Cyclist, last stage of the Tour of the Red River Gorge.

[alfredo]

forgot to turn off the flash out of consideration for the cyclist, but he didn't flinch and the image worked.

[Mira]

1. OHHHHH I love it----if I were you I would be so proud to have that feather in my cap.

[alfredo]

2. I have another forty to process. Maybe tomorrow.

[Mira]

3. Yeah, but I would have loved to see your face as you picked your jaw up

from the floor when you saw this one.
Please post more.

[alfredo]

4. thanks. I have a feeling that this will be the pick of the litter.

[Mira]

5. A helluva pick then. I used to, long ago when I had a monthly budget for

photo processing, say to myself that if I get one good shot per roll I'm happy.

Isn't it wonderful, now that most of us have no money, that once we have a camera and a computer, we can shoot all we want....

My Dad was a wonderful photographer with a darkroom and lots of published photos to his credit. His day job was being a minister in the tiny tiny diaspora of Methodism in Germany.

I dream I could show him what is possible today, as far as money is concerned, when it comes to being able to shoot a scene 10 exposures and it means nothing in your pocket book.

I digressed, sorry, but I will always miss my Dad.

[alfredo]

7. Photography is about memories.

I used to process my own B&W and slides. It's just not worth it with how good digital is getting.

I might buy a Canon XSi tomorrow.

[Tindalos]

6. Wow, that is an awesome picture!

I can't think of any words to convey just how amazing it it. Just ... wow!

[alfredo]

8. Blind luck.

[Tindalos]

9. Somehow I doubt that

You were ready and waiting for this moment. There was probably some luck involved but also skill.

[alfredo]

10. I took a lot of bike racing pictures back in the sixties, then I raced some

myself.

The luck came in when I forgot to turn off the flash. I don't normally want to set off a bright flash as a cyclist is setting up for a hard right hander. By that stage of the race he's probably getting a bit of tunnel vision. This was the end of five days of heaving racing on steep narrow roads of the Red River Gorge area The race ended in Lexington at a criterium with a lot of ninety degree turns, and a nasty head wind on a half mile straight. This tour is the toughest junior class stage race in the US.

Here's one part of the racecourse in the Gorge . Right after leaving the tunnel, you careen down a very steep narrowroad. It's usually wet. and littered with debris from the cliffs and trees.


Nada Tunnel


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSe1ZaejKY0

[Tindalos]

11. That tunnel looks a bit hairy

We have one nearby that's just a shortish culvert under the river and I get nervous going through that. This one looks much hairier. Sounds like a hard race. I'm glad your flash didn't distract the rider because that picture turned out perfectly.

[alfredo]

12. It has the same effect as the tunnel at the Monaco GP, you are blinded

by the light as you leave if it is a sunny day.

Forgot to say that if you are in the middle of a peloton, you are in the dark, you can't see the only source of light. It is indeed scary. It's hard to keep your balance in total blackness.

[alfredo]

13. Found out this guy came in second overall, a few seconds behind the leader.

That was after five stages of very challenging racing over some very difficult and dangerous roads.