Its been a pretty wet and sometimes dark week here in Sydney, much like my time spent on the MTB trails last weekend up at Ourimbah State forest. The event was the Rocky Trail Entertainment Shimano MTB GP and it’s been two long years since I have photographed the trails here. A lot can happen in two years with the tracks now quite worn making for a challenging race for the solo 7hr riders.
What hasn’t changed is the darkness of Ourimbah forests. I was racing myself at the local CCMTB clubbie the week before and noticed that dark sunnies are definitely a no go here unless you like riding by braille.
But not much can be done so I decided to embrace the low-level light scenes and keep them that way not trying to blast the photo with flash but work the angles and power levels more subtly. Adding a little pulse of artificial light to the small patches of sunshine already making it through the canopy or as a fill light so the shadow sides were not always jet black.
I have always liked low key images and using my flashes to make the subject pop but when so dark it can start to look like the proverbial “deer in the headlights” plus I’m sure the riders retinas appreciated the lack of momentary blindness as they rolled past my well camouflaged hiding spots…. Note to self buy some brighter clothes for race day shooting 🙂
Back on the Ourimbah trails again tomorrow but for some faster Enduro style racing at the Fox Superflow, should be interesting to see what images in the mud will come of it. If racing, see you up there.
