2016 Photo of the Year Winner is…

Feb 17, 2017 at 15:30
by Pinkbike Staff  
Steve Shannon's Winning Image for 2016 Photo of the Year.

Jungle magic on La Palma.

We gave you the top 32 images from 2016 and after more than 285,000 votes were cast you, our readers, have voted for the winner and ultimately the 2016 Photo of the Year. The winner will be divying up the $10,000 in CASH from our sponsors, SRAM.

Check out the voting page for all the results from each bracket.

The 6th annual Pinkbike Photo of the Year Contest is a wrap and Steve Shannon will be joining the ranks of Sean Lee, John Wellburn, Toby Cowley, Sterling Lorence and Christoph Laue in the PB Photo of the Year Hall of Fame.



How Did Photo Of The Year Work?
From thousands of nominated photos, 32 were selected to pit against each other in a college basketball bracket-like showdown. At that point it was up to you, the users, to vote on the match-ups. The photos with the most votes moved on to the next round. So 32 photos narrowed down to 16, then 8, 4, 2 until there was a single photo deemed the 2016 Photo of the Year Powered by SRAM.



What was at stake? $10,000 Cash

Steve Shannon will receive a check for $5,000
• Bartek Wolinski will receive a check for $3,000
• Paris Gore and Margus Riga will each receive a check for $1,000

We'll post up an interview with the winner shortly.

Thanks to SRAM.


MENTIONS: @SramMedia / @SSPhoto26 / @wolisphoto / @parisgore / @Margus



Author Info:
pinkbikeaudience avatar

Member since Jul 22, 2013
3,460 articles

127 Comments
  • 535 16
 This Photo is glorious and deserves the win... but also THE CURSE IS BROKEN, THE ROOST HAS BEEN DEFEATED
  • 125 11
 No more roost on pb for 100 years now !!!
  • 21 48
flag leopaul (Feb 17, 2017 at 17:05) (Below Threshold)
 The roost pics always come far but barely win. I don't remember the last time a roost pic won
  • 34 2
 The roost was defeated last year as well if I recall correctly
  • 53 7
 First thing i thought opening this story:

THANK GOD
  • 44 3
 Roost still gets $3000
  • 9 0
 @leopaul: It has only been once, 2013, Sterling Lawrence won with a night roost shot; that is it.

www.pinkbike.com/news/Photo-of-the-Year-Winner-is-2013.html
  • 11 9
 @UtahBikeMike: Amen man, The roost was a teenager thing, not a photo contest
  • 3 2
 to roost or not to roost....and Im waiting for some serious analog contender
  • 10 4
 @orientdave: Ill give this roost shot some credit, thats a f*ck ton of roost. normally not a huge fan of roost pics but thats freakin impressive
  • 13 1
 Today is a special day. I can't remember a contest where nobody has hate for the winner. We are living it. Right here, right now.
  • 11 2
 #NOTMYPHOTOOFTHEYEAR! JK, It's totally sick.

