2008 Red Bull Rampage Sequence

[Photo-John]

Last week I posted an old film sequence from 2001 and it got me thinking about how much cameras have improved, how much I have improved, how far mountain biking has come, etc. Also, the 2010 Red Bull Rampage mountain bike freeride comp is coming up again and I have a ton of photos I never shared from the 2008 Rampage. So here's a sequence I shot with my 40D in 2008, down in St. George, Utah. This is Thomas Vanderham on what I think was a 60 foot canyon gap. This jump was so big I honestly didn't want anyone to hit it. The potential results were pretty scary - especially when you know some of the guys riding in the competition. Vanderham wasn't the first to hit this gap - I think that was the burliest trick - being the guinea pig. But if I remember right, he got best trick of the event for this no-hander. I still think Cam McCaul, the kid who hit it first, should get the most credit. He actually broke his bike casing the landing on the second try. But Vanderham's run did make for a pretty sweet sequence.

[Jimmy B]

Very impressive to watch, i will just take pictures of them guys doing it!
Jimmy B

[armando_m]

wow impressive ,
scary !

[SmartWombat]

scary, but great photo.
why did you pick this viewpoint?

[Photo-John]

why did you pick this viewpoint?

That's a damn good question and one that most people wouldn't think to ask.

Red Bull Rampage covers a lot of ground and there's no set course so riders are all over the cliffs. Getting around to shoot them all is difficult and very tiring. Early that day I staked out a spot where I had views of most of the lines. Rather than running all over trying to get tight shots I gambled on my one spot and quantity. I was moving around but not as much as some of the other photographers. This shot was easy to reach and allowed me to get a good sequence of the gap. I don't usually shoot sequences but in this case I thought it was appropriate since it showed how big the gap really is. I think it turned out to be a good decision because that butte in the background sets the rider off well. Initially I was annoyed by the bushes in the foreground but I kind of like them now.

The Red Bull Rampage happens in the same location, this weekend. So I'll be down there again on Friday. I'll probably post some more photos here first. It really is a fantastic and special event. For mountain biking, there's really nothing else like it. It's more like a ski or snowboard freeride event than a mountain bike comp. I thought I was over it at the last one, in 2008. But they really pushed things and moved the sport forward. I'm pretty psyched to see what they do this year

[mjs1973]

A very cool sequence John. When I first saw this photo I thought for sure that you had posted it before. I think I had it confused with this image.

Red Bull Rampage Canyon Gap Sequence

[Homer]

Awsome sequence. Is this something your asked to shoot and how much freedom do you have with your placement.

Jim

[Photo-John]

A very cool sequence John. When I first saw this photo I thought for sure that you had posted it before. I think I had it confused with this image.

Red Bull Rampage Canyon Gap Sequence

Sweet! I forgot I posted that. That's Cam McCaul guinea-pigging the gap, shot from the other side, the day before. You can see that as he lands his back wheel didn't make it over the lip. He rode it out but totally blew up his bike on that landing.

Thanks a lot for adding this link. It's a great addition to this thread

[Dylan8i]

Very nice, i love that the butte in the background (not as much) and the bush in the foreground mimic the arc of the rider.

i would like to see one more shot of the rider on the take off ramp.


good luck this weekend, and hopefully nobody gets hurt- it really is a rediculously insane compitition.

[Pete7D]

What software did you use to edit the pic?

thanks

[Photo-John]

What software did you use to edit the pic?

Lightroom and Photoshop CS3. It used to be much more difficult to create a sequence like this. But the Photomerge tool in Photoshop has made it much, much easier. It basically does all the layering, masking and registration work that used to have to be done manually. You still have to edit each layer to reveal the rider. But a lot of the process is automated now.

[Photo-John]

i would like to see one more shot of the rider on the take off ramp.

Me, too

I was so careful about the composition on this that I missed the first shot in the sequence. What you see here is what I got. I kept the camera up and my eye on the viewfinder to make sure I was ready when he hit it. The result was I couldn't time the start of the sequence quite right and missed the first shot. I really should have used a tripod and kept my eye on the rider instead of looking through the viewfinder.

[SmartWombat]

Thanks a lot for adding this link. It's a great addition to this thread

Now I see this viewpoint is much better for highlighting the rider, and it has that landscape-plus-bikes which I think of as your signature.
While the previous one isn't against the light, this angle is much better as it has no clutter on the canyon sides behind the rider.

[splats]

wow, great sequence. and an impressive jump