OutdoorType

Nation’s Triathlon, originally uploaded by Brian Knight Photography.

For the TMS: Fixation show that opened last night, each photographer was required to write an essay describing the subculture explored in their work. My four photos, Swim, Bike, Run, Crash focused on the weekend warrior athletes and thus my essay tries to suss out what exactly drives these people.

What force drives a man to spend thousands of dollars on a machine made from the lightest space aged materials, wear a suit so tight that no part of his anatomy is left to the imagination, and don a helmet straight out of a sci-fi western? What glory is so great to cause men and women to dive into one of the most polluted waterways in the country? What need is satisfied for the thousands of people who gather in the soupy summer evening for a 10K race? What flashes through your mind when one slight mistake suddenly hurtles you through space and time in a manner not meant for living creatures? And what obsessive preoccupation is served by trekking out to remote places to capture such events with a camera?

In this city of suits and ties on one hand and crime statistics on the other, there is an alternative lifestyle of weekend warrior athletes driven to compete simply “because it is there.” I cannot fully answer the first four questions, except I know that I spend more money than I should on my own gear in hopes that it will help me perform just a little bit better. I’ve spent plenty of time in and consumed copious amounts of water from that same river in pursuit of my own recreational needs. I lined up in the same oppressive summer heat hoping to capture a series of shots showing the beauty and grace of athletes in motion. And I’ve put myself in more than one “oh shit” moment when I know something very bad is about to happen and am powerless to stop it. I cannot tell you why we do any of these things except that when it works, when you get that image you want, when you cross the finish line, when it all comes together, you forget the pain and suffering and only want more.

What?! You were not one of the 500+ 700+ people who came to the show last night? That’s ok, even though you missed a great party you can still check out all of the amazing photos this week. Doors will be open Noon(ish) to 7PM(ish). If you really want to add to your viewing experience, come Wednesday evening and watch the skaters too!