My original plan was to go deep into the woods and grab some shots of Karley Cunningham of Big Bold Brand shredding the trails. When I saw clear blue skies dotted with dense fog I realised that capturing Karley ride down a rock face would have to wait. Instead…we drove up a mountain road in search of mist.
We stopped at a trail head which I didn’t know existed and had no idea what to expect except the light and conditions were epic – and that was good enough for me. Shooting in the swirling mist however quickly became one of my most difficult shoots as the light and mist were constantly changing forcing me to re-adjust my camera and flash continuously. And by this I mean by every 2-10 seconds. I’d bang off a couple of shots and mist would roll out only to have it come back in again. I must thank Elise, Karley’s wife and my assistant for the day for being there and helping me. She was my live tripod and sherpa which made moving around very easy. Thanks Elise!! Much appreciated 🙂
The photo above is my favourite shot of Karley. The light and the forest greens were magical. I was stoked to be able to showcase the North Shore’s tremendous beauty and technical riding areas.
Once the fog lifted for good Karley, Elise and myself headed up the mountain and into the blue skies to bang off a few more shots. I’m looking forward to continuing our photo shoot as I still need Karley to ride that steep rock face and huck off one of the shores infamous drops so I can get those ‘live wire’ action shots. Thank you to Karley for this amazing opportunity. Had tons of fun chasing the mist and looking forward to our next outing!!
It’s not always about food when it comes to kids it’s also about the fun they can have on bikes.
Here are a few photos of these two young boys enjoying their time around bikes. Spending a day at Popkum MotorPark the boys thoroughly enjoyed learning how to ride on a 16″ OSET and a Honda 50cc. So much fun that I know the eldest wants a red bike for Christmas!
The past few months I have been taking Lifestyle Photos for various clients. A fun, relaxed, informal session with tons of creativity – love this type of photo shoot! This also means that I haven’t had much time to update this blog.
This is Dallas. He was riding a 2014 Triumph Scrambler 900 to the Overland Adventure Rally in Ontario, Canada and decked himself out in full retro garb. Sporting a new moustache and haircut Dallas also went all the way with the bike as well – giving it the iconic Steve McQueen’s race number.
I purposely chose a vintage look for both the photos as it complemented the era of the bike, clothes and hair style that Dallas had. My favourite photo of Dallas can be found in my LifeStyle section of my website on the Fine Art Side. Check it out HERE.
Do you have a favourite item or lifestyle that needs to be photographically recorded? Then let’s talk!!
CGP was on hand taking pictures of stage 1 of the BC Bike Race 2014 Photos early this morning. The infamous North Shore Trails played host to the first stage. To view event photos please click HERE.
Congrats to stage 1 winner Kris Sneddon riding for Kona and to all the competitors on this very hilly and challenging stage. Kudos to all the volunteers, to the organisers for a massive job well done as well as all NSMBA trail workers who logged in tons of hours to make sure the trails were fun, flowy, and safe.
I must say this was by far the easiest commute I’ve ever had to an event. I walked to the trails and walked out at the end of the morning. If only all my other events could be this close to home! My morning began at 8:00. An hour later, myself and my 50 lb bag reached Espresso via the following trails: St. Mary’s, Skid Row, Baden Powell and finally Espresso.
Thanks for looking and please share the link to the photos.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away — unknown
A little bit of heaven shimmered to my left as we rounded a corner. Where vibrant colours, and unforgiving trees playfully grow taunting the dry, and arid climate. Unlike the west coast the hills in these mountains are frequently scorched as summer heat waves often put Lytton as the hottest spot in Canada. Surrounded by pine forests, steep grassy hills give way to rockier paths and flowing single track. Welcome to the trails near Lytton, BC, a town where the mighty Fraser and Thompson Rivers converge, nestled below far from our reaches during my ride with my good friend Jon Mutiger.
I use this quote from Neil Armstrong because it perfectly described how I felt seeing the world open up in front of me – ‘I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.’The most challenging trail was a very long and steep, grassy, sandy hill about 50 metres from the car that promised to flip you backwards as the front end of the bike kept popping up. I blew it at the 1/4 mark and decided to turn around to restart the climb. My bike gathered (lots of) speed with my rear wheel locked up fishtailing unable to get my foot off my rear brake pedal. A few hairy moments later I was staring upwards at the hill again, I gave the bike more gas and was determined to climb taking breaks where the terrain leveled off a bit to catch my breath and let my arms relax. The hill is shy of one kilometre. Jon told me if I wanted to reach the good stuff I had to tackle this climb. Topped out in 3rd gear I pinned it and was determined to reach the top. I did not want my day to end within the first 5 minutes of our ride.
