2017 World Champs: Dave Acree's picks
The second in our special series revealing the secrets behind some of the best photos taken at the 2017 World Championships in Cairns.
We have been speaking to professional photographers to find out exactly how they captured their best imgaes from the recent World Championships in Cairns.
Top snapper Ben Sykes has already run through his selection and now Dave Acree is doing the same for his favourites.
And if you have a real passion for MTB pics, don’t miss your chance to vote in the ‘AMB Photography Awards presented by Shimano’ – where you could win a pair of Shimano ME7 or XC7 shoes just for choosing your prefered image.
The scene
This shot was taken right at the top of the downhill track on Saturday morning. I hadn’t had much time at that section of the track but with the amount of dust around and based on the reports that the track was getting quite blown out by this stage, I was looking to spend some time up there and getting some shots. This shot of Matt Walker is my best attempt at a zoom/pan to date!
The settings
Canon 5d MKIII, Canon 16-35mm f4, manual mode. Shot notes: 1/60th sec exposure, ISO1250, f4
The finish
For this shot, I corrected the white balance to get the earthy tones to pop a little more, increased the blacks to make it darker on the left, and adjusted the clarity/dehaze to make the images a little more edgy.
The appeal
I have always loved a good panshot but have never been able to get a decent zoom/panshot. They are a low success rate shot. Some factors that make them hard is that most camera/lens combinations struggle to focus quickly when an object is coming straight towards you. Add in to this, I am on a slow shutter speed and zooming out while Matt is negotiating rough terrain make it a tough shot to get. I was stoked to see that his number plate was sharp and the shot was usable! He later went on to win a World Championship.
The scene
Before arriving in Cairns I knew that Jacobs Ladder on the XCO course would yield some nice shots. The 'A' line is truly challenging and watching the world's best ride it on 100mm travel cross country race bikes never gets old! A genuinely amazing display of skill. When you add in to that some nice light courtesy of some dust, the results are obvious. This shot of Katarynza Solus-Miskowicz is my favourite shot from the entire World Champs race weekend!
The settings
Canon 5d MKIII, Canon 16-35mm f4. Manual mode. Shot notes: 1/800th sec exposure, ISO 1000, f4.
The finish
I was happy to look at the back of the camera after taking this and see that it looked good. Shooting into the sun can be tricky, especially if your subject is going to come between you and the light. As far as editing goes, this needed very little. I increased the exposure slightly, decreased the highlights, and added some clarity to really highlight the beams of light coming through the canopy of the rainforest.
The appeal
There is nothing like a shot that has some dynamic light! We have all seen the #lightbro tag on social media and this hits the spot. For me, there are several aspects of this shot that make it my favourite for the weekend. The terrain is gnarly, the light is unreal, the sun is peaking over the rider's shoulder allowing her to be silhouetted, there is dust in the air showing some great rays of sunlight, and there is a puff of dust coming out from under the front wheel as it touches down. The rider has great form on the bike and just looks like she is jumping into the camera!
The scene
I had been waiting for the entire elite mens race to get a shot of Nino Schurter on his own. For the entire race up to this point the battle for the win had been a nose to tail affair, with Nino in second, making it impossible to get him isolated in a single frame. Coming into the final lap I knew that this bottom corner of Caterpillars had a spot where an area of around 2m diameter was touched by sunlight which mad for some nice shots which I had captured the day before. On the way to this corner I overheard on an official's radio that Nino had made a pass and was in first, so I raced to set up for this shot. From where I am situated, the approach is blind and the riders are going fast. I didn’t have a lot of time and I had one chance to get it right.
The settings
Canon 5d MKIII, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 II IS. Shot notes: 1/1250th sec exposure, ISO250, f2.8
The finish
Given that this pocket of light was surrounded by pretty dark features I knew from shooting this spot the day before that it worked well to underexpose the shot – so as to only get the rider in the light correctly exposed. In post processing, I added some vignetting to further detract from the surroundings and lifted the shadows on Nino to help him stand out in the frame.
The appeal
Nino is a great rider and this was his season! To race an entire season and be undefeated is something that is rather special at this level and to be present to see that happen was a great experience. I knew before arriving in Cairns that a perfect season for Nino was on the cards and I wanted to make sure that I took memorable frame of that. Up to this point, none of my previous spots had worked out as he was battling for the lead. It would have been easy to race to the finish line and see him celebrate there, but I wanted something different. To have one chance at getting a nice frame of Nino on his own was pretty exciting for me. To have it work out is even better!
The scene
I was working my way down the track during the elite womens downhill race on Sunday and found myself in the sections known as the Generator for Tahnee Seagrave's race run. The afternoon light was just starting to hit the features and the dust was lighting up well.
The settings
Canon 5d MKIII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 II IS. Shot notes: 1/1250th sec exposure, ISO200, f2.8
The finish
The auto white balance on cameras is pretty spot on really, but I added some warmth to give the dirt and dust a natural look, decreased the highlights and lifted the shadows on her goggles. I also cropped into the frame to make Tahnee the centre without distractions.
The appeal
Tahnee Seagrave has been a favourite rider of mine for last couple of years. I knew that her speed was increasing and wanted to be positioned in the Generator for her race run. The afternoon light was really starting to hit the features nicely a couple of riders before Tahnee arrived, so I made sure I was in a position that would catch her head-on and waited. This shot appeals to me for a couple of reasons. I am a big fan of mirror lenses in goggles when it comes to photographs. There is something about not being able to see the rider's eyes behind the lens that makes the rider seem more aggressive to me. Almost superhuman. I also like the way Tahnee is framed by the ghosting dust she is creating behind her.
The scene
This shot shows Danny Hart powering through the finish line, failing to defend his rainbow jersey and really shows that these riders give everything they have right until the end.
The settings
Canon 5d MKIII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 II IS. Shot notes: 1/1000th, ISO125, f3.5
The finish
I increased the exposure and contrast slightly, decreased the highlights, added a small amount of vignetting and increased the vibrance.
The appeal
All day I had been thinking about where I wanted to be for the last few riders. By this stage Loic was in the hotseat and I knew that if Troy Brosnan crossed the line in first place everyone's hands would be thrown into the air and the atmosphere would be electric. I also knew that if that happened, the only people that would not throw their hands in the air would be the photographers, so I set up behind them knowing that I would have an uninterrupted view of the finishing bowl. This shot was taken was from a spectator viewpoint. Sadly, my plan didn’t eventuate but I like this test shot as it shows Danny not giving up and shows just how many people were there lining the finish. Mountain biking is strong is this part of the country!