www.pinkbike.com/photo/14376971
  • 9 25
flag scott-townes (Feb 17, 2017 at 19:20) (Below Threshold)
 FUCK THE ROOST! FUCK THE ROOST! FUCK THE ROOST!
  • 18 2
 A true roost shot requires a throttle
  • 6 1
 @Joegrant: It's a great photo and worthy of a prize, but the idea is overdone to the extreme.
  • 4 10
flag Flysmile (Feb 18, 2017 at 1:52) (Below Threshold)
 Photoshop s**t
  • 4 3
 @webermtb: Yeah.... You're not a photographer, are you?
  • 4 1
 Sanity prevails!
  • 3 0
 @darkmuncan: Agreed. But seriously, why's there so many haters? They're trying to demonize a picture of someone riding a bike!
  • 2 0
 @KeithReeder: I am Keith. Semi-proo (meaning most of the time I just shot for fun) nature photographer for 20 years
  • 214 9
 In twenty years from now, my son will ask me, "Father, were you there when the roost photo was defeated?" And I will tell him, "Yes son, I was there."
  • 15 2
 Now take this copy of the photo son, and buy yourself a rocket ship.
  • 115 6
 roost in peace
  • 44 1
 They came to snuff the rooster aww yeeaaaaah
  • 70 9
 Did Russia have something to do with the results?
  • 10 0
 What does pink bike know, and how long have they known about it?
  • 1 0
 I demand a recount!
  • 71 11
 Awesome photo, not my fav but better than the roost.
  • 8 2
 Exactly my thought
  • 3 0
 I do wonder if the voting method means the best/most popular photo might not win because it had a tougher draw to get to the final.
  • 61 15
 @POTUS Fake news....sad! Biased illegal lefty voting. Roost won by the most votes every in any Pinkbike poll ever.....FACT.
  • 8 2
 Sad
  • 4 9
flag KeithReeder (Feb 18, 2017 at 2:10) (Below Threshold)
 @Altron: Here pal, have some of my sense of humour. You apparently need it more than me.
  • 36 9
 yes, my strategy was to vote against the roost at every stage
  • 24 6
 This was my POY the minute i saw it first time round. Awesome pic, beautiful lines. Congrats Steve Shannon!
  • 3 2
 oh yeah, for sure! Unless by an unfortunate twist of fate...this was a no brainer for the final. LOVE it.
  • 19 5
 My faith in humanity has been slightly restored. Thank you pb users.
  • 6 1
 The 6th annual Pinkbike Photo of the Year Contest is a wrap and Steve Shannon will be joining the ranks of John Wellburn, Toby Cowley, Sterling Lorence and Christoph Laue in the PB Photo of the Year Hall of Fame.

How come Sean Lee didn't get a mention from last year???
  • 7 0
 Derped it. Fixed it now. Thanks for pointing that out!
  • 17 9
 IMO the northern lights pic should have won.
  • 14 7
 Nice! That photo definitely deserves the title.
  • 8 6
 I wanted this one from the first round Smile
  • 5 4
 @bishopsmike: that's what she said
  • 4 1
 Great photo - what I particularly like about it is that I can imagine myself in this situation actually taking the photo - riding down a trail a bit ahead of my friend, getting that chill from knowing you are in a surreal place, stopping quickly, pulling out the camera and snapping the shot as your friend enters the slick rocky section. It seems real, not staged.
  • 7 2
 The roost really won here....look at the angst it caused grown men and the time spent writing Roost!! Suckerz!
  • 3 0
 I didn't like all the match ups but the best picture won for sure. Congrats and thanks to all the guys and girls taking great shots that we can drool on over the long winter
  • 7 3
 This one deserved it although 2017 is the Year of the Rooster according to Chinese zodiac.
  • 5 1
 I clicked on this story fully expecting to be pissed... I'm almost disappointed that I don't have an excuse to rant!
  • 5 1
 Looking the past Photo of the year winners... FIRST TIME WITH NO FULL-FACED HELMET!!! Big Grin
  • 16 15
 I think everyone should chill out on the hate for the roost shot. Keep in mind another human being created that. Have a little empathy. It doesn't have to be your favorite for photo of the year, but step back and appreciate it a little bit. It's a good shot. A pretty cool shot. And It took skill. Most of you couldn't replicate it to save your life.
  • 17 10
 To create a roost:
step 1: put camera on level service by loose dirt
step 2: press record on HD camera
step 3: go through video frame by frame
step 4: export best shot

