Oasby horse trails. (October)

This is a nice local event for me which I have covered a few times now. I spent the whole 2-day event covering the show jumping arena, which I love to photograph as it lets me get creative with angles and ways to shoot images of both the horses and riders.

With one camera in hand and another set up on remote triggers I was able to cover multiple jumps and get lots of different images of the riders as they raced around the arena. I really like using a remote camera as you can get into places you cannot physically go or wouldn’t want to, this can produce some really dramatic photos as the horses fly over the jumps.

These are always long days and you have to be fit as you don’t stop moving around, but I really enjoy photographing these types of events.

For more picture head over to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Manchester half marathon.

This was my first time covering the event, with over 10,000 runners it was going to be fast paced all day. I had two locations for this event, the first was 2k after the start along with 3 other photographers to try and make sure we captured as many of the runners as possible. Being experienced in covering many extreme events over the years I am always well prepared for the unexpected and the other photographers in our group were jumping in my kit bag for all sorts of bits to tie their kit bags to railings, cover bags, tape and anything else they needed. It was a good feeling to be able to help colleagues out especially on this wet and windy day.

My second location was to prove a lot easier as it was 2k before the finish and most of the runners had spread out by this point. I have done many marathons over the years and have mastered the art of looking through the camera with one eye and watching what other people are doing with the other as invariably you get people running at you waving, jumping and all manner of other things to get your attention and I really hate missing people when they clearly want the photos.

For more wet & windswept images head over to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

RatRace Hell Runner (Up North)

This event was to be a long one. I got up at 4am as I had a 3 hour drive ahead to get there on time.

The event is a half marathon with the option of doing two laps to make a full marathon and is set in the Delamere Forest, Cheshire where the terrain is unforgiving, peppered with water features and is extremely rough underfoot.

My location was in the Hills of Hell, having had a good look around I decided on a section which had the runners coming through a shallow stream, over a log and back out up the bank. This proved to be a great spot as I did a test dip with a stick and found the ground went down just enough to cause a problem for them as they stepped over the log, and it didn’t disappoint.

The problem for me was that I had to be on a boggy island which had me almost knee deep in mud for the whole day, but it was absolutely worth it. Reminded me of the old Major Series that I used to really enjoy photographing.

As the runners came towards me many of them saw the opportunity to get a nice posed shot with the woods, logs and water which was great for me as I knew what would happen next. Yep, almost all of them stepped/jumped over the log and down they went, water and bodies everywhere! 

This was such a fun event and I am thrilled to be covering the other Hell Runners later this year so if you see me on course just remember I am in that spot for a reason and tread carefully…

To see more great images from this event head over to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

RatRace Survival of the Fittest (Nottingham)

This was an emotional day for me.

This event, 6 years ago, was the first OCR event I photographed and over the years has given me some of my favourite photos. This year was to be the last event and, for the first time at this event, I was photographing the finish line. End of an era...

It wasn’t the best weather with it drizzling all day, but the competitors really seemed to go the extra mile and enjoy themselves.

As the runners came towards the finish they all forgot how tired they were and really gave it their all to make the last photos the best, with star jumps, cartwheels and even blowing kisses to the camera they all gave a little extra, their was even a random RatRace space hopper that found its way over the finish line which gave them endless fun.

It really is a shame that this great event is to finally end but it has given a lot of fun to everyone including the photographers.  Thanks for the memories.

For more images from this great event pop over to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Osberton International Horse Trials

Back in October 2019 I had the pleasure of photographing a fantastic BEDE equestrian event at Osberton. This is a national event with riders coming from all over the UK, with lots of famous faces joining in. I was booked to capture the dressage arenas for two days. The riders and horses were majestic in their performances and looked truly elegant in the arenas.

I also photographed the carriages out on the XC Course, which was new for me, but I couldn’t wait to get involved. I found an area on course where I could capture the carriages as they navigated around which enabled me to photograph them multiple times. These made for some spectacular photos as they came rocketing through the water splash and was thrilling both to watch and also to photograph.

After the carriages I had a little time to get out on the XC Course and found a great jump with Osberton House in the background which gave the photos location. This proved to be an exciting spot to see out a memorable event.

