Tag: ‘Cecile Gambin Photography’

Rippin’ & Stylin’ in Grand Bend

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You can hear them, smell them and see them. Old bikes are back and becoming increasingly popular on the MX track and on the trail for a variety of reasons. They will not replace the newer bikes and cannot compete at the same level. But, it would be a mistake to dismiss their competiveness and killer good looks.

On the other end of the spectrum are the modern bikes with spiffy suspension, and spot-on braking. Not only are these bikes super fast they can pack a punch so hard you wouldn’t even have time to duck. It is always a treat to see these bad boys flying gracefully through the air and throwing a ten foot roost.

This past weekend I travelled to Grand Bend not far from the beautiful sandy shores of Lake Huron. It was a welcomed day shooting motorcross and definetely something I can easily get used to. No fancy flash setups, no tripods, no loosely detailed trail maps and no poison ivy. From a photography point of view it was a dream. It was easier than shooting enduros. So I thought. Turns out the Grand Bend track did have its quirks and finding good angles with clean backgrounds and good lighting was not as easy I had thought. I had to work the track and by late morning I started to figure things out.  At the end of the day I was happy with my photos and got all giddy as I managed to get a few sweet keepers.

Although the bigger bikes rocked the track the 85cc class was the clear winner IMO. Mind boggling how these tweens can pin it with no regard for their safety. Love the courage, determination, competitiveness, big ‘cojones’ and ‘heuvos’ all rolled into one. They make tail whips look easy. Dang it. I wish I could do that.

The picture below has got to be one of my favourites. This is Edward Sexsmith – not only does he have a cool last name he just looks plain good on his bike and he rocks it with the yellow T on his Suzuki RM125. I think perhaps why I am drawn to this photo the most is because it reminds me of the ‘fore fathers’ of mountain biking: Gary Fisher, Jo Breeze and Tom Ritchey to name a few. Sexsmith’s stance, work boots, and laid back style are reminiscent of the 80’s era where nylon and spandex were non-existent and mountain biking in Marin County, California was almost an underground culture. You rode what you had and you wore what was on your back that day. No fancy bikes…just good fun with friends on countless backcountry trails.

By the end of the day the dust was relentless but I thanked the dry conditions and wind because I saw art. I happily took pictures despite my gritty teeth. To see my photo album please click on Gallery. There are two albums to choose from: CMX regular classes and Vintage/Heritage Class. Thanks to CMX, Sasquatch Vintage Racing and all the riders ripping it out on the track. It was a great day.

2012 Beagle Bash Enduro Pictures

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I have uploaded over 200 pictures of this years Beagle Bash, Turkey Point enduro. Please visit my Gallery, and click the tab ‘For Riders’. Great race everybody and you all looked good out there! Write-up coming shortly.

Update: Monday, May 7 – I am a little bit behind the 8 ball and have yet to post my Beagle Bash write-up. Sorry for the delay. I have a draft just need to edit.

Cecile

My ‘Spring Floral’ triptych featured in Photo Life Magazine

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My Aloe & Tulip triptych photo made it into this months (April/May 2012) Photo Life Magazine as part of their Showtime Submissions for the spring issue.

This triptych is the third in a five part macro floral series I took 3 years ago. In fact, if I remember correctly my first born was quietly napping while I took advantage of some rare free time to set up my camera and tripod. I used natural lighting and freshly cut orange tulips which I had just purchased with the intent of taking pictures. They also looked pretty on our dining room table.

Very stoked as this is a huge honour to have one of my photos selected in what is undisputedly Canada’s best photo magazine. And, thank you to Sebastien for sleeping soundly allowing me time to great a beautiful series of aloe, tulip and rhodendron photos.

Homage to Ice 2012

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The 2012 race season has begun with the annual, and unpredictable, ‘Homage 2 Ice’ event. Unpredictable only because of Mother Nature. This early season race has seen snowy fields and icy trails in the past but despite the call for steady rain the trails were hard packed and dustless. Perfect to test winter legs and hone rusty technical skills.

Dan Marshall of Substance Projects executed a flawless event. Listening to riders, Dan put together a seamless 25 km loop with the right amount of climbing and lots of fun, flowy singletrack. Held at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre, Dan had two events to choose from: a 25 km and double your fun with the 50 km option. ‘Substance Projects’ even had a race for kids. Taking home the gold, Liam was visibly knackered after a hard fought race on trails specially built for little cruisers. His little legs rocked that bike!

