Simpson Desert Cycle Challenge 2006

Hi there Viv,

Even sitting in the saddle for 10 hours 40 minutes on the road would be more than my butt could handle ...

There is little doubt about why the the pre-historic ancestors of the cyclists are called megasaurus ...

I'm glad you enjoyed the photos.

Cheers,
Andrew.

Hi Andy,

Yes, we only had one vehicle come past us the whole of the challenge this year, including on the stretch of the Birdsville Track - not one truck at least when I was there - actually there were a couple of station vehicles on the inside track but they were great and went very slow.

If you are coming from the West the only hint of what is going on is the support vehicles at the rear, and from the East, is the water stops out in front - and me of course - the photographers tend to get out in front too.

We did some driving along side - either on the gibber plains, clay pans, or where there were parallel tracks, always trying to keep to the downwind side so as not to set up any dust - worked pretty well. My colleague photography has some shots that are not up yet taken from the moving vehicle - I was driving so didn't have that opportunity, and trying to avoid stakes, which I did except when I had to chase down a rider that had managed to take a wrong turn. Anyways, the tire lives again, and it's fine. Just proof that off-track work is best for the MRFs and not radials as Willem is espousing.

Cheers
Andrew.

Sounds like a great trip Barnesy,

only 10 kgs - you could easily lose that by September next year.

We had the 1989 winner with us this year - the date itself tells a bit of a story about the ages of a lot of the field.

If anyone wants to enter, the site to go to is www.sdcc.org.au

Cheers
Andrew.

Hi there Andrew,

The photo gallery system comes out of Lightroom - it is standard bar my choice of settings if you know what I mean.

The shopping cart system is from www.mals-e.com

The integration is my own work, and took a bit of working on to make it work.

Only problems are the amount of bandwidth the gallery consumes - when I put this live yesterday my website got hit with 8GB of bandwidth ... let's see what happens today.

Cheers
Andrew.

Thanks Andrew for the headsup........didn't know adobe made this product. Checking out their V4 beta as we speak.

8GB!! wow.....not bad for one day.

Andrew

Yeah - cool that it's free for the moment hey!

Don't get too attached to it - you're sure to have to pay for it soon ;-)

If I remember rightly 27th march is the date lightroom will disolve. Maybe feb but seem to remember it was march.
I am glad I will not get attached to it. Was talking to an editor I submit work to and she infomed me she is going back to slides for her mag....... I am so glad I have not taken digital seriously.......... :)

Yes, LR Beta 4.1 expires Feb 28th 2007 - of course they hope you will buy it - apparently as part of Photoshop bundle for photographers. It appears there will also be another LR Beta soon.

I am glad I am attached to it. Digital workflow gives so much more control than film and handing it over to the pro lab.

I have one troglodyte customer - SA Tourism, who still only commission work on transparencies, but then when Qantas wanted to do a big campaign and asked for their help, guess what? They specified digital, and that was for the Sydney Olympics.

I am so glad I have taken digital seriously like most photo editors from Time Magazine and National Geographic down.

aaaahhhhh, yes this is true true..... Sorry mate, I don't mean to be rude.......
It has been only up until the last month most mags were adament they would only accept digital pics. I have stuck with film and I would sit at the computer and scan the pics and promptly send them in.
Got an email today explaining the larger pics for one of their feature articles would be mine as they were trannies. I had also submitted digi shots but they were not interested in them.
I read an article in a photo mag a fews years back written by a prominent stock library owner here in Oz, and he was predicting. "Although at the moment we are in a digital age. Photographers will go back to film. As the reproduction quality is so much better. He was also saying that because of this, there will be a time line with no film." These were just his thoughts though. Maybe his prediction was right, maybe wrong.Only time will tell!!!!!
Don't get me wrong.... I do love sitting at the computer playing with a picture to get it just right. But I will never submit a picture that has been manipulated in any way. What I see with my eyes is what they get. I will not even do any levels or unsharp masks.......
Anyway just my opinion. Don't take it the wrong way......
Even though I am still relitvely young, I am still old school......

so true - most photographers have jumped into digital legs and all - after all I am saving $1,000 a month on film I don't need any more.

Most of them have had no formal training and don't realise the image quality issues that cause the photo editors to get jaded by their digital offerings, but there are workflows which ensure that their digital IQ kicks film's ass, and provide a way to protect that in the process of getting something to print.

The analogy to what my eyes see doesn't hold so well for me, because everyone's visual perception differs anyway, and my camera doesn't work the way my eyes do, so I try for the feeling and environment often (for journalistic purposes) and for a particular outcome I have in mind - perhaps shallow depth of field, lighting effects etc. (for artistic effect). From looking at the images on your website, I think you're forgetting how much artistry you put into your work - they're great.

Even with your film or transparencies, a pro-lab will work on the levels, and if they're good - unsharp masks and other selective things.

We'll have to catch up for a beer one day or go out shooting together - I think I'm heading up to Central West Queensland for a few weeks in December if you want to join me. I've got a few classes with old and new students up there - a few days photoshop stuff - a few days in-camera stuff, some digital - a smattering of film.

Anyways, drop me an email and let me know which bar you're drinking at.

Andrew,
Would love to go for a beer.... Maybe even join you in the heat of central qld? Have always wanted to check out the birthplace of Qantas :) Let me know of your plans as there are a few places up there I would and have heard about a nice track in Diamintina.
If your passing through Sydney give me a yell

Hi there zook,

Well every rider needs a support vehicle - but quite a number of support vehicles work for two riders.

If you don't have one, you could do a number of things:

1. speak with Richard "Bean" Ware - the Race Director, and he can put you on the list of those in need
2. find someone to drive your vehicle for you - I am sure there is someone who would do this for you, even on this forum
3. find someone else with a vehicle yourself

For all of the above you may need to think about reimbursing them for fuel, repairs (each vehicle should be properly ready for a remote area trip), spares and other out of pocket expenses, but then, you might have some friend or acquaintance that is happy to donate all the above.

The logistics of the race are well described on the SDCC website, but if you want to discuss it just give me a call - email me privately andrewatvividadventuresdotcomdotau and I will send you my ph number.

The race was incredible fun, the riders in various ways inspirational and the officials and medicos putting in time and lots of money restoring of confidence in that other race we call the human race.

Be sure that if you contact richard@richardware.com.au - the Race Director you will get incredible help and any and all questions answered.

Cheers
Andrew.