To see more great images from this event head over to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Gym Photography

January seems to be the time when we have all overindulged and want to hit the reset button and get back on track with our health and fitness so this is the perfect moment for me to share with you a new area of the business which has been in the pipeline for a few months.

I was asked by a client to photograph gyms for a national company and this is a selection of images from the first one, which was local to me in Grantham.

The brief was to photograph all rooms and equipment to give a good overview of what is on offer at each facility. As you can imagine, it’s not easy to photograph a gym when there are people using the equipment but as a photographer you always find a way.

With image sharing and GDPR being something we must all be aware of at all times, especially when sharing images, it is vital that I work alongside the gyms to ensure privacy and anonymity for the gym users.  A successful project is one where both parties are involved in all stages from the concept design through to the actual delivery and I am excited to be working with a company that recognise the importance of this.

This is going to be a large ongoing project so I will be posting new images as I go.

Richmond Runfest - London

Saturday.

This was a full weekend running festival. Starting Saturday in the beautiful Kew Gardens with just over 4,500 runners taking part in the first 10k around the gardens.

I had two locations for this event, the first was intended to capture the runners around 1k after the start which is always a challenge as the runners are still all bunched up and it can be very difficult to identify them individually as they run past. With so many runners I still managed to photograph many of them, and plenty gave me a wave as they passed by.

My second location was a short walk away and was as the runners came out of the rose garden area. They were all still in good spirts when they came past with some waving and even jumping for me which made for some great photos for them.

Sunday.

The second day was the full and half marathons along the River Thames through Richmond. Again, this event had around 5,000 runners, my first position was 5k in and I was able to get the Richmond Bridge in the background to give location to the images. Using a wide-angle lens to get dynamic images along with utilising the  zoom to select individual runners and get close up photos of them. At this location I was just off the Heathrow runway and had many planes taking off overhead, so I had to take a couple of photos as this was the second time in two weeks I was at the end of a runway.  Hopefully next time I will be heading towards a plane and some sunshine!

To see more pictures from this event go to our Facebook page..

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Food photography.

Over the last year I have been photographing a large variety of catering/food for both private clients and also large regional companies. This has been a new area for me but has given me the opportunity to be creative, from staging the food and building the shots to photographing to a specific brief that the client requires.

They always say you eat with your eyes and that is how I try and photograph food. When photographing café’s/restaurants etc, I think it is important to not only show the food at its mouth-watering best but to show some behind the scenes shots. This shows how dishes are put together and also the love and attention to detail that goes into creating each individual dish for the customers.

Pedal for Scotland

The event was the day after Man V Mountain which I had also photographed.

This led to a staggering 817 miles covered and me visiting Wales, England and Scotland in one epic weekend. Even covering such a large area of the United Kingdom I still managed to get the best of the weather for both days. Result…

Pedal for Scotland is made up of three different events:

1.      The Classic Challenge Glasgow-to-Edinburgh ride

2.      The Big Belter (a 100-mile sportive)

3.      The 10-mile Wee Jaunt between Linlithgow and Edinburgh. 

For this event I was to cover part of the finish before another photographer took over, then moving on to another location.

My second location was almost at the end of Edinburgh airport runway and as you will see planes made an appearance in many of the images as they taxied the runway and took off which made for some interesting photos. I was able to find a spot that put the new Forth Road Bridge in the background of the photos (although small it is there!) Many of the riders were happy to see me and did different things to catch my attention and be photographed, there was even Woody and Buzz Lightyear on a tandem.

To see more images from this fun event head over to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Man v Mountain - 2019

This is the 5th year I have photographed this event and it never fails to take my breath away one way or another. I am normally the one photographer that gets sent up to the top of Mount Snowdon, however this year I was to go back in the old miner’s village.

In the week before the event, I was checking the weather daily as my first year photographing this event I had the worst weather I have ever had photographing an event and had convinced myself that going back to the village would be tempting fate.

On the day of the event the sun was shining, and I had everything crossed it would stay that way for me and the competitors. Having finally climbed to the location where I was to be for the day - which was at the top of the vertical kilometre – a truly punishing climb carrying all my gear.  This was a tough stretch for the competitors as they will have done 20 miles before they even reach me.

