Shooting a Mountain Bike Race with a $40 Camera (What I Learned)
I have an affinity for older DSLR cameras.
My first full-frame was a Canon 5D Mk II, which I still shoot with on occasion. Beyond that, I’ve built up a collection of 15–20+ year old Canon bodies—XTi, XT, XS, 20D, 30D, and more.
It started as a teaching tool.
Every fall, I teach an intro to photography course. Instead of handing students the latest gear, I give them cameras I’ve picked up at thrift stores or on eBay for $10–$40.
And honestly? They’re perfect for learning.
This Is Documentary Photography, Not Just Race Photography
There’s something about shooting back-to-back gravel races that left me both partly exhausted and creatively lit up. I rolled back into Portland Sunday night after spending the weekend on the Oregon Coast shooting the Oregon Coast Gravel Epic and West Coast Gravel. Two races, two towns, one camera, a burrito-stained hoodie, and a tick embedded in my shoulder.
I shoot like I’m telling a story … because I am. That’s the goal: make a rider feel the race again when they see the photo. Make someone who wasn’t there wish they were (a little FOMO always helps).
Fifty-Dollar Motels, Taco Bell, and a Whole Lotta Mud: An Unfiltered Look at Adventure Photography
It was Friday afternoon, and Nacho the Van was packed and ready. The plan? Head to eastern Oregon for a weekend of shooting photos at back-to-back mountain bike and gravel races. There was just one hitch. I was still crawling out of a weeklong flu haze. The idea of sleeping in my van with temps dipping into the low 40s didn’t sound too appealing.
So, I hit the easy button.
