Journey Back in Time With Hoshi Yoshida's 'No EXIF #5' Photos
I recently opened the archive of my early days with the Leica M6. The photos from 2007 are anything but brilliant. They’re just casual shots taken between digital shots. So-called 'freetime' photos taken during the serious photography work. I remember I had a hard time figuring out how to shoot analog. Without the display confirming my shots, I was in the dark.
This is Greg Minnaar on his hand polished HONDA RN01, riding the Schladming World Cup DH course in June 2007.
Looking through these ten-year-old photos was interesting, to say the least. The decade had added a historical aspect. It doesn’t make the photos better but it tells a story.
I had started practicing on my analog LEICA M6 during a road trip across Australia in early 2007.
I was shooting the German slopestyler Joscha Forstreuter, but he sadly injured himself at the beginning of the trip.
What a coincidence that the bus in the background was “Not In Service”.
I figured out that black and white photography is all about seeing the contrasts.
We hung out in bike shops.
I now understand the meaning of a chain store.
Behind Joscha is Pierre Edouard Ferry (aka PEF) - the Frenchy from multiple Red Bull Rampages.
It was about contrast again. It actually makes the composition of the whole picture.
In summer 2007, I was at the Megavalanche in Alpe d’Huez. It seems like nothing has changed since then.
The same beautiful mountain panorama, the same queue, and the same mass start.
Adrenalin rises when the helicopter appears.
2007 was the year Mick Hannah showed up. He got tangled up in a crash at the mass start and folded his rear wheel.
Shooting the World Cup was my business and I knew this shot would never make money.
The LEICA put me in the position of an observer, watching other people doing their job.
Josh Bryceland watching the practice, Alex Rankin the Dirt Magazine filmer, Dan Atherton and Steve Peat inspecting the course, and Mick Pascal on his training run (look at his signature riser bar, ooof!)
Sam Hill on his Iron Horse ripping the Schladming course. He took the 2007 overall win.
Same spot: HONDA G-Cross team and Brendog. This was the pro motorsport feeling brought to mountain biking.
Look at Ratboy Josh Bryceland. Steve Peat was Number 1 at that time and who would have guessed Josh would follow him to the top only 7 years later in 2014.
Nico Vink is still one of the coolest riders to watch.
This is for the tech nerds, does anybody know this NICOLAI model?
NICOLAI Nucleon TST EVO
The 2018 season kicks off soon, with new teams, new riders, and new bikes. I'll go through my 2008 archive and will tell you what was hot 10 years ago. Stay tuned.
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56 Comments
I think 2007 was the year of the blue Dutchess, a low top convoy. Its special feature was fully working brakes (non of the others had)
@properp, hes it would be cool to round up a few e-bike owners ad cut their ankles to give them a reason to need one. Or let’s just dig a big hole, throw them inside and bury them alive. Or cut some heads off by the beach and play bayonnet catch with them. Whatever it takes to protect our trails and nature. We’ll be riding single speed bikes called Waffen
Came to Sweden, plenty of folks in matching clothing and almost everyone is relaxed and smiling. It’s hard to find an a*shole. Things changed in Poland as well. SoEnduro crowd is much nicer to be around than the so hardcore long travel ht crowd of the past. And make no mistake, it had nothing in common with brits riding in mud from those sick edits. Enduro replaced hardcore.
I wonder what the MSRP on a RN01 would have been?
I love that he came back and put his name back on that mountain after the one race he didn't win there (lost fair and square to Blenki 2-1 in 2008, but then the next year swapped those placings back around 1-2!). An era of awesome racing, and what a legend of a rider to this day.
d riff stayin on the forefront of fashion back in '07 with the flowing mane.
man bob?
fabio?
always on the cuttin edge ......
And that Nicolai — intriguing to say the least