Kudos to Dan and his tireless crew for hosting a great event complete with über cool music and a burgers on the barbie. Congratulations are also extended for all the participants for a race well done. It was great to see everyone and seeing everyone ride with smiles on their faces made me miss riding myself.

Check out my entire photo album – just click on the Gallery tab and hit ‘For Riders’. My new website is now up and running and viewing event photos (yes…they are all now on my website and not somewhere else) and making purchases have just become easier.

Thanks for stopping by and looking. Check out this and other great cycling stories and pics on Ontario’s own ‘Riding Feels Good’ website.

 

New Year, New Site, New Beginnings

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April 1, 2012 – and this is no joke – welcome to my new website.

Cecile Gambin Photography is now divided in half to reflect the type of photography that I am passionate about. One side is dedicated for all types of action sports while the other half is committed to my fine art side. Up to this point I have been mixing my action photographs with my Fine Art ones and frankly it was becoming quite confusing for clients who wanted to look at event photos (as I had to put them on Flickr) or to even purchase one.  And I do thank you all for being understanding and patient with Cecile Gambin Photography. I’ll think you will like these changes and the direction that CGP is heading into.

It was decided to take the current website and create two sections. Karen from Stripe Graphics and her trusty computer guru web site developer Calvin at Blue Comet Solutions have done a superb job of separting the site yet keeping it together. Sounds confusing? It is not. Start at the landing page and take a tour.

Here are some noteable features of my new site:

  • Fine Art and Action Sports photography are now separated – makes much more sense now
  • Regular updates on my photographic whereabouts via my appropriate blog:
  • Want to know where I will be exhibiting my Fine Art work next or see a new landscape? Visit my Fine Art blog and gallery.
  • Want to view pictures of a recent race or event? View my Action blog and gallery.
  • Purchasing will be held through Zenfolio – major credit cards and PayPal accepted
  • Easy no nonsense pricing, shipping and one-stop shopping

All Fine Art printing and shipping will be overlooked by me and Giclee printed on Fine Art paper, signed in limited editions and will be of museum quality. On the Action side Zenfolio will handle regular C-prints and shipping unless if you order a digital painting in which case I will print them on Fine Art paper (a digital painting is Fine Art and thus looks super cool on Fine Art paper).

I encourage you to take a tour and sincerely hope that you like the new look. As always please feel free to leave me a comment. As always, I look forward to what the 2012 photographic season brings me. In addition to my sport event photography I will be showing my work this year across galleries in Toronto, and at the annual Ojibway Art Festival. And, I am always on the lookout for new landscapes or point of views to shoot.

To find out when I have updated my blog please find me on Facebook (hint: if you go to my contact page you will find a direct link to my Facebook page. Don’t forget to hit the ‘like’ button.).

Thanks for looking.

Cecile

 

 

 

Welcome to CGP’s new website

Posted on by cecile

I was steered away from photography as a potential career during my highschool years by someone I care not to mention. In hindsight however, this may have been for the best but not for the reasons I was given. Regardless, I continued taking pictures with my trusty Minolta X-570 and X-700 while I travelled and worked around the globe. Finally settling down back in Toronto for a few months I began my career of becoming a bicycle courier which eventually led to racing mountain bikes. Sadly, I had to put my camera on the backburner as I could not afford to race on the national and international circuit while buying and developing slide film. Digital photography at the time was just in its infancy and I vowed to get back into it once my mountain bike career was over. But than I got into racing offroad bikes because I just love the thrill of speed and I found I still had a huge appetite for it. I admit it…I am an adrenaline junkie.

Fast forward a few years and digital cameras were beginning to get good right around the time when I was full on into offroad racing. This was when I decided to buy my first DSLR – a Nikon D70. ‘Point and shoot’ cameras at the time drove me crazy as the shutter lag and lack of manual control repeatedly wanted to make me pitch the camera into a pile of dirt. I missed my X-700 but realised the future was digital. The creativity was becoming endless and very quickly limitless.