Two Gas Gas trials bike equipped with a front mount Hebo 1.1 litre auxiliary fuel tank gave us more than our share of fun in addition to being quiet and with next to little or no environmental impact.Jon Mutiger on his 2011 Gas Gas 280 TXT Pro carefully riding along one of the many ridgelines.Jon watering the dry, arid desert-like conditions…again.I stupidly pull up the front end on a sketchy path with a steep drop on the right. And by stupid I mean this lovingly as my wheelie skills are not to be desired. Photo by Jon Mutiger.Topped out at 2702 metres (6800 feet) my 2007 Gas Gas 200 TXT Pro faltered a bit as the carb had not been adjusted for such heights. Jon swapped out the Dellorto carb on his gasser for a Keihin carb. He needed a new reed block and throttle cable – the bike ran beautifully at all altitudes. The road ended here when the snow became too deep and soft to ride through and a clap of thunder and rain shattered the silence.
Jon’s backpack carried food, water, a VHF radio, toilet paper, tools and a 5 litre jerry can. My orange Lowepro camera backpack carried water, a few energy bars, camera equipment, a rain jacket, extra gloves, spare levers and a shifter. Because civilisation is so far, and cell phones have no signals riders need to be self-sufficient and equipped with appropriate safety equipment.
Despite a fake left hip Jon can still bust out no-footers.
We opted not to stay in this fine establishment but would have welcomed it should an emergency have occurred. It also doubles as a primo party place judging from the empty beer, vodka coolers, and shell casings we found lying around.
As always a huge thank you to the hard working clubs that maintain the trails for our safety and enjoyment. The members of The West Coast Dirt Riders (www.westcoastdirtriders.com) are doing an excellent job. They currently maintain over 300 km of trails in the Laluwissin Creek area near Lytton. They are a small club and they take great pride in the trails they have created and maintained for years. The club also holds a popular national off-road XC race called the Monkey Wrench 100. This year there is a double header which includes a HS the day before the XC race on June 28 & 29.
By the end of the day total travelling distance was approximately 60 km. We both started with 2 full tanks and 2 full auxiliary tanks. We topped up the bikes mid-way through our ride and probably had an extra 10 km or less of gas time left. The sights and the sheer vastness of the area are mind-boggling. The single track is fast and flowy while the technical hill climbs can hang-up an expert rider. I admit to not wanting to stop to take photos as I was having too much fun riding. A superb day with lots of arm-pumping action and a healthy dose of adrenaline but one that deserves to wait for a perfect blue-bird day for the vistas alone. I cannot wait for my next ride there.
Partnered with Honda Canada instructor Yoshi Nakatani was Rockin’ the Red for another wildly successful Moto-GymKhana event in beautiful BC. Held on May 11th, 2014 the second annual MGK event saw a host of activities including Honda’s Junior Red Riders program, scooters and ATV demonstrations, and an action packed day.
MGK is an event consisting of speed pattern racing where the rider follows a new course ‘layout’, reacting by driving the bike into turns, braking, and accelerating in a closed loop. The goal is simply to complete the course in the fastest time with the fewest errors.
Cecile Gambin Photography was on hand and capturing all the excitement including one from atop the Honda Trailer. Thanks guys for helping me up!! Check out the course that Yoshi put together from a birds eye view. The circular pattern of cones named ‘The Vortex’ was a highlight for riders. Instructors Yoshi and Reagan are out in the field teaching their students the layout.
Never been to or heard of Moto-Gymkhana? Check out my picture book below to help you understand!
Mandatory walk around the enclosed loop to help prepare and learn the course. Actual MGK events require riders to go in blind relying heavily on their knowledge of the ‘cone code’ where the colour of a cone defines a rule. For example, red cones are for right hand turns. The Rock the Red program is user friendly and designed to help a rider understand and learn MGK.A set of wireless timing system insures quick and accurate timing results. The bike must be within the yellow rectangle at the start and must end inside a similar box at another point in the course. The tire must not go past the yellow tape at the finish line.Lead Instructor Yoshi Nakatani and Regan help noobie MGK riders learn the course with a little help from yellow arrows pointing the way.Teaching course marshalls the rules of MGK. Yoshi hates this part of his job :pYoshi checking the course layout and warming up the tires before the event begins.Honda’s CB500F and the 125 Grom were used for the events. Riders could choose between one of the two categories (CBF or Grom) for the competition.Fail! Although fast and showing lots of promise this Grom rider went past the Yellow tape at the finish line.While MGK might look easy falls can happen. Usually the rider and the bike are unharmed as speed isn’t a factor. Most riders barely get out of second gear again reinforcing the fact that this is an event not based on speed but rather on technical skills.Motorcycle riders and spectators are always up for a good laugh!Working with Honda’s Junior Red Riders the good folks at Popkum Motorpark are all thumbs up!A CB500F on course and on deck a fleet of Groms patiently waiting their turn.First place Grom Class Trophy. Pretty sweet plate!!Honda’s Junior Red Riders are at all MGK events. Bring your child and they’ll come back with smiles!Even the little tykes get to play while Mommy and Daddy get to ride big bikes of their own.Want to try an ATV, or a scooter? Honda demo programs are also on hand at all MGK events.A great job by Yoshi Nakatani, as well as Honda Canada and all the volunteers for a successful 2014 event.
