OutdoorType

A super-mini RGAR recap and a few thoughts on photo processing… and of yeah, some sneak peek photos too!

Awoke early Saturday morning (it was not yet 6am) and drove up to Rocky Gap State Park in western Maryland for the third edition of the Rocky Gap Adventure Race, organised by local race production company EX2 Adventures.

Mother Nature was kind enough to get all of the rain out of her system the day before so photographers and racers alike were treated to a race course covered by bright blue skies (and 20 mph winds, and burn inducing sun rays, and pockets of standing water, and oh yeah, sub-60 degree lake water cold enough to take your breath away if you opted for one of the swims — or managed to dump your boat!).

For the photographer, the day after a race like Rocky Gap means sorting though photos. Lots and lots of photos. Three thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine photos to be exact. And mind you, that’s just what I shot. Will was also out on the course, humping up the mountain between checkpoints 8 & 9 mostly, and I’m sure he shot a comparable number, maybe even enough to fill his 8GB compact flash card.

Sorting photos means (among other things) inspecting each image to see that it is in focus and decently composed. In about the time that it took the middle of the pack teams to complete the race course we are able to make our final cuts. Then my photos are merged with Will’s photos and the hard part begins… Someone has to then take all of the photos and get them ready for posting to the website, a process that is only somewhat automated but which I do not have the words for tonight.

And now on to a few photos!