Selected by Ian Hylands - I haven't personally picked any of my own shots for POD, and I won't pick very many. Of all the shots I've taken this year, this is one of my favorites. I like it because there is a huge story in it, and there is a lot of mood and feeling as well. And it's really different from what most people expect from me...
xxslopestylerider9x: "A trail of tear offs leads the way to the gate as Tracy Moseley waits for Floriane Pugin to start. Last rider in the start house, less than a minute to go before the start of her winning run."
This photo tells a story like most shots don't. On Freecaster you only see the riders exiting from the outside, this is an unseen dimension for sure, such a vibe.
One thing puzzling me though. Why the trail of tear offs here? Why are riders leaving their dirty tear offs on right till the last seconds??
zorba, im guessing its so that they can get the cleanest possible view at the start of their run. but i dont pretend to be an expert so it is just a guess.
@zorba73 tear offs get a weird film on them which makes your lense look blurry but its just the top tear off so once you pull it off it becomes unblurry. i cant think of a really easy way to describe it
you just cant appreciate anything but a POD where someone is riding a dirt jump. you've most likely never raced and dont understand what this feels like. any racer know the feeling shes going though. people like you are so tunnel visioned, wake up and see the other disciplines of biking
Those minutes before a race are so tense its unbelievable. I don't race DH but I ski race competitively and the starts are very similar. The only difference is that you're freezing your ass off haha
I love that adrenaline before you drop for a big jump, or at the gait waiting, or hitting a drop. Personally that adrenaline is what keeps me biking, and skiing. I know what it feels like, people who bash this picture obviously don't. But whatever.
cGonzalez, you are so right, this picture gives all DH racers a feeling of mixed emotions at the start of a race run, some nerves, focus, blocking things out, Personally i think that this is such an awsome picture and i just wish other particular people such as marwal55 cant see as us dh racers do. So congratulations for a PoD Ian, So worth it, Well done
Agreed, I remember seeing this a couple of days ago and thinking what a powerful image it was. Really captures that moment of reflection before a run. I can't imagine the pressure before a World Cup race run though!! Nice work Ian, great capture
you made your own picture pod? thats not fair. also the fact that its lame... if it has a story to it why dont you tell everyone so it isnt so weak. hate all you want i dont care.
I fail to see why people can't appreciate this picture. OK so it's not some massive 30ft flip-whip, nor is it a super-low high speed berm or somesuch, but that's not the point. That's not what makes a good photo. A photo should capture a moment in time, something that is powerful and worthy of retelling. This does exactly that. Perhaps you've never been sat on a start line before a race and can't appreciate the mental preparation and anxiety before setting off for a timed run. Perhaps you're too small-minded to realise a photo doesn't have to be a crazy-ass trick. A photo tells a thousand words, and here I think that saying really rings true.
russ-ryan-pawn, the whole point of a good image is that it tells the story without the need for words. I fyou're into DH you will know who this is, where she is, and the picture speaks for itself.
Ian got a fair few PODs before he was chosen to pick them also right?
I was actually saying to myself the other day it sucks for ian a bit because he has so many amazing photos and cant pick them because people would be shitting on about it like russ-ryan-douchebag
I would definitely call it an awesome feeling, but not at that moment! It's one of those strange moments where while you're actually there you're such a wreck of emotions, trying to keep it all together and wondering why on earth you're there, then later on when you're day dreaming you just can't think of anywhere else you'd rather be.
I'm a real fan of action shots to be honest.... But yes, this is a great photo and it would go as a double spread in a magazine, it tells a wonderful story.
Thanks Nathan, I'm stoked that you like it so much! Gay typically means "bright and festive" or "merry and lively" and personally I find it very quiet and introspective, but that's the nice thing about Pinkbike, you can express your opinion even if it's different from everyone else's. It's fans like you that inspire me to keep shooting amazing photos like this one!
ever since IanHylands was put in charge of picking the pods ive seen so much ass kissing, before i would see so many "why is this pod" now everyone kisses ass cus if they complain they are scared of getting neg prop, and im not talking about this picture specifically
"we've just got more canada then we know what to do with". what a great quote. hilarious and quite right really.
ian i like this photo a lot. it certainly does give a sense of anticipation and calm before the storm. i wonder how the same content might present from different points of view- like, from a worms eye view just behind her foot, or from standing on top of one of those gondola's, or even from outside looking in on moseley as the other rider leaves the gate in a blur. who knows, it probably be "f*cking gay" as well. what a stupid critique. nice shot ian.
Thanks, I have a bunch of other shots from here, but I really tried to be invisible while I was shooting. Quiet, and very discrete. This is almost a sacred moment, riders are in their own space, I know a lot of them, but I don't make I contact, I don't approach, and I don't do anything to distract them from their thoughts of the race ahead. So while getting close or climbing on gondola cars might create a really unique image, it would probably create more of a distraction than needed at this time...
good insight ian. i suppose i was brainstorming the composition/shot and disregarding the people involved. imagine a photographer doing something like that. cough paparazzi cough.