If you are interested in trying an MGK event the next stops are in Boucherville, Quebec (May 24) and in Markham, Ontario (August 10).
The PNWMA first XC kicked off the 2014 season with the Barry Groundwater Memorial race. CGP was on hand capturing the event. Please click HERE for all event photos.
Despite the bleak forecast the SDBA reported over 140 riders braving the mud, and slick roots. Touted as one of the hardest races of the season the former Cat Scratch Fever XC separates the weak from the tough. In abundance were rocks and roots, and for the A riders a long, technical uphill and two challenging enduro sections. Yet despite the arduous conditions riders came out in droves to compete and face the elements knowing that by the end of the race the word ‘tired’ would be a huge understatement. Perhaps because it is a well organised event, and spectators encourage and support the riders cheering, helping and urging them on. Or perhaps it’s because it is the first event of the year and competitors are eager to begin the race season. What ever the reason it’s apparent that this is a race to attend and in the end the challenges it presents only serve to help a rider become stronger, more skilled and ready to tackle the rest of the season.
A spectator laughs off the mud from the roost he received helping out a rider in the swamp.Ryan Dey showing his skills in one of the many rocky, rooty yet breathtakingly beautiful S turns.
Many thanks are extended to Steve Klassen and Ted Blow for helping me find my way around the course. It is indeed a photographers dream (eye candy). Finally, kudos to ALL the volunteers who worked unselfishly before and after the event – without you there is no race. Love you all!!
Yes! It’s that time of the month again when Traction eRag comes out. Stoked to have one of my photos grace the cover of the May 2014 issue. If you are into riding (offroad, Dual Sport and Trials) be sure to check out this on line magazine. It’s free and it’s chock full of goodies. Tons of graphics, relevant stories and articles and it’s even interactive! Click on the link below to subscribe so you can automatically receive the magazine in your inbox (and don’t forget to include the address into your address book so it doesn’t go to your Spam folder). www.tractionerag.ca
Walks with little ones are always full of adventures. Take this little fellow. He decided to stop walking and plopped himself on the ground straddling the yellow line along Stanley Park’s Sea Wall while on a recent photo session.
No cars. No bikes. No pedestrians. So what do I do…plop down in front of him and start taking photos because I thought this was hilarious and so typical of this little guy. Thirty seconds prior to this he was rolling down that green grassy hill in the background because it was fun. And, that’s what life as a four year old should be. Fun!
If you are thinking of a family portrait or some lifestyle images please considering hiring me. I take the time to get to know my clients and look for photos that suit the person(s), are visually appealing and evoke a sense of emotion and thought.
Meet Zayne Heyes. He’s just turned nineteen and his future is bright with cycling. Formerly a XC ski racer, Zayne turned his attention to cycling only a few months ago in October 2013. Pumped with passion and his dislike for waxing skis Zayne has found that both track and road cycling fuel his competitive spirit and need to excel.
Quickly working his way up the ranks at the Burnaby Velodrome Zayne spends time riding both his road and track bikes to push him ahead of his competitors. He is coached and races for TaG – former cycling Olympians Leslie Tomlinson and Gina Grain.
I was stoked to set up the studio for Zane because I had never shot a roadie before! Hahaha…spoken like a true mountain biker and a downhiller at that! Jokes aside though it was a treat to photograph Zayne – his enthusiasm and ability to listen to directions made my job easy. Plus, he’s got a wicked carbon fiber bike and matching weave on his TaG jersey. At first I had thought about doing some black & white work but after seeing the bike and jersey combo I knew instantly the look I was after. My goal for the photoshoot was to give Zayne ample photos to use for potential sponsors.
I am really happy with how the photo shoot turned out. Next up are a few action shots of Zayne in the velodrome. I will be honest though…being in a velodrome scares me because I know I will want to try riding a track bike and I know I will want to pursue it. Which scares me because then I will have to buy a bike and some how I know my husband will give me an evil look. But my answer to that is ‘what’s another bike in the mix…you can never have too many!’
My original plan was to go deep into the woods and grab some shots of Karley Cunningham of Big Bold Brand shredding the trails. When I saw clear blue skies dotted with dense fog I realised that capturing Karley ride down a rock face would have to wait. Instead…we drove up a mountain road in search of mist.
