several years ago, apple computer ran a story on the pro section of their website detailing how a professional photographer had covered the winter olympics. this poor fellow was pictured like a christmas tree, where the baubles were substituted for cameras slung round his neck, each with a different length, and doubtless weight, of lens. his cards of digital photographs were being offloaded by an assistant onto his apple laptop before being transferred to a second assistant for cataloguing and rudimentary processing, allowing him to continue shooting pics unhindered, in a quest for that one shot that would make the newspapers later that day. a frantic existence that existed for as many days as the olympic events continued, with barely a moment for a jam sandwich and a can of irn bru.
not my idea of fun, nor that of chris hinkle, who has produced this marvellous photographic testament to the 2008 north american cyclocross season. that'll be why it's called cyclocross. a professional photographer since 2003, chris presaged his lensmanship with three years as a bike messenger in minneapolis, where he also started racing knobblies, becoming a semi-pro and shifting location to santa cruz california. the cyclocross connection arrived via his training regime: resisting a road bike for training, he trained on the road using a cross bike leading to some dabbling in the sport with less than outstanding success. it's a truism that some of us are built for longer rides at lower heart rates than cross demands. however, in perhaps of similar mind to myself, chris loved the aesthetics of the sport, and this book is the return in different guise.
chris hinkle isn't exclusively a cycling photographer: in fact, if you check his website, you'll find that he does a very intelligent and artistic line in wedding photography: "i enjoy photographing people and especially enjoy photographing athletes and/or unique passionate persons doing what they do. i have no desire to work for ap, afp, or anyone else shooting sports exclusively and having to get 'the finish line shot'"
this is amply reflected in the book's extensive variety of photographs (all in black and white to reflect the true grit of the sport), only one of which, as i recall, features the raised arms across the finish line. there are some close-ups of racing cyclists - including a very fine picture of molly cameron leading a chasing pack - photos of mud, photos of bikes, photos of muddy bikes, some lovely distance shots and a veritable breadth of photographs depicting those nooks, crannies and paraphernalia that accompany cyclocross racing that we forgot to take heed of when we were there. this, of course, is the true mettle of an accomplished photographer: seeing what others miss, and having the shutter speed to capture it.
"this book was an escape from the pressure of an editor expecting certain shots - it was a great feeling when all of the photographers had to sprint to the finish line, to get so-and-so finishing, because that was going to be the headline. i didn't have to be there with everyone else; instead i could take my time to make a different collection of photos."
so as winter draws in (it was the islay show yesterday - it's always winter the day after), there can be few greater pleasures in the lead up to the cross season, than to curl up in the armchair, with the curtains drawn and a glass of ginger beer and caramel chunky kit-kat at hand, slowly perusing this impressive and inspirational book of mr hinkle's photographs.
inspiring from all points of view.
chris hinkle | cyclocross the book
posted on friday 14 august 2009
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