PB is not solely for photographers (as can be seen from some of the tripe that goes into the galleries, it's becoming a chore sifting through the crap to find anything decent). Half of the people don't seem to know what critique is, and wouldn't understand what makes a good image, and that's not a go at anybody, it's just a fact. Being a photographer is not a case of paying for a DSLR and hitting the button on your "pro camera". Unfortunately so many people think that nowadays that photography is becoming more and more undervalued. But that's another debate. My point was about critique. The above being said, it is possible to state whether or not you like an image without a critique, in a polite and civil manner, that takes no photography knowledge at all, just manners and civility.
Why are people bitching about this PoD? and why are people saying Ian is doing a bad job at picking PoDs? FFS he is a world renound photographer in the DH world and Ian, please pick more of your own pictures, they are STUNNING
Hahaha, holy shit Ian!! How dare you! There you have it, the experts have spoken. No more cool, well composed, moody shots that tell a story. NO MORE! Only POD's from now on are to be taken juuusst after sunset, of dirt jumping and are to be lit with a minimum of four flashes. Don't deviate. The natives get restless.
these comments make me lose respect for the DJ/FR bunch. As a racer this speaks volumes to me. there is no feeling quite like when your number is called, and the steady build of nerves as the riders in front of you start their runs. Then when the last rider in front of you starts their run, you pull to the line, and the adrenalin builds up until the 10 second beep. As the clock ticks down to 5, and that light goes green... WOW! its better then sex. best feeling in all of sports imo.
one of the sickest PODS right now because it does tell a story like Ian said and you get to see what goes on behind the scenes at DH racing events so all of you ppl who are saying a bunch of bull about this photo can shut up and stop talking crap about Hylands.
Actually there aren't any other photographers here, everyone else has gone to shoot the action. In the background you see Tracy's mechanic, the starter, and a UCI official...
this is the type of shot you get when you are a good enough photographer to get your required shots in ahead of time, and then you get a chance to do some more creative stuff. This creative work is what i think photography is all about, getting the angles that most people don't see and give a glimpse into a world we might never see. I was at the US open last year and was able to see Ian work, he definitely works harder than almost any photographer to get his shots and for any one saying that he doesn't deserve POD just has no idea about photography.
I love it! Makes me ache for the next race, shame Arduum was cancelled cause I'm jonesin for that feeling now. Nice shot Ian, thanks for sharing it with us, even though all the hipster slopestylers can't let us enjoy it for what it is!
normally not a great fan of anything to do with downhill shots but this one reminds me of in the winter when i go snowboarding and you get off the lift looking down on the run love this POD and yes i would probly say this is one of the best POD that there has been,, Ian though you gotta put that photo of the guy in the mining tunnel as POD some day
I like this selection. Its a nice change from the usual action shot. Not saying there isn't any action here. There is, just its more implied. Defiantly a Pod worthy shot and dare I say Calendar material
Hi Ian - did you shoot this with any filters? I'm asking because I can make out an inverted flare (?) of the OOF rider in the doorway just to the left of that doorway. People are always saying don't keep filters on unnecssarily, but I always shoot with a protective layer against dust and dirt!
Yeah I've been trying to figure that one out. It's only in this one shot, not any others... All of my lenses except for the 16mm and the 14-25 have some sort of UV filter on them, same reason as you, to protect the front element of the lens. So it's possible that it's a reflection on the filter...
thanks, the first one went up in about 3 minutes and I really wanted to tweak a couple of things on it. Color wasn't quite perfect and it seemed a little dark in the first one...
Yeah that's bound to happen when they have the two fastest riders on the circuit... Although once again it has nothing to do with Trek, Tracy just happens to have the number one plate and be starting last...
Ian seriously. I don't know how you deal with these people on a daily basis and remain civil. I would be fired from a moderator position in about 3 hours.
love that starting gate! we raced it in coupe du quebec race. really sweet shot, it really captures that feeling right before go time. nice shot Ian! tells the story nicely.
This photo is EPIC...maybe not like other POD but this photos shows a moment that most of us will never be able live...and this is to race in a world cup dh race.
Needed some good skill taking this photo, why the f*ck is a man standing on his bike not even looking at the camera, with skii lifts around him POD??? peice of shite
Mayb if you used your brain martin you'd understand it, oh wait you don't have one your that retarded you couldn't even see it was a female lol fool.....
Trail: Mont Sainte Anne DH Riders: Tracy Moseley Description: A trail of tear offs leads the way to the gate as Tracy Moseley waits for Floriane Pugin to start. Last rider in the start house, less than a minute to go before the start of her winning run.
HomeofMTB-MARIN
(Jul 8, 2011 at 0:03)
Mont Sainte Anne, Quebec, Canada 
