At BBF on Saturday there were a few peeps taking pics of the racers, some obviously just of mates etc but a couple at least who looked like pros.
One in particular had more kit than anyone I've ever seen at a race, all mounted on a tripod, and seemingly taking pics automatically as riders passed. He sat there looking bored stiff. If you were there, you'd have seen him. You couldn't really miss him!
Now, I've no problem with whis really and I have no doubt his pics will be crisp and clear and technically perfect, but all shot in slowish locations on flattish bits of trail in the trees.... Yawn.
And ALL THE BLOODY SAME.
Now seriously, I'm no great shakes as a photographer, but I've been and shot at a couple of races, and there's dozens, maybe hundreds of places on the BBF course where I could have taken pics and put some effort in, tried to capture the essence of the event: The speed, the rockyness, the jumps (There were a few of them too) the dust, the sunshine, the effort.
Hide in a bush on the Quarry trail, near a jump, on a berm, that fast dusty corner near the start. Pan the camera. Blur the background, show the dust kicking up, the concentration on faces on that last tight rocky downhill, blue sky in the background near the golf course.
Walk round. Put some effort in. Think. BBF was a superb course: Use it!
Do you really want a pefect pic of you just riding you bike? Or would you like something that makes you look good, or knackered, or fast, or airbourne..?
I mean, this guy will certainly have a pic of me, but I have no inclination to even go and look at it, and certainly not buy it. And I do buy a few race pics. I like them as momentos. Look at my profile pic, it's a heavily cropped race pic I bought, the full size is superb and makes me look good (That took some effort!)
Sorry, I just don't see the point..... 
