Category Archives: Photo

Photo of the Week: Josh McElwee

josh stair potw

Not much to say about this photo- just that it will be the best Photo of the Week ever posted.

This was shot on an unseasonably warm, rainy December day in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I was out shooting with Josh Stair, Evan Smedley, and Cody ‘Mclovin’ Neiswender when we rolled up to this rail. Josh fired out this switch tooth-hanger in one go.

Three lights were used in the making of this photo. The main light was an Einstein at camera right, about 8 feet up and aimed at the left side of Josh’s face, in order to cast a slight shadow on the side of his face most visible to the camera. This light was also feathered very far to the left in order to keep the light away from the building in the background. The rim light was an AB800 and came from camera left about 40 feet back. The large distance from the light to the subject causes the light to fall over a larger area, and gives me some detail in the trees on the right side of the frame. The final light was a Vivitar 285 on the ground, hidden behind the holiday greens on the bottom of the rail. This was just used as a general backlight and assisted in further separating him from the background.

Camera info:

Canon 5D MK II
70-200 f/4
1/200 at f/4.5, ISO 100

Check out more of Josh’s work here.

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“On ‘Track’ with Johnny Zammit” by George Marshall

sergio_layos

“On the small island of Malta exists a huge and very inspiring BMX community. For the past 25 years, one devoted man has built a thriving BMX scene with little more than his bare hands. With trails, a racetrack and a skate park the ‘Track’ as the locals call it, is the life’s work of Johnny Zammit. Sergio Layos and photographer George Marshall visited the ‘Track’ and spoke to 66 year old Johnny about the rich history of BMX on the island.”

Read more here.

Desktop Wallpaper: Scotty Wemmer

scotty euro 2

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We shot this photo in Tulsa, OK in March of this year. The spot is called “Hell Ditch” and it’s rather amazing. I had Damian Racut film me setting up and shooting this so that I could make a walkthrough video. I was kinda drowsy, only getting a few hours of sleep on a hotel floor the previous night so I was not 100% mentally acute. My Canon flash wasn’t firing every time and I didn’t realize that. I’m pretty sure it didn’t fire for the final image but oh well.

Thanks to Scotty for doing numerous euro tables, Damian for filming the walkthrough, Rob DiQuattro for comedic relief and Bobby Simmons for moral support.

As a holiday gift, here’s an outtake shot of Rob airing from the other side that you can also have for wallpaper (unfortunately neither of my flashes on the right fired):

rob hell ditch

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Here is the making of this photograph:

Hasselblad 500 C/M
80mm T* f/2.8 lens
Kodak Ektar 100 film
2x Lumedyne 200w Action Pack
Vivitar 285HV
Canon 580EXII (did not fire)
5x PocketWizard Plus II’s
Digi- Canon 1DIII, 50mm f/1.4 lens

The final image was scanned on an Imacon Flextight X5 scanner and large format prints were made on an Epson 9880 printer (prints are available for purchase)

Photo of the Week: Alex Herzog

Nolan Wallrdie 640 for Scott

The only downside to the sport of BMX is that it is inherently illegal. Even if you ride in skateparks, most don’t allow bikes, so you are technically breaking the law by riding there. But it is especially hard for us street riders. This day, Nolan [Santana], Joe and I were pedaling around the sketchier parts of South San Francisco in search for new spots. While cruising down the street, I saw Nolan hit this little wallride and thought it would make a good photo, as the wall framed him quite well with his black t-shirt and jeans. However as I was setting up my camera, the tenant came out and started to yell at us to leave after he heard the ruckus. Nolan and I really wanted this photo so we asked if we could just get one more go, and he said in his most terrifying voice “No, now I’m going inside to get my gun, and when I come out, ya’ll better be gone.” We gave it one more go and got this shot, and proceeded to get as far away from this spot as possible. This photo was shot on a 35mm Nikon FTN with no external flashes. I had the camera set at f5.6 with a shuterspeed of 1/250th. In the darkroom I had the enlarger set on a higher filter of 4.5 to really get that contrast and make Nolan pop off that wall. I also did some burning on the tops of the buildings to seperate them from the blown out foggy sky.

Check out more of Alex’s work here and follow him here.

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Brian Barnhart Updates

barnhart updates

“Hello!

I’m writing to update you about my zine “Casual Encounters from Empire to Lonestar”, which documents my time leaving NYC and living in Austin, Texas last winter/spring. Its filled with photos and stories of riding, adventure, portraits, music and my general lifestyle. The entire zine is online at bbarnhart.com, where you can also purchase a real paper copy (the way it is meant to be viewed). At this point, original editions are sold out, but Magcloud prints one-off copies just for you.

My site also includes images from my latest art show “Golden Hours”, which documents coast to coast travels from this past summer. A zine from that trip is in the works. “Casual Encounters in the Pacific Northwest” is also up to view. Check out and follow my new instagram and tumblr. Attached are some images from the site.

As for me, I am in PA working until the new year. 2014 will bring a cross country trip (the slow way, south through Austin) and relocation to Portland, Oregon, where my girlfriend and I plan to call home. I wish you a safe and happy holiday season, and I hope hang out or work together soon. Feel free to share.

