A few weeks back a bicycle race (the Putnam Cycling Classic) passed through these parts. My original plan was to ride in it, but other commitments and recovery from a nasty respiratory bug suggested that wasn’t going to happen, so I decided to at least salvage something and photograph it.
Lots of expensive carbon bikes and lanky people in spandex – yep, that’s a bike race.
As seems to be my tendency these days, I had my Canon P with me. I loaded it with a roll of Ektar 100, and had the Elmar 90 f/4 and the Jupiter-8 50, as I wasn’t sure how close I’d be able to get. I picked a spot where I hoped I’d be able to catch a few different angles as the riders approached and rode away.
A few minutes after the lone leader passed, the main group (peloton to the enthusiasts) came through en masse. They were flying, which made me rather glad I’d opted to spectate rather than ride. That many people riding that quickly in close proximity makes me nervous.
Lots of small groups and individual stragglers followed. I’m certain that’s where I would have been had I ridden, and there was still quite some distance to go. Rather than grinding away for a few dozen more miles, I went home and ate lunch. In retrospect, I am not at all troubled by the way this turned out.
I switched over to the Jupiter-8 as things wound down. It’s the first bike race I’ve ever shot, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but the 90mm was plenty for what I was trying to do, and even the 50mm alone would have been fine. The Ektar performed well here, but that should be expected on a clear, sunny day with brightly colored subjects. I’m quite pleased with how my Canon P/LTM kit has come together.
Filmosaur 