To create most of the other pictures
step 1. buy a really expensive SLR with christmas money and do painstaking research. get proper lenses/filter and spend hours on google trying to figure out where the film goes
step 2 study law of thirds and other composition related topics. go through a painful amount of other peoples work to see what it is in a picture that you like and then learn how to do elements of it to come up with own style,
step 3. go riding and then keep getting off bikes and walking up hill or climbing trees while your subjects/friends get to keep riding
step 4. take hundreds of pictures and go through each and every one of them and beat up yourself that none of them are any good
step 5. find one glimmer of hope when you find the perfect subject matter and talk your friends into going outside at night to get their picture in the light of Aurora Borealis. google the hell out of taking action night shots
step 6. go biking again and walk most of the trail.
step 7. find the perfect shot and enter it into pinkbike contest
step 8. get beaten by a roost shot in the middle rounds. The only thing that keep you from having shattered dreams and taking the first job that comes up at London drugs is that the injustice doesn't go unnoticed in the forums and that at least is something
step 9. someone defends the creativeness of putting a gopro in 4k mode and picking frames out claiming that no one else could do it
step 10. decide you don't care and that TheR has to be a teenage girl with all her feeliness.

Moral? the other photographers have feelings too. you need a thick skin to be am artist.
  • 10 16
flag TheR (Feb 18, 2017 at 8:12) (Below Threshold)
 @vernonjeff: Whatever, man. Did the roost guy steal your girl or something? At least the guy can say he made the finals of this contest. What have you ever produced? Are you just jealous because no one has ever recognized your so-called talent? You tried so hard, and this roost guy steals your spotlight? That's ok. Here's your participation ribbon.
  • 9 10
 @TheR: you are a moody little thing aren't you...

next summer you can come up and help me repair berms that moody little girls like you have destroyed and fill in ruts that people have created because they rode when wet and we will see how much you appreciate a berm shot after that. You also make a lot of assumptions.
  • 7 7
 @vernonjeff: self-awareness much?
  • 8 7
 @TheR: ps. the 'Roost guys' name is Bartek Wolinski. if you are going to bitch and complain that people arent showing respect you should probably show some respect.
  • 6 7
 @vernonjeff: Thank you. You are absolutely the model of showing Mr. Wolinsky the utmost respect. I'll be sure to follow your lead.
  • 1 0
 @vernonjeff
That's why I prefer a roost pic. There is real riding behind, not a guy rolling down a hill, who (by photogs work) is surrounded by light beams in a jungle.

yes, I'm also the guy who hates redundant story telling in MTB movies (except documentaries with real info). To me, it's all about the riding itself. If a roost pic brings that across and I get pumped, cool. All other pics may be diverted to photography sites and get all the rewards they deserve for the awesome photographic techniques they employed.