Sincerely,
Brian Barnhart”

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Photo of the Week: Nick Hayday

jim-cool

This photo… What is there to say that can’t be said by simply looking at it? It’s cool, it’s great, it’s clean, it’s pleasing. It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s trails, it’s BMX.

A not so typical Sunday at some trails in the darkest depths of Surrey, UK. I met Jimmy Rushmore (United, Bicycle Union, Volt BMX) and a couple of others at the trails, to find the locals had gone on a day trip somewhere else. After a bit of patching and some watering, Jimmy started jumping the “Cool Runnings” line, which runs counter to all the other lines. The jump he’s hitting is a big step down, and from this angle is hidden behind some trees and just makes me laugh every time I see someone hit it and appear in the clearing, so I thought I’d try to capture it, with the hope that the foreground lines would give the shot some context.

I usually shoot a 2 or 3 flash setup, but purposely only took one flash aiming to practice controlling the fall off of light on to the trees, fairly successfully on this shot. Photo was shot in early August around 7.00pm on a Nikon D7000 using a 35mm f1.8 lens at f2.2 1/160 , flash (a Nikon SB-26 at 1/4 +0.7) was placed below and to left of the rider.

Massive thanks to the locals for letting us ride and shoot at some amazing trails.

Check out more of Nick’s work here.

See more of Jimmy’s riding here.

Join the Flickr group for a chance to be next week’s photo!

WeThePeople Print Ad

Jason_WTP_Ad

Here’s the latest ad from WeThePeople that is running in RideBMX issue 196. Jason does a no-footed can out of a rail while a perched onlooker wishes her crippling social anxiety wouldn’t prevent her from leaving her curiously shaped apartment. She dreams of one day riding Jason’s signature frame “The Irish” but for now she can only watch from afar and write letters to her distant pen pal. Shot by Hadrien Picard.

Photo of the Week: Rudy Rodriquez

Untitled-1

The lighting and framing of this photograph are pretty much what had me sold. That clearance of black sky was made for a rider to be placed there. The rimlight on his legs is impeccable and pops him out of the background perfectly. The action is clear and timing is great.

“Basically, I was riding my local park as I usually do with the homies who like to come out and do bicycles at a place called Bear Branch Skatepark in The Woodlands, TX, this night when I noticed Andrew Wilson getting down with this amazing looking fast plant fakie move that just got my attention especially from the angle I was at when I saw him busting out with this move. It was about 9:42 pm when I had already did bicycles enough to the point where I was kind of tired and needed to take a break or stop. So, I approached Andrew and asked if he wouldn’t mind me getting a snap of the fast plant fakie. I saw the opportunity where it was perfect to get him in between the neat little bench and the tree perfectly for a decent photo to an amazing trick. I took advantage and seized the moment.

As far as setting up, it’s a little dark in that area compared to other areas of that park so I just worked with it until I was finally content to go with this using the usual sandwich lighting method w/left flash at about 10 o’clock & right flash at about 4 o’clock. Camera settings ISO: 400, exposure shutter: 1/160, aperture: f/3.5. Unfortunately, after all monthly bills & hefty sacks of safety purchases are paid for; I never seem to have enough money leftover to buy & shoot with the camera I really want. So, right now I’m shooting with a Canon T3. But, I’ve learned that it isn’t so much about the camera or equipment you’re using but mostly about how you use it while recognizing the fact that it would be way so sick to upgrade.”

Check out more of Rudy’s work here.

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Photo of the Week: Kyle Emery-Peck

henny bad boyz

If I had to choose one word to describe this photograph, it would have to be “clean”. Plain and simple, this photo is so very clean. The lighting is balanced and even, the composition is proper- the natural shape of the dirt points your eye directly to the rider. The action is framed nicely in front of some dark trees, helping the subject to pop from the background. The colors are pleasing and the timing is perfect. I really like how his tires are covered in dirt and contrast against the dark green trees.

“I was riding Freedom 40 with all the dudes one day taking a bunch of runs, and I realized I should probably pull the camera out before it gets too dark. I set up on this particular dub because I haven’t shot it yet, and Henny was snapping some mean bad boys, (opp tabes). I used 4 flashes and shot it with my trusty Hasselblad 500cm. I think this is Ektar 100 film.

With the lighting I used 4 strobes. 1 up high lighting Hennessey from the left at 1/2 power. Another flash rigged halfway up that same lightstand lighting the landing at a 1/4 power with a diffuser. The 3rd flash was camera right at 1/2 power lighting the lip/ back of the landing. And the 4th flash way camera right lighting the lip at 1/2 power. I think I shot it at 1/500 f/6.3″

Check out more of Eric’s riding here.

More of Kyle’s work can be viewed here.

Add your images to the Flickr group for a chance to be picked for next week’s photo.

Profoto BMX Promo with Christian Van Hanja

If you know lighting, you know that Profoto is synonymous with quality but also very expensive. If you are as lucky as French photographer Christian Van Hanja, you get hooked up with a couple of their B1‘s and have a promo video filmed of you shooting with them.