Skip to main content

The Beast


'The Beast', a brand new, very out of the ordinary cross country race which should be here for years to come. Now although it is the last thing I would ever sign up to take part in myself, having been up close and personal taking the photos I can see why so many would find this a great race. If getting dirty and wet while having a real work out is your thing then you would love the Beast. For more details on this race and to keep posted of future similar events check out http://www.purepersonaltraining.co.uk/index.php?page=pure_corporate. The Beast is just the first of many to come.

When I was asked to photograph this race jumped at the chance to photograph something different from the usual and to get out of the studio for change. This opportunity presented me with the challenge of capturing a great moment while making the most of the backdrop available to me, which at this location was beautiful.

I woke up that morning at first thinking, great its not sunny so we will have good, even light and I'll be able to get some good people shots. I'll just miss out on the brilliant blue sky that can make the surrounding landscape really stand out. Then when we arrived it started to rain and the sky seemed quite dark, so I started to worry about slow shutter speeds and rain spots on my lense. But by the time the race began, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and the sun came out, unfortunately just in time for the first water obstacle, placing the sun at precisely the wrong position, completely throwing off the camera's light meter and forcing me to act very fast to make the necessary adjustments in order to still be able to capture my images accurately. Luckily the race includes several obstacles, many of which in very different positions to the sun allowing me to capture a variety of artistic shots worthy of publication and this blog.


When I agreed to photograph this event it never occured to me that I might actually need to be nearly as fit as the runners. I was told that I could position myself some where in the middle as there are several obstacles all quite close to each other. And to a runner, which the organiser of this event was, I'm sure they were all quite close. To me though, they were miles apart, and one of them up a steep hill. On more than one occasion I felt out of breath and wishing I had done some training myself.
Still, I found myself unable to resist the temptation of seeing what was at the far corner of the course. I didn't want to miss a potential photo opportinuty. So off I trekked. And to my delight the sky was full of definition and the light was perfect. I just sat back and waited for the runners. I am so glad I did as I captured several images I am very proud of, particularly this next image which is my favorite of the lot. It just goes to show you that when at times you feel like you can't be bothered who knows what you could be missing. I toyed with the idea of missing this out but I'm ever so pleased I didn't.

Well I'm off now to get in some training. With less than a year left until next years race I must get started as soon as possible.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Teen Portraits - Prom Season is Just Around the Corner

If your child is heading to prom in the next couple of months I'd say there is probably no better time than now to have portraits created of your growing teen. With the purchase of a new (and probably expensive) outfit wouldn't it be nice to capture this milestone with a portrait created by a professional. Across the pond this is a hugely popular time to create portraits, and although I am not American (I'm Canadian) I wholeheartedly agree that this is a special moment to record. My prom was a key memory in my teen years and in fact I myself had professional portraits created also. I think I'll go dig them up if I can, though admittedly I think my mother has them back in Canada. I wonder if I can get her to scan one for me. My daughter is currently making plans for college and in the running is one that will move her away from home, as many others are probably experiencing for themselves, particularly those who are 18. This makes it all the more important to ...

My First London Fashion Shoot

Well I finally did it. I bit the bullet and faced my fears and headed to London with a good friend, Mr. Panikos Hajistilly to do my first location shoot. We chose our locations together and Panikos organised a model and brought so much of his gear which he kindly shared with me. And probably most importantly, he showed me how it's done. I was so surprised to see just how much wonderful light was there, just waiting to be used. I am a studio photographer and while I understand the use of studio flash very well, I am very much out of practice and out of my comfort zone with using available light. Its one thing to place lights and backdrops around my subject in the comfort of my studio. Its very different to find the right light and the right backdrop in unfamiliar territory and to place my subject in it. That may sound simple enough but honestly it is not, particularly on a day with no clouds in the sky. One of our planned locations just wasn't possible as a result of the ...

Its a Dog's Life

When life gets tough I always look at dogs or my cats and think how lucky they are. I know not all are treated well but those lucky enough to be in a good home, like the ones who come into my studio, have a really great life. They look so happy and its a wonderful thing to see.  I honestly love photographing dogs. They are a joy to work with and its almost impossible to produce a bad portrait of a dog which does of course make my life a little easier. I am someone who really needs to love the work I create. I can't help but love the portraits I've created of all the dogs I've photographed over the years. And this shoot was certainly no exception. I found it a real pleasure using a lighter background this time too. I do often gravitate towards darker looks but seeing as this dog had a light coloured coat I thought I'd produce lighter images. This gave me the chance to use a canvas I painted a couple of years ago but never really used and I absolutely love it...

Family Photos with Flair - Vanity Fair Style Family Portraits

This style of portrait continues to be the eye catching success I had always hoped it would be. Once again I created a beautiful family portrait that I am really proud of and I know this family loves too. Over the years I have developed this style through influences such as Vanity Fair and the many photographers I follow, though I hope that there is something in here that is entirely my own. Having my work easily identified as my own was a goal of mine from the start. Getting to the point where people will want not just a portrait but a Christina Lauder portrait is where I've always wanted to be and I'm hoping I'm on way. These portraits were created for the family of two professional photographers who wanted some portraits of their own. Family portraits isn't really something one can do of oneself, at least not easily. So they needed the services of another and I was honoured to be chosen for the job. They chose me not just for my style but also for my ab...

The Cuttest Little Creature (a baby Shih Tzu) I Ever Did See

I say creature, rather than dog, puppy or even animal only because as I looked through the images I had created on more than one occasion she looked like more like an animated character in a film than any dog I'd ever met. Weighing in at just over 4lbs she was little more than a ball of fur, adorable in every way. Once again my work day felt very little like work. I love creating pieces such as these and the bonus of puppy cuddles is simply wonderful. This one above is a particular favourite of mine. The scales are quite accurate so its nice to have a keepsake that includes just how small a new puppy is. This family will always have this as a reminder, not that this little on will grow particularly big. This image above is quite easy to create because puppies naturally try to climb out, yet they aren't big enough to get themselves out. This results in quite a captive audience giving us some great portraits. Here again this little girl looks like a ball of fluf...