Peloton Enters San Jose – 2008 Amgen Tour of California. San Jose, California. February 20, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.
Cycling fans will recognize the rider at the right as the great Mario Cipollini.
keywords: pack, peloton, group, turn, mario, cipollini, rock racing, 2008, amgen, tour of california, bike, bicycle, cycling, pro, professional, stage, race, lean, modesto, san jose, finish, end, racing, stock, sports, usa
Yes, this image works very well, very dramatic.
Nice work!
JohnInMaine asked:
“Dan, where were you when you clicked this picture. Was hospitalization required?… I mean, how did you get that shot?! It’s a wonderful shot but I wondered, did Dan lay down on the pavement?”
No hospitalization and no assuming a prone position on the pavement. :-)
The story leading to this series of shots a bit long, but suffice it to say that I ended up at the fence on the inside of the second-too-last turn before the San Jose finish. I tried several different shots here, but eventually decided to put an ultrawide lens (17-40mm shot at 17mm) on my full-frame camera, set the shutter speed high, and put the camera in burst mode. I prefocused about 4 feet in front of the camera, got down low, and fired a few test shots (without riders) to check exposure and framing.
When they came by I was ready. Rather than looking through the viewfinder I simply held the camera in position and watched as the pack came up on the turn. In sync with the arrival of the first rider I hit the shutter and let burst mode do its job.
Not my usual mode of operation, but it worked here. The low position, the wide angle lens, the closeness of the riders, and the fact that I shot towards them as they approached made this series work well, I think.
Dan