event.
Because I know the course, being able to shoot the handful of sections that I wanted to capture was a challenge. Given that some of the spots were as far apart as possible via challenging terrain, simply running my way around the course didn't seem feasible. So, for the first time, I decided to use a mountain bike to traverse sections of the course in order to get to my locations and set up before the runners did. I am not sure why I hadn't thought of that before, but I will certainly do it again!
I consider this race the kick-off event for the season, and with how fantastic it was I am really looking forward to what the rest of the year has in store.
A few of my favorites from the day.
2015 Winter Fest Trail Race
I love trail races. Always have, always will. The trick for me these days is which I love more: running them or shooting them. I don't know that answer yet. The benefit is that there is no downside, as far as I can tell - so, it is best to just take advantage of them when they occur. In any capacity. Today's race, the 2015 Winter Fest Trail Race, which is hosted on some of my favorite trails within the Upstate NY Region.
I love trail races. Always have, always will. The trick for me these days is which I love more: running them or shooting them. I don't know that answer yet. The benefit is that there is no downside, as far as I can tell - so, it is best to just take advantage of them when they occur. In any capacity. Today's race, the 2015 Winter Fest Trail Race, which is hosted on some of my favorite trails within the Upstate NY Region.