This year I knew the competitors wouldn’t be almost at breaking point by the time they reached me, so I was determined to make them smile when they needed it most. So, I got them to stop and pose take a moment and have a little fun for the camera and they didn’t disappoint. I had them jumping, doing press-ups showing their “guns” and yes running all be it only for 6ft as I told them the camera never lies and when they get the photos, they can prove they ran up the mountain.

For me this event in wales was the first of two events which saw me cover a monster 817 miles in two days and visit Wales, Scotland and England.

So, after finishing this event and heading back to the car I put in the sat nav “Edinburgh” for the Pedal for Scotland event.

To read about last years event from the top of Mount Snowdon use the link below.

https://www.reflectivephotography.co.uk/blog/2018/9/19/ratrace-man-v-mountain

To see more photos from this years event head to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Wilne 10k

This is a fairly small event which lots of running clubs local to Wilne get involved with. This one I was the only photographer which meant a lot of moving around the event village taking photos of the runners before the event along with some promo shots.

My aim was to cover as much of the course as I could, so I managed to get the runners about 1k from the start to get grouped images of them as they came past. Next, I made my way towards the finish 2k away to get the front runners as they started the next lap. Then finally on to the finish line to get the leaders as they crossed.

Covering all these areas myself enabled me to get a lot of different shots and really build a picture of the event. One of the things I like about running events is capturing the runners in full stride, with both feet off the floor and that determined look on their faces that only a distance runner has.

To see more pictures from this event head over to our Facebook page..

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Shelford Manor – Equestrian

A full three days of eventing this was my second event here this year and it proved to be a scorcher...

This weekend gave us the hottest day of the year. I was covering the show jumping for two of the days, which gave me the opportunity to get the remote camera out enabling me to cover more jumps and get some dynamic angles of the horses as they jumped the fences. With the way the course was laid out it also gave me the opportunity to move about quite a bit enabling me to get low down for jumps then almost head on giving some great images.

On the third day I was covering the cross-country which had a section with two fences one as the riders entered a forest area and the other as they exited. With the sun beating down I used my home-made umbrella stand, which usually is for when it’s raining, but this really helped keep the sun off me for the day.

Next stop for my equestrian events will be Osberton (can’t wait!)

To see more images from this event head our to our Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Eroica Britannia - Cycling Event

This was the first time I have photographed this event and after checking out the event website (as I always do before an event,) I was really looking forward to capturing this cycling event with a difference.

The event was a pure cycling event - an epic one-day adventure covering some of the most beautiful landscape in The Peak District National Park. This event provided me with an opportunity to capture the details of the riders as well as the true essence of L’Eroica.

Riders create outfits to match the period of the bikes they ride, which for a photographer is a once a year opportunity to capture a cycling event of the past but in the present day.

The weather couldn’t have been better with blue skies and the sun shinning it was set for a great event.

My first of two locations was roadside opposite Chatsworth house so that I could get a really nice backdrop with the church behind them without anything modern in the photos giving a real feel of times gone by.

It was great to see so many riders really embracing this event with old bikes (some of which I am afraid to say I remember from when I was younger). There was all manner of bikes from old 1930’s racers to BMX’s and Choppers and all different makes and models - they all looked fantastic.

My second location was on the Monsal Viaduct on the Monsal Trail just before the riders entered the tunnel. With being in such scenic locations this made the feel of the photos very realistic and you wouldn’t know when they were taken (apart from the gentleman taking a photo with his phone of me photographing him!)

Mudnificent 7

Well what can I say about this one…

This event is fun, fun ,fun. It’s great for everyone involved, nobody takes any part of this seriously, its all about taking part in a fantastic event. I have looked forward to this one all year as I knew what to expect from photographing this event last year.

It did not disappoint!!

I was covering the “Electric Shock Therapy”, now everyone that does OCR knows all to well the Tough Mudder Electroshock Obstacle. This however was a play on that very obstacle complete with wire rope and power cables to a box. This one had NO power at all, which meant that when the competitors came up to it they thought that they would get an electric shock (Mind Games in play here).

I had people trying to avoid the wires, crawl under them and everything in between. I was completely aware of there being no power so when asked I didn’t say it wasn’t powered. I did have a lot of fun with them as when they had completely avoided the wire and got to me I whispered that it wasn’t powered at all, the look on their faces was priceless, but you have to play along with the game. This obstacle gave some fantastic images, some people didn’t fall for the “No Power” but they played along and had fun in the process.