Today, my racing careers are pretty much over as my body is really starting to break down. Having said that though I do have my sights set on a few select Hare Scrambles for 2012. I have not ridden much over the last few years due to the birth of my two sons but the fire (and adrenaline fix) still burns inside me. However, I say only a few as I have begun to realise that I cannot afford to become injured and attempt to raise two young children. I am realising my high school dream of becoming a photographer are becoming reality. Screw what that person said a long time ago. I have always loved taking photographs and love expressing myself in ways that photography can let you. I also love mixing my creative side with my adrenaline side to create visually balanced and engaging images that combine action with beauty. Photography is my business now and I simply love what I do.

Over the last few years I have been taking pictures of just about any type of action sports to help me hone my skills. I believe in being a ‘Jack of all Trades’ learning as much as I can and than focus my attention on one or two facets of the art that I really enjoy. Photography for me is ever-changing and I appreciate that as it keeps me sharp and forces me to use my brain.

Enter Karen Cowl (nee Seifert) of Stripe Graphics. Even though she moved to Canada’s west coast over 15+ years we are still friends and Karen has the uncanny ability to decipher people. She knew more about me than I knew about myself back in high school. And, despite the distance between us, she still knows me and could easily identify my goals and the direction that my photography would take me. She is also very happy to see me realise my dreams of becoming a photographer as I know she was not happy at my decision to not pursue it career wise 20 + years ago. She should have kicked my butt.

A few years ago I hired Karen to help me create an appropriate website and other marketing materials to help me enter this competitive field. I chose her because I trust her vision and love her creativity and professionalism. With over 20 years as a graphic designer she has the experience that I needed to help me see my current and future goals. Case in point, she knew this day would come when I would ask her what she could do to incorporate my action photography with my fine art. To this day I had been working through one site and gradually felt that I needed to separate the two and come back to the clean and simple to navigate website I once had.

April 1, 2012 – and this is no joke – welcome to my new website. The most visible change will be the landing page where there are two distinct pages to choose from: Fine Art or Action Sports. Each page will have its own blog. Karen and her trusty computer guru web site developer Calvin at Blue Comet Solutions  have done a superb job of separting the site yet keeping it together. Sounds confusing? It is not. Start at the landing page and take a tour.

Here are some other noteable features of my new site:

  • Fine Art and Action Sports photography are now separated – makes much more sense now
  • Regular updates on my photographic whereabouts via my appropriate blog:
  • Want to know where I will be exhibiting my Fine Art work next or see a new landscape? Visit my Fine Art blog and gallery.
  • Want to view pictures of a recent race or event? View my Action blog and gallery.
  • Purchasing is handled by Zenfolio – major credit cards and PayPal accepted
  • Easy no nonsense pricing, shipping and one-stop shopping

I encourage you to take a tour and sincerely hope that you like the new look and goals. As always please feel free to leave me a comment. I look forward to what the 2012 photographic season brings me and I will see you out on the trails. My goals are to attend most Offroad Ontario and WEC races as well as select trail rides put on by our hardworking clubs. Mountain bike and cyclocross races as well. I just love my two wheels.

Thanks for looking and see you on the trails!

Cecile

Toronto Supercross 2012

Posted on by cecile
Villopoto on his way to another main event win.

 

This past weekend I was invited to the only International stop of the AMA Supercross series at the Rogers Centre, Toronto. The kicker…the action was so close to me I could feel the vibrations from those highly tuned thumpers.

Apart from enjoying Supercross and drooling over these high-end bikes I marevelled at the mad-skills the riders possessed. If you look smooth you are fast. I remember that from my competitive downhill mountain biking days and these guys looked super smooth as they blipped their throttle to clear an insanely high storey jump.

Kyle Regal getting stuffed into the pads by Nico Izzi

 

My man, Chad Reed was out with injuries previously sustained but my other man – the ‘experienced’ (in other words ‘wise’) Kevin Windham was right on target and podiumed at the main event.  The Toronto race fielded a smaller than usual top contenders as Stweart and Dungey were also out with injuries. But, the action was far from short. Supercross kinda reminds me of indoor soccer where the action is fast and furious as compared to playing outdoors on a bigger surface.

Weimer looking smooth.

The best part of watching supercross live vs TV is the atmosphere. Love the sound of the bikes, the energy of the crowds, the opening show and being litterally able to feel and smell the pyro show.  And, of course, watching Nash the Slash perform our national anthem ‘O Canada’. Epic.

In fact not only was the entire evening epic I was very happy with my pictures. I have spent the last year honing my skills and taking pictures of enduro races and trail events and, in my opinion, they have prepared me well. That is, in enduros – it’s one shot baby. Blow it and you’ll never see that rider again unless you can get to the finish line before they do.

