Full Gas Track Cycling: take two
A marshall watching Full-Gas track cycling at the Lee Valley velodrome.
I had the opportunity to return to the Lee Valley velodrome for the last meet of the Full Gas Winter Track Series. The previous meet had to be abandoned following a serious accident, so it was good to see a full evening of racing. I’d been so inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s iconic shots at the Vélodrome D’Hiver, Paris in the 1950’s I decided to have a go at shooting film once I had some digital shots in the can.
An official rings the last lap bell in track cycle race.
A cyclist warming up at Lee Valley velodrome.
A manual focus 35mm lens isn’t the obvious choice for high-speed sports photography, however the good thing about track cycling is that, within a few inches, you can predict what line the leaders are going to take. I pre-focused on my chosen spot and tried to hold my nerve.
I’ve only a few rolls of Neopan 1600 remaining, sadly like so many great films it’s no longer manufactured, so I limited myself to one roll - 36 shots.
I pre-focused on my chosen spot and tried to hold my nerve.
A track cyclist waiting to enter the track.
The images here are a mix of film and digital but on balance I think I prefer the feel of the film. They’re not up to Cartier-Bresson standards but in my defence there aren't many photographers who are.
Members of the Velociposse women’s team waiting to race.
