Fast Friends: The five second relationship...

I enjoy shooting action photography...if you can call what I do photography.  For the past 5 years, I have been a weekend warrior for a few national photography companies taking photos at events like Bicycle Races, Running Events, Triathalons, DCI and Marching Band competitions etc. . .   Most of my work is done in and around Utah for Zazoosh, the premier sports event photography company in America.  I've taken over 60,000 photos for Zazoosh. 

I enjoy all these events for different reasons.  The thrill and volume of the sideline.  The excitement at the finish line.  The challenge of capturing a fast moving participant.   Most of the time it's the relaxing solitude of sitting in the middle of beautiful nowhere on a cool summer morning waiting for athletes to make their way past me.

The middle of beautiful nowhere. 

There are some interesting aspects to being a photographer on a race course, as opposed to being a fan.  The first thing I noticed was "the wave."  Athletes love to wave at the camera as they pass.  (I love it too, the photos with smiling and waving generally sell better.)  I realized early on that even though I'm the only human for miles,  the participants aren't waving to me.  They're waving to themselves...or to their friends who might look at the photos.  They're posing.  It's strange to be alone with someone in a remote location, knowing that their smile/wave is not intended for me. Yet, even though they don't know me and are not waving to me...we're still together and isolated.   This seems to be the complementary opposite to someone who was also at Disneyland on the "Busiest day in park history".   In both cases you can say "Yeah, man.  We were there together." 


Except that I'm only together with them for a few seconds. And most of the time, alone.  The lack of a crowd, and the quietude of the location can turn a "Looking Great!" from a benign motivational cheer to an inadvertent flirt.  Ha.

I've learned that a lot can happen in a few seconds, including a whole conversation.  When I can, I try to write down the things that people say.   The following are my notes from a bike race in a beautiful farm road near Kamas, UT.   Most of these are yelled questions and responses as the bikers pass.  One thing bikers and runners don't realize is that when there is NO other sound on these lone country roads, their voices carry for a long way.  I can hear people talking a mile down the course.  The longer one-sided conversation are really eaves drops.  But they're funny. 



Biker to me:  "Where can I find the pictures!?" 

Me:  "Zazoosh.com!"
Bike to me:  "How will I find my photo?"
Me:  "BY YOUR BIB NUMBBEERRRR"  (they were getting further away)

Me:  "Doing great!  Almost to mile 10!"
Biker to me:  "Thanks!"


Biker to friend:  "Is that the guy!?"
Friend to Biker:  "Naawwww...That's one of his hired...uh...he hires people."

Biker to friend:  "Aaahh!  He got a pictures of you passin' me!"

Biker to friend:  "Should we get together for a pic...ahhh...too late.."

This polar bear showed up once

Biker to me:   "It's the photography!"


Biker to me:  "Zazoooooooooosh"


Biker to friend:  "Pfft...they didn't even have my number last time..."


Biker to ?:  "Yee Haw!"


Biker to friend:  "Yeah...things didn't work out.   I sold ALL my furniture.  I was going to move to Barcelona."


Biker to friend:  "He's gonna take our picture!"


Biker to me:  "Have a good one"
Me: "Thanks, you too."


Biker to me:  "    Zazoosh.com"
me:  "Yep."


Biker to me: "Heh...heh heh..."  (The same biker gives me the same exact nervous laugh every time I see her...maybe 5 times over a few years.  It's rather comforting.)


Biker to friend, about me:  "Yeah!  And he's gonna charge you 25 bucks for that too!"


Biker to friend:  "Yeah, and her husband is the executive director of the Tracy Aviary."



Biker to friend:  "Did he get me!?"
Friend to Biker:  "I don't know...I smiled...big!"  (I got them...but they both smiled too late.)


Biker to friend:  "Let me get in front of YOU this time."


Biker to friend:  "They have one of you and me...did I show you?"


Biker to friend:  "We gotta look like we're mean..."


Guy in car with dog:  "(expletive)"  (x2)


Biker to me:  "Hey....there is a guy with a shredded tire back there!"  (x3)  (There was a guy...but I can't stop shooting to support bikers.  I would if someone was seriously injured, of course.  A SAG vehicle came along soon enough.) 

Biker to friend:  "Zazoosh on your left!"


Biker to friend way down the street:  "There's the photographer...lets give him the bird." 
Me:  "Give me the bird..."
Biker to friend, just past me:  "Woa, could he hear us?"
Me, deadpan:  "I could hear you."

Biker to me:  "Peace baby!"


Biker to friend:  "Here it is...grit your teeth!"


Biker to friend:  "How YOU doin'?"

Biker to friend:  "What a ridiculous place for a photo..."


Biker to friend:  "Wow, what a great location for a photo..."  (same location as previous comment)


Biker to me:  "(incomprehensible peanuts-adult speak)?"
Me to biker:  "Probably!"






Jackson has been shooting with me lately as well, and he's getting really good.  His photos are selling, which is fun.  Look at this page, and you'll see "Photographer:  Jackson Graham." 




Here are a few more photos from recent events. 

Ogden Marathon 2010

Timpanogos Trail Marathon 2010 - Really fun Hike/Shoot

Timpanogos Trail Marathon 2010

Timpanogos Trail Marathon 2010

Salem Triathalon 2010