We’ll see you all on the trails. Just got word today that the Ganaraska is officially opened two weeks early on April 14. Picking up my KTM 200 this weekend and see you out on the trails and don’t forget to pull a wheelie for me.

 

 

 

CGP at The St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto

Posted on by cecile

I recently had a phone call from an art curator who mentioned interest in my photographs and before I knew it I was dropping off some of my framed pieces and signing a contract.

My artwork is now being represented by Rupert Young (www.artprofile.ca) a curator working out of Toronto. This is exciting news for me as I have always loved my fine art side of my photography. In fact, creating artistic photographs are what drew me into photography back in the 80’s. I realised back then that the camera could record the beauty offered by Mother Nature as perceived by the photographer. It’s only within the last decade that I have begun expanding my taste to include ‘action’ and ‘lifestyle’ pictures. And even then I strive to create and include a visual balance between fine art and action.

The photograph above is named ‘Greenfields’ and it is currently on exhibition at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto for the month of March. How cool is that? I took this photo in 2009 using my Nikon D80. The story of Greenfields is as follows: waiting for the traffic lights to change I noticed the local park had recently undergone a ‘control burn’ by city employees. Not only could I smell it but I could see the dark ash and burned grass mixed in with new growth from the recent warm spring weather. My goal was to show the beauty of the recent burn. I loved the colours, the texture, the contrast and the idea that old vs new was everywhere. I wanted to recreate the idea that life was sustainable and could excel after a burn at and felt that panning would best demonstrate what I had envisioned.

For the month of March Greenfields is being exhibited at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts along with other notable artists. I am very proud and feel honoured to have the opportunity to show my work here. Of course, theatre goers have automatic access to the gallery on the second floor of the Centre. Gallery visits are offered and just need to be booked so that Mr. Rupert Young can open the doors for you. Let me know if you are interested in seeing the show and if I can I’ll drop by with you.

Thanks for you support and your confidence in me. It’s appreciated and gives me the strength to continue. Showing my photography publicly has not been an easy step for me as I literally feel like my emotions and self are exposed for all to see. To have my work being shown in such an establishment boosts my confidence and gives me the strength to try different forms of photography and art.

UPDATE: As of 2013 my contract with Rupert Young has finished and I am no longer represented by him. As well, my prints are no longer on exhibition at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

 

Les deux maringouins

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I was originally supposed to be in Barrie, Ontario this morning but I had to cancel my trip last night. The idea was to visit my friend Gary so that I could take some pictures of myself and his bike for an upcoming ‘Traction’ article I am writing. Somehow, I ended up on Toronto’s best beach, with my two children, my mother and my camera.

It was a cool, sunny and blustery day. The waves were rolling in and the sand was wet under our feet. Quite a different feel compared to last week’s photo session with Dan’s kids. I called my mother in the early afternoon and asked her if she would be willing to help me keep an eye on the kids while I had my eye behind the camera. Conditions were perfect and I had to take advantage of it. I have been waiting a long time to take pictures of ‘mes deux maringouins’ (mosquito in Quebec as I affectionately call them) and was excited to finally have the opportunity.

When Luc first stepped onto the sand his head and eyes immediately went down. It was almost as if he was in a trance. Sand everywhere. He has seen sand but not this much and it was mesmerising. I focused my attention on him as I found it harder to take pictures of him. His brother Sebastien lends himself easier to the camera. Luc, on the other hand, is more evasive and quickly turns away or charges full steam ahead onto my lens. Today however, his head was down and he was not listening to any cues my mother or myself gave him. Luckily, the waves caught his attention. They also caught his shoes and by the time we left his feet and the bottom of his jeans were soaked. It was just plain fun to see him stomp on the water as it rolled in to greet his tiny feet.

On the flip side Sebastien was busy creating sand castles and sand art. It was fun watching them play and I consider myself so lucky having been able to record them with my camera. Too quickly though the sun lost power and my golden light was beginning to fade. I would soon need a flash to brighten up their faces. I decided to pack it in..already satisfied at the natural light pictures I was able to get.

Thanks to my mom for helping out and for my two beautiful children for being kids. I am super happy at the pictures I was able to get. When I look at the photos from today I see my children in all their splendour – happy, surprised or lost in deep thought…the pictures reflect their personalities. I will definitely be hanging up a few.