One of my passions outside
being a North Yorkshire commercial and PR photographer is cycling. When I look back
I’m surprised just how much sport photography in the North East I’ve done for cycling and outdoor events,
and I’ve even invested in a foldaway bike that goes in the back of my car so I
can follow cyclists routes and photograph the action as it happens.
I’ve cycled since I was a
youngster out on my bike all day long, in fact my early dreams were to work in
a bike shop and repair bikes all day. But the life of a press photographer and subsequently a commercial and PR photographer called me, and I’m lucky
enough to be able to combine my love of cycling with photography.
I’ve covered the Stockton triathlon
(swim, cycle, run) and the Stockton duathlon (run, cycle, run) several times.
There are three separate races run so everyone from first timers and novices to
elite athletes can test their mettle. It takes a lot of pre-race organisation to check out the best
photography locations and then some fast moving between them on the day, to
make sure I get the right shots.
Another client I love
working with is Sustrans, the leading UK charity that encourages people to
travel by bike. I covered a Sustrans
in Redcar that was designed to promote healthy cycling, and my photos were used
in large format as full van wraparounds, which looked fantastic.
I also covered last year’s Sky
Ride in Middlesbrough, which is part of Middlesbrough Bike Week and runs along
the beautiful Middlesbrough Riverside. I photographed both the event and the
training day which was covered by the BBC, even going out along the route with the
producer on my bike. I was asked to go back and cover the Sky Ride again last year but another PR photography job in Sunderland booking meant I couldn’t make
it. This is part of a series of Sky Rides around the UK and a great event for
all the family, and entrants could even find themselves cycling alongside stars
like Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.
I haven’t decided whether to watch or work at the Tour de France that comes to Yorkshire this summer. I’d love
to go and see the 190km stretch between Leeds and Harrogate ...but if Yorkshire Tea’s PR
team is reading this and needs an extra photographer to cover the event, feel
free to get in touch!
I was out biking around the
Stockton area last night with my son, and it got me thinking about planning a
European tour. In my youth I biked home across Europe from my stay on an
Israeli kibbutz, carrying my trusty old camera and photographing my journey as
I went. You can read more about that in my (blog here) – and it was such a great
trip I’d love to recreate it.
Every event is different,
whether I’m photographing elite athletes to fun family rides. Cycling is a
great way to gets children interested in getting out and about instead of
hunching over their gadgets. Most events include road closures so it’s safe for
all age groups and abilities. Routes are often lined with spectators too, so
there are some brilliant photo opportunities as children cycle past, beaming as
they pedal along to the cheers of onlookers.
If you haven’t sat on a bike
for years, can I suggest you check out some of the fun rides in your area and give
it a go? You’ll get some exercise, fresh air and fun, and you might even see
yourself in one of my newspaper photos covering the event!
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