Often times with outdoor photography, you have to take what you can get and make it work for you. With all the wet weather we’ve had in Anchorage this summer, the prospect of shooting sunny, blue sky mountain biking photos was out the window. Fortunately, though, that has left the trails primed and ready for this kind of shot instead.
During the ride, I had tried a few different approaches, which included holding my camera with one hand as I ride slightly behind and next to the biker. However, none of those attempts seemed to produce the explosive effect that I looking to capture.
Finally, finding the perfect puddle, I crouched down and had the biker ride right past me as I shot at 1/250 with my 85mm f1.8 short telephoto lens on the Nikon D700 body. I was hoping to freeze some of the mud droplets as they flew off the back tire, but I didn’t count on the wonderful sludge of chocolaty mud that glurped up behind the wheel as it rolled through the puddle.
I actually posted three shots from this series on my Facebook page and asked readers to let me know which one they liked the best. Check them out for yourself and leave your own comment!