Fj Hughes Photography

Mud, Mud, Mud....Run, Run, Run

It dried out just enough for day 2 of the Mercer Cup to get a few shots of guys actually riding their bikes. It has been quite a while since I have seen Todd Wells win a 'cross race and it's not often that you get to see two brothers battle it out for the win. Other than that, the podium's top step was pretty much status quo for the rest of weekend. Saturday's race looked like a cross country running event. Days like that make me glad I am now behind the lens.

The girls came along with me on Sunday and for the second year in a row, the weather kept them in the car most of the time.

Wissahickon Cross

Sunday,  I covered the Wissahickon cross in Ludwig's Corner PA. It was super dry and super dusty. Jeremy Powers took the lead almost from the start to win for the second year in a row. He looked super smooth sliding his bike through the corners and gliding over the barriers on the run up. Teammate, Tim Johnson (pictured here) finished second with a late race attack on the small chase group. The girls tagged along which is always fun. Other than that, with the nice weather, there isn't too much else to report. Let's hope for some rain soon.

Quick Mention

Just a quick mention that I have a nice little shot of Garmin-Chipotle's Lucas Euser leading the Univest Grand Prix in the current issue of Velonews.

'Cross At Last

I make it no secret that 'cross season is one of my favorite times of the year. First off, I am a fall/early winter guy. I always have been and I always will be. And on top of that, I think cyclocross is one of the most beautiful sports to photograph. It has high action, raw emotion and in nasty conditions it is very dramatic. A true man versus nature feel. So as you can guess, I was very excited to shoot the first couple of 'cross races of the Mid-Atlantic series and I got some of what I was looking for. It always feels a bit strange to shoot cyclocross in beautiful summery weather. But that is what I got. The less than dramatic conditions were made up for by shooting one of America's top road cyclists, Laura Van Gilder, in her first cyclocross races ever. Van Gilder is one of my favorite female cyclists to photograph. Her face always look as if she is pouring everything bit of strength she has into the bike. I am looking forward to hopefully seeing her out there more this year.

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

Well Hanna has come and gone. Although it wasn't much as storms go, it made for some memorable shooting conditions. The rain hit Souderton just in time for the finishing laps of the Univest GP.  Bands of rain swept the race course soaking racers, spectators and photographers alike. Fortunately, I finally  bit the bullet and bought some rain gear for the cameras. Although my rain jacket finally soaked through, the cameras stayed dry and worked without a hitch. I might even get some shots published out of it. Now, I almost hope it rains every weekend this cross season.

Long Weekend

Right now, I am sitting in the airport returning from covering the world cup mtb race in Bromont, Quebec this past weekend. And quite a weekend it was. I was sick the entire time. Besides the usual lack of sleep due to shooting, processing and posting, I was mostly up the rest of the night. Covering a race is grueling enough, without being sick and pretty much unable to eat. Add to that lugging equipment up and down a mountain during one of this part of Canada's rainiest summers. But I made it through it. It feels good to get a few descent shots out of the deal to. Here's women' winner Rachel Atherton barreling through a slick corner during the downhill.

CSC

Once again the CSC Invitational was an enjoyable race to cover. The usual early break went out but this time it had some big names and stayed away. At one point, I thought they were coming back but after what seemed like only a couple of laps they caught the pack. It was great to see Luca Damiani, who was in the original break and one lap up, win at the front of the race instead of somewhere mid pack.

Race Time

Well that time is here again. The time when all the action happens in the mid-atlantic. I have already covered the Wilmington GP and the Kelly Cup. Next up is CSC and then Philly! I am looking forward to it. Unfortunately, I will be out of town all next week and unable to cover the other two Pro Cycling Tour races. I hope I find time for a post or two.

Vault

Another shot from the workshop in California. This image was captured during at a track meet at Mt San Antonio College located in the Chino Hills. It was a beautiful day and the light kept getting better and better.

Boxers

Last week, I returned from attending Sports Shooter Academy V in Irvine, Ca. Along with everything else I learned, I fell in love artistically with boxing halls. The smell of sweat, the intensity of emotion and the primal action transcends sport to speak more of the human condition. I think this could turn into a long term project. It was also nice to leave all the gear behind in the car and carry only one body and a wide angle zoom lens.

After a couple of weeks on the road, it has been great to spend some time at home with the girls. In a couple of weeks, I am back at it. Look for some postings from  Monterey!