Keith's Odyssey to Planet Fitness: A day in the life of a race photographer

Last weekend was the Get Shit Done race put on by my buddies Richelle and Rose. It was fun, in the midst of the snow and wind. A few people bailed, but lots and lots came out. It took longer to edit the photos than to actually take them, but that's par for the course. You can see the photos here, if you'd like. This is the famous Richelle and Rose, during set up. Did I mention it was snowing?

This is a total digression that non-racers can scroll past to get to the Of the Day feature. I've seen thousands of people cross various finish lines over the years. Some people put on a show. That's nice, if you do it at the finish line, because that's where the photographer is expecting it. Do it without warning 20 feet back of the finish line and I can guarantee the photographer will miss the shot. Do it behind a clump of people, as I saw done on the weekend, and the whole effect is lost. If you want a fabulous finish line photo, adjust your pace so you're alone, or with your buddy at the finish line.

Some people look like they are 5 steps from keeling over, and in some cases it might be true. I know at Ironman finish lines there is a bucket kept handy. Just saying. Not a finish line photo I want to take.

Many people are looking down, clicking the button on their Garmin or whatever fitness device. It makes for a terrible photo.

I get it if you're sprinting to the line to beat a cutoff time. But you'd better not be trampling anyone to do it, either before or after the finish line. I've seen the people handing out medals nearly get run over. If you're doing a sprint to an empty finish line, I can see you coming and still get the shot. If you dodge from behind a group and turn on the gas, I'm not likely to get a good photo.

So what does make a good race photo? Ignoring me to pay attention to the business at hand is just fine, especially if you're on a bike or going through transition, because that intensity makes for a great photo. Runners with both feet off the ground is awesome. Looking at the camera. A smile is bonus. So is a wave, a thumbs up, a yay me arms in the air are all awesome, especially at a finish line. You've just done something that most people can't or won't do, and some celebration is in order. During the race is too late, but before the race some consideration of what your kit will look like soaked in sweat or rain is nice. And yes, your gear, especially your pants, has a lifespan. Need I say more?

The second most important thing about racing is to read the rules or athletes guide put out by the race director. Know the course.

The most important thing? Respect the volunteers and staff working the race! The race wouldn't happen without them. The drinks and snacks wouldn't be there without them. Nobody would hand you the finisher medal. My personal goal was to volunteer for as many races as I entered, and I'm pretty sure I did that.

This is how the day in the life of a race photographer went, in case you had wondered. I got there well before the first race to chat with Richelle the race director to see if there are any last minute changes I should be aware of. Before the start, hunt for people wearing the race socks and ask them to pose. That was one of the items on the shot list. I never would have thought of that, which is why I ask about a shot list. Be in advance of the start line for the stream of people. Hang out, looking for interesting photos. Catch the second race start. Go out to the hot corner to catch a few runners. Begin to watch for finishers. Hang out at the finish line trying to get photos of all the finishers. Watch for other interesting people photos. Catch the medal presentations. Catch the 3rd race start, and continue to watch for finishers. Deal with people crowding my space wanting to watch their racer finish. More people scenes, last podium presentation. Delete obvious misses along the way to save importing them.

Once home, import 1686 photos. That is ever so much quicker with the new computer. Make a pass through marking possibles with 1 star, and out of focus or a missed shot with an X for deletion. That got me down to about 750 photos. Let the computer run the lens profile and auto corrections. Make another pass through cropping as required, and tweaking settings which mostly means boosting the shadows in this case. It was an overcast day, with snow on the ground so things are bright, except for the many runners wearing black. Also look for a smaller list of specific photos for Richelle, and tweak the initial pass to get to the final cut. Export 603 photos to Google Photos. Export web ready to Google Drive. Send an email with links to Richelle and Rose. Altogether about a 10 hour working day. It was fun.

Back to regular blog business.

Of the Day

Driftwood (NZ)