It only seems like last year I blogged about this same event……hey, it was!!!
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Thanks to Duane for SportingImages for helping arrange the access. Thanks to Matt and Murray for the setup help.
JetBlack 24 – MarathonPhotos event…
For the 3rd year running I covered the JetBack24 endurance mountain bike event at Del Rio Resort Wisemans Ferry. The last 2 years its rained non-stop. This year it was 35, humid and mosquito infested. At least I could use my gear to its full potential without it getting wet.
The brief from James Rankin at Marathon Photos was to be creative. However, you need to get saleable shots. This means faces and race numbers. No point getting a super creative shot if no one can buy it. I tried to keep it simple this year, with just one off-camera flash and used the PocketWizard MiniTT1, the FlexTT5 and most of all the AC3 Zone Controller. What is all that? It mean full manual power control over a remote flash. If the light changes, you can change with it, while getting the consistency and reliability of manual flash power.
Camera Gear – 1DMK3, 28-300 – 135mm, OSI1000, f6.3 1/160
Flash – 580EX – Camera right behind a tree – Manual power – 1/64th
Camera Gear – 1DMK3, 28-300 – 50mm, OSI200, f4 1/200
Flash – 580EX – Camera right behind a tree – Manual power – 1/64th
Camera Gear – 1DMK3, 28-300 – 235mm, OSI1000, f5.6 1/160
Flash – 580EX – Camera left – Manual power – 1/64th +1/3
Camera Gear – 1DMK3, 15mm Fisheye, OSI1000, f10 1/40
Flash – 580EX – Camera left – Manual power – 1/64th +2/3
Twist the camera on a slow shutter for the effect.
Conclusion
* The 28-300 is a great versatile lens for mountain bike shooting. Its not too bad across the entire range and means I carry 2 lenses not 3 or 4.
* The PocketWizard Manual system works really well. eTTL fails in these events due to the changing light situations and vastly inconsistent results.
* Remote flash is the way to go. Get the flash close to the subject and it uses far less power. 600+ shots all day on one set of batteries, and 1/64 power.
New NVIDIA Quadro 5000 – No more renderring….
Bit the bullet and bought the NVIDIA Quadro 5000 GPU video card today. Its a MONSTER of a card at twice the physical width of my last video card and 5 cm longer. Its super powerful and allows me to apply GPU effects to Premiere Pro without the need to render each clip again.
NVIDIA Quadro 5000
Tickle me Coyte
Shot the NSW v TAS Twenty20 last night for SMP. The game was great apart from NSW losing in the last over. Seeing David Warner unleash is great to see live.
Worth a mention is this spectator who seems to have taken his naughty Elmo costume to the cricket
Tickle me Coyte
Full images are at http://www.smpimages.com/albums.php?albumId=135539
5D and Ikelite update
New 5D arrived today. God bless insurance. I have tried the housing on dry land and all the TTL circuits seem to work ok.
Ikelite have sent me the new o-rings, but are still totally unapologetic about the housing flood. What a bunch of bastards.
I’ll start reintroducing the gear to the water slowly over the next few days/weeks and with any luck will be able to use this housing on a dive soon. I’ve added tampons (never though I’d say this) into the housing for added protection. They are only good for a small flow (snigger), but are better than nothing. Not too sure how I’m going to explain this to the missus if she finds them.