Yesterday, the weather was not the only thing that was hot in Adelaide but the final stage of the 2012 Tour Down Under. It was amazing to witness Simon Gerrans winning the National Road Championships followed by taking out his second Tour Down Under victory. Furthermore, GreenEdge could not ask a better start to their year by winning a World Tour title. Even more surprising for me was the performance of Cameron Meyer, out in the front for a little over two hours then in the final lap attempting to break away from the clutches of the peloton.
The final stage is probably one of the more difficult stages to photograph because of the heat and its the same circuit every year. However, as I was leaving yesterday, I noticed something in close proximity of the race circuit that might provide an alternate view, especially using a tilt shift lens. It wold be a dream for me to create a miniature world effect using a tilt-shift lens during a pro grade race. I do believe some parts of the criterium during Tour Down Under would be perfect for this. This would provide me another avenue to produce different content to the main stream photographers who seem to spend all their time at the city end of the course.
This year during the Tour Down Under has made me realized how far I have come from last year and especially since 2010. I remember in 2010, I did not know anyone I was nothing but a speck in the ocean of media. 2011 was a similar, however this year it was very different. It was an amazing feeling and on occasions a little overwhelming to meet people in person who have followed by adventures last year. Furthermore, engaging with the pro riders who found my work to be interesting. Even walking around the circuit, it was good to exchange a few words with folks who recognized me from CyclingTips. Though I do apologize on a few occasions if I didn’t come across as being in a talkative mood as my head was too focused on the race and trying to get to the finish line during the later part of the race.
It has been an amazing Tour Down Under, and I am looking forward to heading back to Europe to photograph more races and develop my techniques further.
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