Lot of the competitors dress up for this event as you will see, various inflatable items were carried around as well. Mudnificent 7 give everyone a small yellow duck with their number on to carry round the event and if they get it back to the finish they get money off next year’s event. This year I saw ducks in places that ducks shouldn’t be, down bras, in socks, down pants and everywhere else imaginable.

As a photographer it can be hard at some events to get involved with the spirit of the competitors, which I love to do, but at this event both the competitors and organisers truly embrace the photographers and welcome us shouting encouragement and really do play for the camera.

Head over to our Facebook page for more picture from this fantastic event.

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Tough Mudder – Yorkshire

Day 1.

Leading up to this event we all had a very hot mini heat wave however, for this weekend, the weather was forecast to be really bad with heavy rain and thunderstorms all weekend. So, I made sure that before I left home that I had everything I could possibly need just in case.

I set off on the 2hr drive north at the crack of dawn to be on site for 7am, it rained very lightly all the way, was this a sign of things to come!?!?

I was given the Whopper again to cover.  When the competitors had completed the obstacle, they pressed the flames of the grill. Well, by the time I had got to the obstacle, the heavens opened, and it poured it down and didn’t let up for the rest of the day. Fortunately, I have my home-made shelter that I have used many times before and it works a treat in keeping most of the rain off me and most importantly the camera.

Even though it was raining it didn’t dampen the spirts or enthusiasm of any of the competitors and they all still had loads of fun with the flames and were still up for a little posing fun.

As you can imagine we were all pleased to see the last runner come through as this meant it was time to head to the B&B, dry our kit out and head to the pub for some hot food to chat about our days trials and tribulations with the weather.

Day 2

The day amazingly started with no rain. I quickly checked the weather app and the rain was supposed to hold off until 3pm. I really hoped it would.

The obstacle for the second day for me was the Peaks of Pain, a section of the course made up of about 10 mud piles which ended with a sharp drop down into a muddy moat. 

This obstacle never disappoints, and the competitors quite literally threw themselves at it. They didn’t hold back at all, as you can see from the pictures. They got covered head to toe in mud, they certainly looked like they had fun! The obstacle was at the top of a hill and straight after they went back down again. It was only after the first 100 people had gone through that I noticed some shouting and looked over to see people running down the hill.  I realised then that they had made a mud slide down the hill and were throwing themselves down it.  This was not my obstacle to photograph, but I needed to get some images of this!  Its not every day you get to see such a sight.  So, I dodged the speeding people coming down the mud slide and got some fantastic images.  One of the things I love about these events is the people designing the course can make all the plans they want but no one is going to argue with a team of people who have a very different idea about how to tackle an obstacle/part of the course.

With this obstacle you need 3 sets of eyes to see what everyone is doing as everyone wants a photo on the peaks. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a big group of white t shirts coming up to the obstacle and thought to myself this looks like the advert on TV for Ariel. Well it turns out they all had Ariel t-shirts on, and this was to good an opportunity to miss getting them all together for a group shot with the mud sign in the background.

Well the rain did stay away and soon it was time to head back to the car and get changed out of my very muddy clothes which I managed to do but only just in time before the heavens opened.

To see more pictures from this event head over to our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Spartan – Midlands

This is always a great event to photograph and I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to cover this for the last two years. Unlike last year, which was in the middle of a heatwave, this year it was decidedly overcast which was much better for the runners as it wasn’t so hot and it also allowed me to capture different images from the year before.

I was asked to cover the monkey bars which I had shot a few images of last year. This is a great one to photograph as I was able to capture the competitors in full swing as they cross this obstacle. One lady that I had seen before (as you do when you photograph as many of these events as I do) came across the bars carrying a sign which she had made pre-event which said “OMG it’s a Spartan Photographer!” This made me chuckle and of course ensured she got a good photo.  The interaction with the competitors is something I really enjoy and moments like this can be what keeps you going through some of the tough weather the UK summer can throw at you.

Day two was almost the same type of obstacle but with rings instead of the monkey bars. Again, the main aim was to capture them as they swung from ring to ring - not only did this capture motion but also the determination on their faces of reaching out to the next ring.

