A repeat of possible atrocious weather at the Wombwell 5, certainly made the decision to turn up a difficult one. Storm Dennis had kindly missed the event a few years ago, but the weather in Penistone on Sunday morning, wasn't that encouraging for a tog.
Windy, rainy, a lack of light, not an encouraging combination for a photographic record of the runners' efforts.
Yes or no?
Go or stay?
What if you're going to miss the opportunity to come back with an amazing shot that defines the morning's event. If they're crap, then you'll be able to justify the fact that you should have stayed at home.
Come on Mr Wimpy!
Route sorted, parking place sorted and camera gear packed away in a nuclear bomb proof rucksack.
Time to go.
The odd bit of flooding on the roads but nothing that would hinder my progress. M1 then onto the bypass at Hoyland. I'd made the decision to come off at the Premier Inn and then onto those uninspiring, industrial estate highways. At the last moment I changed my mind and came off higher up. Good job I did, the link road was closed.
Picked up the legend that is Dave Allemby and made our way to the kart track. Bad decision; instead of parking round the corner, I dropped my mate off and took the pot-holed track route instead. Ah well, one correct decision out of two isn't bad.
At least the puddles weren't deep.
Time to sort out the gear and see where I'm going to stand. The direction of the rain would dictate any snapping points that I might choose. Nattered to Andrew Swales, another photographer, just to clarify what spots he'd be shooting from. It looked as though the finish would be out of bounds, with rain blowing straight towards the camera lens. I'd have to find an alternative. Thankfully, there were no flooded areas, which was a surprise. The rain had caused flooding in many areas of South Yorkshire but someone up there was looking after me again.
One or two runners warming up on the course gave me the opportunity to mark where I'd be plonking my ageing body. A few coloured tent pegs would be handy, allowing me to flit from one place to another without having to re-adjust and frame the composition I'm after.
Okay, this is the plan:
Take a few head/group shots of the runners waiting around the start.
An image of the start, with the runners coming towards me.
Over the wall and snap them making their way out of the field.
Shoot on the bend.
If the rain direction allows, snap some of the runners finishing.
Let's have a look to see if I was successful.
A group of Barnsley AC runners waiting for the off. Quite like the expressions, though there is always one runner who is aware of the photographer. Difficult to get those candid shots, but you have to give it a go.
Using the 85mm f1.8 lens allows me to stand well back from the start line, having time to run off a few images and then jump out of the way. Images such as this are best seen on a large screen.
Just the sort of composition I was looking for. A runner in isolation with most of the others slightly out of focus. Quite a variation in attire this morning. Pants and vest to full storm
wear.
Compositions of "early in the race" shots, are quite difficult, especially in poor light. With the 85mm lens on this corner, I had to back off as far as the landscape would allow. A steady stream, with runners tight on the corner would be ideal. Sheer number of bodies wouldn't allow this to happen.
As the numbers increased, it was time to go for a few more close-ups. Ideally, every shot taken at a particular point would be in focus and make for a decent composition. It just doesn't work that way, ah well.
A quick look at a few of the shots taken and I was a fairly happy bunny. If I was a sports' photographer for a newspaper, life would be a doddle. Snap the start, a few head shots, image of the male and female winners and you're finished. We try to reward every runner with a memory of their day. Thanks to Andrew Swales being there as well, we hopefully managed it.
Looking at the people who had turned up, the expected winner would be Scott Hinchcliffe in around 26 minutes. A quick check of my position on the bend plus a visit to the finish to check on the direction of the rain. The fact that they have to pass the finish line twice, would allow me to snap Scott on the bend and the run in.
As you can see from the image, the rain was coming down as the runners entered the track. Luckily it wasn't too heavy and it being at my back, the lens was protected. Unable to shoot Scott's run to the line, I had to attempt a difficult side shot. At the speed he was running, it would prove difficult, especially with the modest camera I had. Around £325 for one in decent condition.
It proved to be the best decision I've made for a long, long time. Scott creates amazing body shapes when he is running and you can hardly fail to come away with a great image.
The camera settings were: Shutter speed 1/1000th sec aperture f5 ISO 1400
I could have widened the aperture to f2 to make the background more out of focus, but I sometimes turn the shutter speed dial by mistake, a slower shutter speed would have been a disaster. My only gripe about this image is the guy with the umbrella. Wish he'd been further to the left, in the top corner. Ah well.
With no time to double check if these images were in focus, I had to hope that some of them would be worth putting on line. Tracking a runner with AF-C (auto focus continuous) isn't that east.
Naomi Drakeford 1st Lady
Another run-in image, above, that I managed to shoot in focus. In fact, I think there was only one that wasn't in focus. Amazed by my accuracy. Without blowing my own trumpet too much, my photography seems to have stepped up a gear as we return to a bit of normality. There seem to be a few more keepers in my running portfolio. Long may it last.
"Bend me, Shape me..."
Moved away from the 16:9 landscape crop on these corner shots. Stuck to a square or 4:3 ratio to zoom in a little bit more. I'm aware of FB and Instagram constraints plus the size of the images when viewed on a mobile. Shots such as the start must seem miniscule on a small device.
With a view to mixing it up a bit and the rain calming down, I decided to give the finish a go. Not the best decision of the day, but you have to be quick on your feet and go with the flow. I don't like every shot being from the same snapping point, I get bored when editing.
I stood slightly to one side of the finishing straight, in the hope that the hood on the camera lens would protect the glass from raindrops. Checking every few shots, it was obvious that it might be better to move position again.
Difficult to judge how far back I needed to stand, the runners were flying in at quite a rate now. I think that the only shot from here that was a bit out of focus, was the one with, "Kingstone Runners Rule O.K." written on the board. Well chuffed. Certainly a spot to shoot at again next year, if I'm still kicking about.
These two runners had a bit of steam left to head for the line at top speed.
After a while, there was an obvious gap in the runners entering the track and I wasn't sure if everyone had finished.
Hold on.
Sweepers ... they hadn't been through yet. Must be one or two more runners on the way.
With a short race such as this and being at the finish line, it's not as lengthy a wait as some of "longer" races that I've attended. It gave me time to natter to Andrew and see how he'd got on with snapping from his little hut. Hopefully we've covered everyone at least once.
Here she comes. The final contestant. I wanted the marshals to allow her to finish there and then, but the final lap was part of the course; she wanted to complete all of it.
Finish line approaching and time to sprint, using every last drop of energy, in her oh so tired body. The supporters gave her the room to cross the line in isolation.
And then it happened.
Camera at the ready.
Here we go.
Joy and elation
There may have been some great shots of the start, the winners, the P.B.'s ... but this is what defines the sport; the club runners, the organisers, the people who make running an all encompassing activity. Love it to bits.
If I'd only come away with this one image, I'd be a happy bunny.
Sarah Turton of Valley Hill and a friend
Massive thanks to Kingstone Running Club for putting on this event. It doesn't take much effort to say thanks to people, hitting LIKE just doesn't do it justice. A few selected keys can make all the difference to those individuals who gave up their time on Sunday to make it happen.
Please feel free to donate to my chosen charity, Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England. They are amazing animals that support the work of MRT's across the country. These dogs and their handlers save lives, and not just on the hills.
You might need them one day, to find you or a loved one. Just a couple of squid will go a long way.
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