8:43 AM The Smash and Grab

Just finished the Tour of California. I split it in two three day stints and skipped the middle to finish some other work. Before the race started I hung out with the Rabobank team for some race prep photos and rode with the team support vehicle in the first stage. It was awesome to have the access they allowed me. They are a great bunch and the days leading up to the race were great! The last three stages I did more of the same but switched to video.

While at the finish on stage one in Sacramento I had one of those "aha" moments. I got sucked into the melee and was standing in front of the podium with 300 other photogs all with similar equipment wondering what was I doing. One photog was standing next to me with his net book open transferring photos and uploading them to either the website, or ftp, or whoever was going to post them on the site he was reporting to. In that bright light how could he tell what he was turning in was worth anything? Earlier in the day I was talking to Cor Vos and asked him how it's changed for him over the years and the thing that stuck was along the lines of- "it's no longer about the quality of the photo- it's now about who can deliver the quickest."

Those two moments really hit me. The game that is being played due to the internet and our own need for immediate gratification is that "smash and grab" photography is good enough. There are some incredible photographers that are slipping down that slippery slope just to satisfy this beast that is the interweb, or feed multiple clients. All is not lost though and below are a couple links to some guys I thought did some great work.

I met Paul Kitagaki Jr. from the Sacramento Bee the day before the race and they had 6 photogs covering the 1st stage all with different assignments. He had scouted his area and had 2 shots planned. He had described his plan for his photo and when we drove by his spot I knew it was his, and I knew it would be a good shot. It's in the link if you click his name. I love it.

The other photog that stood out was Bo Bridges He was covering the race for AEG. I've met him a few times. Super nice guy. He's used to shooting action sports and this was his first foray into the world of road racing. As usual his photos looked planned and he had some stunning stuff. I still can't figure out how in the middle of all that he was tweeting.

When you do the smash and grab you are bound to get some great moments, but it's not a satisfying way to make photos or work. I've posted three photos below. Two were planned and required some thought and tweaking, the other was a smash and grab. I'm pretty sure you can pick the smash and grab really quick.


Tom Boonen quiting the race before the real climbing was to begin on stage 6. the jet lag, getting sick, and pace of the race was too much for him.





David Zabriskie on his way to 3rd in Stage 7.





The peloton just past the KOM on Stage 8 near Thousand Oaks CA.