Getting baked

It’s not as fun as it sounds, given the context is two days standing out in the desert.

I’m currently out in Las Vegas for perennial industry schmooze-fest Interbike, and spent the first couple of days working for Bikemagic.com, snapping shots of editor Mike Davis as he did test laps of various new bikes.  An easy enough gig quickly turned into a death-march endurance slog, as temperatures soared over 100 degrees out on the trails, vital water quickly disappeared and the only shade to be found was under the 32″ reflector I’d brought.

Being the gentleman I am (ha!) I loaned that to my lovely assistant / girlfriend, who’d come along for the trip:

Photo: Chipps Chippendale

The second day of compound sunburn almost got the better of me, until a Foreign Legion-style tinfoil hat appendage was constructed from used sandwich wrappers:

Photo: Mike Davis / Bikemagic.com

Conditions were equally harsh in the visual sense – for most of the day, cloudless skies and direct overhead sun conspired to cast the ugliest shadows across all beneath them; given the choice I’d have sat it out, waiting for the perfect evening desert light, but it wasn’t to be.  With a couple of full-power flashes and a reflector I managed to fill the problem areas and pop the bike out a little, and came away with a bunch of shots that are currently trickling their way onto the site in the way of daily reports.

See-through bikes make focusing harder

Job done, I get to spend the rest of the week lounging by our own private pool, which is exactly what I’m doing now.  It’s a tough life…

UPDATE:  A tearful* Mike (who just so happens to be staying in the same luxury villa) just appeared and mentioned this post makes him sound like a heartless cruel customer, content to fry me to a crisp just as long as he gets his photo taken.  Obviously I’d like to let it be known that Mike isn’t heartless at all, and only occasionally seemed to be enjoying* my misfortune in the heat.  The rest of the time he was doing nice-chap things.

* disclaimer: may include a modicum of artistic license for comedic purposes.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 8:30 pm and is filed under Professional Mountain Bike Photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.