Yours,

a long-year photographer
  • 1 0
 @sebazzo: fair enough. I am judging from a photography stand point and the talent between the 2. I did a very short stint as an art director years ago and was drawing from that.(: yes i just dropped expertise into it Smile I do the same thing with the video's. It tend to watch the fact steep tech stuff as that is what I like to ride and watch. with a lot of exceptions but I tend to gravitate towards those.
  • 4 0
 The real winner is @christophlaue
  • 2 2
 Thanks for choosing a pic that shows some respect for the trail. Unfortunately, if you look at the vote percentage split, we've go a long way to go in that regard. If you don't think your land managers are looking at this as well, you probably voted for the roost.
  • 9 5
 And justice for all
  • 1 0
 I still think there were more deserving photos than this one however the first thing i thought when i saw this was thank god the roost didn't win!
  • 3 2
 I didnt vote for this every time, but in the end I did. I really wanted the Duff shot to win. its so incredible. like looking death in the face
  • 1 2
 AT LAST THE ROOST HAS BEEN DEFEATED. Okay but for real though next time a photo with aurora's in the sky and double exposure and just and insane photo is admitted we can't let it be beat by a photo we only really voted for because we were sick of roost.
  • 2 2
 Awesome photo, but I was REALLY hoping the photo of Macduff would take the W. Just an absolutely insane moment that really captures the essence of pushing the limits on your bike. Plus Macduff is an alround rad dude.
  • 2 1
 Quarter final match up 4 are the best two shots for me, should have been the final, this shot and the dirt jumper in Germany.
  • 2 0
 Next time, I'm behind proportional representation via ranked ballot. Oh wait, nevermind.
  • 7 6
 Happy to see this win. Thought it was going to be the classic roost photo but this one stuck out to me much more. Congrats!
  • 6 3
 Well done! Congrats!
  • 3 1
 Congratulations Steve Shannon that is a glorious photo!
  • 4 2
 Congrats for the Photographer Smile
  • 3 1
 pretty stoked to see this being the winner
  • 2 1
 I let out an audible, "Oh, thank God!" when I saw that the roost had been thwarted.
  • 3 1
 Certainly didn't hold back on the post production.
  • 1 0
 Who does nowadays ?
  • 2 0
 Nope - just good light, a good eye, and plenty of imagination.
  • 3 0
 Cheque*
  • 1 0
 Жаль что Ник Песок проиграл ,а я на него ставил (
  • 2 0
 i wanted the other one to win
  • 2 0
 Faggy enduro ... bring back the lopp of DOOM!
  • 1 1
 I hadn't heard the word roost used in this context until 2 days ago and since then i keep hearing it... someone explain the true meaning please
  • 2 0
 I think the Russians hacked this vote.
  • 2 0
 Technically this is an outstanding image. The light balance is spot on
  • 9 8
 Yay the roost shot was dethroned!
  • 7 6
 i think i can smell the forest. nice pic
  • 5 4
 I'so happy a proper photograph won, and not the roost!!
  • 3 1
 It's so Green Man
  • 2 1
 The roost was 'over-rated'. Lets make pinkbike photos 'great again'....
  • 1 0
 My favorite photo win...yeah!
  • 1 0
 where can i see the previous photo of the year winner?
  • 1 0
 Type on google ---> site:pinkbike.com PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2015
(Juste change the year from 2014 to back years)
  • 2 1
 5000 + 3000 + 1000 does not equal 10000
whats up?
  • 1 0
 Possibly they edited after you posted, but $5,000 + $3,000 + 2x$1,000 = $10,000

"Paris Gore and Margus Riga will each receive a check for $1,000"
  • 1 0
 awesome shot. really like the atmosphere. congrats to Steve and his model
  • 1 1
 Good photo, but isn't it a pinkBIKE? If you remove rider from this photo, pretty much nothing will be changed...
  • 4 3
 I hope you at least take that rider out for a beer...
  • 3 3
 Yeah! Congrats! A mind blowing picture! One of the very best shots I have ever seen here! Way to go Steve!
  • 2 1
 "Annual Superior Roost Pic" should be an entirely different competition.
  • 2 2
 they come to snap the roooooooster....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAE6Il6OTcs
  • 3 1
 Awesomeness .
  • 2 1
 This shot reminds of riding on the glorious island of Madeira!
  • 2 1
 Is that where this was and who is the rider?
  • 3 3
 Thank god. Roost shots shouldn't even make it past the first round these days
  • 3 1
 Nice
  • 3 1
 THANK FUCK FOR THAT!!
  • 2 5
 well, its just another PB joke, this pic compare the its final competitor come one ppl it tell's you nothing at all... i don't believe anymore in voting even in the politics polls everything is a big set up..... keep voting...
  • 1 0
 I loved green forest, sun shine mtb trail nice foto)))
  • 7 6
 Congrats @SSPhoto26 !
  • 5 7
 Yes man !! I knew it since the first round !! Thats a hell of a picture !!
  • 3 3
 Anyone else voted for Steve Shannon's photo despite it coming in second?
  • 2 2
 Roost might have not win, but everyone is talking about it
  • 1 0
 Welcome to mordor
  • 1 0
 an Epic Shot !
  • 4 6
 no bring back the roost!!!!!!!!
  • 3 4
 Roost got Robbed !!!!
  • 2 2
 no it didn't, got further than it deserved to
  • 1 4
 Just happy that the dump truck was defeated....the winning shot is great.
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