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State Line NECXC Race

It was a quick ride from Morgantown to Mount Morris, PA this past Sunday to shoot at the race. It was definitely a beautiful day to be out racing or shooting.

As nice as the day was, the weather was still being a pain in the ass. A whole slew of a photographer’s favorite enemies were at play including harsh overhead sun, splotchy light through trees, and very dark wooded areas. I was shooting one minute at ISO 50 and the next at 1600. I did have two happy accidents though. One of the shots below looks like I was shooting through a huge scrim at camera right. The light was just soft compared to other moments. You can tell by looking at the shadow on the ground to the right of the rider. The other was the light being reflected off the water up into the riders helmet to light his face. Two neat lighting effects we try to do with gear at times, but nature did it on its own. Just had to see it happening and take the shots.

The riders never have it easy. They dealt with it all including hill climbs, mud holes, and some very, very slippery bridges. I’ve posted a shot of one very frustrated rider picking up a steaming bike after not making it over the crest of a hill climb. I felt bad for the dude but it’s a peek at the less glamorous side of these races. Most of photos we see are of riders moving fast and pitching the bike with wicked form. If only it was always like that; there would certainly be a lot less cussing. I didn’t have the heart (or the perfect focus) to post the shot of the dude wiping out on one of the bridges and falling down into the creek. Get back up, brush off, pick up the bike, and keep going.

Here are some of my favorites from the day.

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NECXC 2013 Round 2

Off to the higher elevations of West Virginia with Team Outlaw yesterday for Round 2 of the New East Coast XC series. Another chilly day but certainly great dirt bike racing. The highlights for this race, at least in terms of interesting photos, would be the mud holes. Some of my favorites are below. If you want to see a bunch more or purchase prints of shots that I snagged while out there, go to http://shop.marcseery.com

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NECXC 2013 Race 1

Brrrr. That’s what I have to say about today. Imagine being on a motorcycle for 2 hours in the freezing Pennsylvania weather, racing through the woods! I spent the day with Team Outlaw shooting the first race for the New East Coast XC series. This was a fun one. Lots and lots of mud without all the rain. There’s even a little bit of snow sprinkled in a few shots.

The way the wooded parts of the track were cut, there was a good bit of low hanging brush. This made shooting a bit interesting but if you were a spectator, that’s how you’d see it. I even heard a few mentions of scratched helmets; nothing a little wax won’t cure. Shots from these races can get really repetitive if you don’t access a lot of different spots. I was able to get to a few. Certainly made it to more than possible at an enduro. Here are some of my personal favorites without being too, too repetitive. Enjoy. –M

Cherokee National Enduro

I hit the road this past weekend with Andy Thorn from Outlaw Motorsports for the 2013 Cherokee National Enduro (NEPG AMA/Rekluse National Enduro Series) in Greenboro, GA. Shooting a diversity of photos at enduros can be tricky unless you have an army of shooters. The race is spread out over dozens upon dozens of miles. Unlike hare scrambles and motocross, the riders only come by the same spot once. If you time it correctly, you can get to another spot with a quick jaunt in the truck for several miles. Here are a few shots from the weekend. These guys were the top three overall. Charlie Mullins, Nick Fahringer, and Russell Bobbitt.

Charles Mullins
Charlie Mullins

 

Nick Fahringer
Nick Fahringer

 

Russell Bobbitt
Russell Bobbitt