Race Day Photo Epic: Finale Ligure EDR World Cup 2024

 Very nice!

 @FuzzyL: If the results of the work are judged by how hard was to make them, we would be sending painters instead of photographers.

 @Archimonde: Of course. As I said, it is a great photo, not to take anything away from that. It‘s just silly me who always thinks about how hard it used to be. In the positive sense, it‘s marvelling on how quickly technology is still developing.

 @FuzzyL: lemme clarify... you dont get hundreds of chances on a riders race run. you get one. and the eye capure/autofocus works for lifestyle images but absolutely zero chance on an action shot taken at 100th of second while panning a rider whose in frame for maybe half a second. just like the good old film days, you pre focus/lock focus where the rider will be, pan at their speed and time the shutter. the eyes are sharp because of technique and picking a spot where the riders head is steady (in th air). I applaud your confidence in telling people how easy that shot was, but you couldn't be more wrong. cheers

 @FuzzyL: Don't discount the skill of the photographer. Even with all the new eye autofocus and tracking tech by the time the face is obscured by a helmet and goggles and the subject is all over the place at high speed in challenging light the camera isn't going to do the job for you!

 @FuzzyL: As someone who steals his wife's fancy camera and lenses (wildlife photography has similar requirements to sports) whenever there's a DH WC race nearby I can confidently say the gear alone won't give you results like this.

 @davetrumpore: Please accept my apology, I didn’t intend to make it sound as if this was easy, or as if just anybody could do it. I fully appreciate how hard it has made the life of photographers that people nowadays think everybody could take great pictures with their iPhones, while nothing could be further from the truth. I don‘t want to take anything away from what is a truly great photo, and as you say, you still get only one chance, at least for that particular rider, and still have to plan it right, be in the right spot, compose your picture, make sure the lighting is correct, etc.etc. I‘ve been an ambitious hobby photographer for more than 30 years and still could not take that picture for the life of me.

That said I beg to differ slightly on the capability of modern cameras, that I feel do indeed make this kind of shot in general a lot easier than it used to be. If you can do something like that with a manual focus, that makes it even more expressive, still, in that half a second it takes the rider to pass you, the camera will get between 7 and 10 shots off (and probably ten times that if it‘s mirrorless), where it used to be one or two in the days of film. I got to use a Nikon D6 for a weekend at a motor race here in Germany and the autofocus managed to pick up and follow the driver’s helmet passing on the other side of the guard rail just fine, so I still can‘t tell for that particular lighting situation in Finale, but would be very very surprised if a modern top of the shelf camera‘s autofocus couldn‘t manage that. Of course, and as stated above, that alone does only add one little piece of the puzzle to creating a shot like that.

 @maddcow: No, it never ever will. Sorry that I gave the impression I might think that.

 @FuzzyL: You are begging to differ with the dude that took said photos and has hands on knowledge of the cutting edge of the technology and its limitations as a Pro Photog.....Wild

Never change PB Comments section...

 @FuzzyL: dude... look up the specs of a R6. better yet go use one... your claims are so ridiculously off the mark its not even worth engaging further, other than to say you could not be more wrong.

 @KDix85: yeah, I've only been doing this for over a decade haha. thanks for giving the benefit of the doubt:-)

 @maddcow: exactly... and on top of that its a pan shot that someone is claiming eye detection autofocus made easy. No camera autofocus wizardry is going freeze sharp focus at 100th of a second shutter speed while sat less than a meter away from a subject teaveling 30kph... that's 100% technique.

 @davetrumpore: Dave - I have admired your photography on PB for years. I also take amateur photos of riders at Whistler Toonies and other events. My own efforts have shown me - I dont have the touch you have, and its really hard to capture the action well and my riders are going half the speed of any at a world cup event.

I also use manual focus, guessing where the rider will be on track, and fire the shutter when I hope they are in the right spot. I usually end up with them slightly out of focus as either side of the sweet spot which the shutter missed!

 @paulskibum: I only use manual focus for pan shots (1/20-1/100 shutter speed). most situations outside of that autofocus works great. however cameras more than 5 years old or so will struggle more depending on light

 @davetrumpore: Yep my autofocus struggles with riders coming straight at me at any kind of pace. Its ok if they are climbing! Basic Pentax from about 8 years ago. Maybe its time to upgrade.

 @paulskibum: Canon, nikon, sony have some of the best systems of fast autofocus out there these days. anything made from 2017 onwards is great and the newest stuff is pretty mind blowing... but as "debated" above, it will not donall the work all the time, and technique/skill is always needed to work around a cameras shortcomings when getting the shot you want v. what the camera can do

 This! Like 1994!

 I was thinking the same thing, but not in a positive way. I remember waiting for BMX Action! to show up in my mailbox so I could see the "latest" National results 6 weeks after the race occurred. This is not positive for the sport.

The racers make a living from sponsors and sponsors want the widest audience possible. Lack of coverage, even good delayed coverage, is going to kill Enduro as a professional sport. Riders will be forced to switch back to DH if they want to make a living.

That being said, the photo epics are always my favorite type of coverage. The artistry of someone like @davetrumpore really shines through and allow us to experience the culture/trails of each unique location in a way that WBD will never capture.

 And waiting for Earthed # whatever to drop for actual footy.

 So good

 Dave's photo epics >>>>>>>>> EDR race recap video.

 Correction. Its better than a disco video. As is yt mobs

 Heat stroke apparently

 Dreadnought v2 red/yellow color fade is infecting my brain and may be spreading to my wallet

 @xysler: because his new bike is ON FIRE

 I was thinking the same. Shame the young gun suffered heat stroke after apparently being on it so close to the end!

 yes please - those tan wall Hutchys look mint... and why wouldn't you line up the Continental logos with the wheel decals?

 BME needs to submit it to Pinkbike.

 @stevemokan: I guess you're right.