One of the great things for me about shooting Spartan events is the people that take part, they are really happy to see you and will play to the camera – plus it’s always nice when you get a thank you for being there and photographing them.  Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible again there next year.

Check out our Facebook page for more pictures from this event.

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Total Warrior – Leeds

This is the 4th year I have photographed this great event, for the past 3 I have been on this obstacle (The Human BBQ). As you may have seen on my website, one of my images was on the front cover of Obstacle Race magazine with a shot from this event in 2017 on this very obstacle.  Issue #22 for those of you keen to check it out!

With this obstacle you see it all and this year was no exception, with the marshals doing a great job of keeping the BBQ flames nice and high throughout the day. This meant the competitors had to give it their all to make the jump into the very muddy water beyond. For some reason each year you seem to get lots of people doing the same thing over this, and this year I don’t know why but it was different with people also diving and doing belly flops as they leapt the flames which made for some very interesting photos where I was able to freeze them in mid-air.

As usual I was going to end up very wet and muddy from the splashes of people as they landed in the water, and boy did I. Almost everyone managed to get me in some way shape or form, some even came over and gave me a hug as they didn’t think I was muddy enough.  Thanks guys – I’ll get my own back next year!

To see more pictures from this event head over to our Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

The last 12 months have flown by since I became a full-time freelance photographer.

I want to thank all my clients who have supported me over this time to help me to make my dream a reality.  I have been to the top of the world (literally) and to all corners of the UK.  The next 12 months promises to be even more exciting as I look forward to working with new people, in new destinations and I just wanted to give a special shout out to those amazing people who had faith in me right from the start.  You know who you are!

My calendar is filling up rapidly but if you have some opportunities you would like to discuss please do get in touch.

Equestrian – Belton House International Horse Trials

This is one of the largest horse trials in the country. On the first day, I was given the opportunity to cover two dressage arenas that would have events running throughout the day. The weather was fantastic, and I was able to capture Belton House within many of the images which gave them a great backdrop. It is truly amazing how both rider and horse are in sync with each other and the style and poise of these international competitors is fantastic.

On Day two, I was asked to cover a section of the cross-country course which had a series of three jumps.  Looking at the way these were set out I was able to get a nice low spot, so I didn’t move much, ensuring I wasn’t noticed by the horses at all. With the competitors being of such a high standard the images proved to be majestic - seeing the horses bodies stretched out and front legs tucked tightly in as they completed each jump.

Day three, I was covering the cross-country again but on a different part of the course. This time it was a double jump with the second jump down into water – these shots are always spectacular as the horses splash through the water. I was able to get the competitors almost head on as they jumped and was also able to capture them from the side as they went over a second jump featuring a large stump.

This second jump started me thinking of how I could try and get better angles without being noticed and also without disturbing the horses. A remote rig would be ideal but I haven’t seen anything which would do what I need it to do. So, only one thing for it!  Time to get creative.  Watch this space as I will be posting images from The Rig when I have designed and built it.

To see more images from the day head over to our FaceBook page.

https://www.facebook.com/reflectivephotograph/

Ice Hockey Photography

With the ice hockey season upon us again, I spent time between May and July photographing the English Ice Hockey Association conference in Sheffield and Hull. These days are fantastic to photograph with kids from under 10 to 18 years old taking part.

With ice hockey the action is fast and furious and as a photographer you always have to be ready to capture the action, these are long days and hard work as you photograph match after match throughout the day, but the reward of seeing and photographing these amazingly talented kids play is more than enough.

Being in an indoor setting calls for different lighting and also a very different equipment set up for me.  Instead of having a variety of lenses with me to capture varying distances and types of scenery I am able to focus on the action shots ensuring the white out of the rink doesn’t distort the images. 

With this being a children’s event the timetable can vary considerably and I have to be able to flex my other work commitments to ensure if matches run over I am able to accommodate this and do not have to leave to attend another event.   This level of flexibility has been something I have been able to ensure this year with this now being a full-time career for me.

The detail shots I am able to capture at ice hockey are without a doubt some of my favourites – everything from the pucks flying the full length of the rink to the ice spray as two players tussle with each other to the sight of a team celebrating together after scoring the winning point.