Cyclocross season in Portland [Fuji X-Pro2, 35mm f1.4]

[egardner]

Photography and cycling are two of my favorite things. Sometimes I even get to combine them! Last night I went down to the Portland International Raceway to document the "Trophy Cup", a local beginner-friendly cyclocross race. Riders have to navigate muddy trails, shoulder their bikes to jump over obstacles, and endure the (mostly good-natured) heckling of the crowd. It's pretty fun to watch!

I'm not a sports photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but here are a few photos that I thought captured some of the energy of the event. The X-Pro2 performed admirably even though this is not exactly what it's designed for. The burst-fire mode is pretty cool, even if it was a little overkill. The first-generation 35mm lens started to hunt a bit as the night went on but being able to shoot wide open helped a lot to convey a feeling of immediacy and motion (as did panning). Most of the time the autofocus worked better than I was expecting!


Cyclocross Season by Eric Gardner, on Flickr


Cyclocross Season by Eric Gardner, on Flickr


Cyclocross Season by Eric Gardner, on Flickr


Cyclocross Season by Eric Gardner, on Flickr


Cyclocross Season by Eric Gardner, on Flickr


Cyclocross Season by Eric Gardner, on Flickr

 

[Archiver]

These are very cool, in composition and colour. Nice work.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Great shots! I’m impressed.

It might be time for me to look into the Fujinon XF 35mm f1.4 R lens.

All the best,
Mike

 

[egardner]

Thanks for the kind words Archiver & Mike! I think that this kind of casual documentary usage is where the Fuji system really shines. There are better tools out there for studio portraits, billboard advertisements, etc., but I'm less interested in those kinds of photography.


RE: lenses, the original 35mm f1.4 has a nice look, but I imagine the newer f2 version (which I don't have) might have been more reliable in AF performance, especially in low light with fast-moving subjects. But use what you have, right?

 

[skahde]

Very nice series! The X-Pro2 showed its potential here! A few could have been more impressive when the driver would move towards the camera instead of away from it, making eye-contact. Sidenote to self: Straight bars are allowed for Cyclocross racing in Portland: quel manque de goût! 😉

 

[Takkun]

These are really fantastic. Zooms be damned for sports.

Seriously though, there's a lot of character here. Other than the 'camp-out-and-catch-every-racer' type photos that get posted every week, cross is really hard to photograph. Everything is moving fast, in and out of shadows and direct sun, so on so forth. But it's a lot more rewarding than, say, shooting at the velodrome. More action, more emotion (and more beer).

I'll have to get scanning, but I found a handful of rolls I shot about 15 years ago and there's probably some keepers. These days, I'm too tired and cold post-race to go back out shooting...