Tag Archives: fat bikes

Filming Rebecca Rusch on the Iditarod Trail with the Fuji X-T3

Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog Posted on by

I spent last week documenting Rebecca Rusch’s fat biking adventure along the Iditarod Trail Invitational, a 300+ mile ultra winter endurance race that crosses the Alaska Range and traverses through vast sections of wilderness in brutally cold temperatures.

This was a first for both of us. Despite being a champion cyclist and world-class endurance athlete, this was Rebecca’s rookie year in the ITI and her first time racing in extreme cold conditions for days and nights on end. And despite my two-plus decades as a pro photographer, this was my first real video project. 

Although I’ve dabbled with shooting and piecing together short clips for social media, I generally don’t consider myself a video shooter. Up until this point, I have resisted jumping in the pool, for two main reasons: one, because I’m endlessly fascinated by the power of still imagery, and two, because I’m terrified of the huge time and equipment commitment that video requires.

However, I took this project on for two main reasons: one, because I’m endlessly fascinated with Rebecca Rusch, and two, because the Fujifilm X-T3 is a highly capable video camera. Oh yea, and because when a client comes knocking at the door, your answer is ALWAYS “Yes, I can!”

No, this was not my X-T3. You can tell because there’s no snow and no bike riders in front of it.

 

Last year, before Fujifilm announced the X-T3, they commissioned a full 9-minute cinematic film called A Different Beyond. The project was shot entirely with the X-T3 camera system and Fujifilm cinema lenses and directed by Matthew Libatique, whose credits include Black Swan and this year’s highly acclaimed movie A Star is Born. 

A Different Beyond is a gorgeous film, and it highlights just how capable the X-T3 is for shooting high-end video and film productions. With amazing 4K, 60p 10-bit, 400MB/s video specs, the X-T3 is clearly Hollywood ready, as you can see in the picture above.

Although I’m light years removed from this kind of project, I was blown away when I watched A Different Beyond. Even with my limited experience, I was very intrigued by the quality and door-opening possibilities of what today’s cameras technology offers.

That said, my approach to the Rebecca Rusch/ITI project was much more simple, and it closely matched my “fast and light” style. Much of the time, I shot with the X-T3 body and one of my Fuji primes, like the XF35mm f/2, XF50mm f/2 or XF23mm f/1.4. A few times, I used the workhorse XF50-140mm f/2.8.

Often, I used the vertical grip for the X-T3, simply because it gives you those two extra batteries. Shooting video drains them much more quickly; add in sub-zero temperatures and it almost becomes a necessity, especially if you’re shooting longer clips. Then, during downtime, I could charge two batteries together by plugging the grip into the wall via the include 9v AC adapter.

Although the X-T3 shoots gorgeous 4K video, I shot entirely in 1080p Full HD at 200 MB/s. (4K requires much more resources, computing power, card space, battery power, streaming bandwidth, etc…) Full HD on the X-T3 still looks amazing and it’s perfectly suitable for most outlets.

I used the stock ETERNA film simulation, which looks great and offers very wide dynamic range. It’s also highly suitable for color grading, which is often done during the post production stage.

Before the shoot, I spent some time on the phone with one of the Fujifilm Professional Markets Training Managers. He gave me some very good tips to get me started with regards to basic capture settings. That helped a lot.

Keep in mind, these are are all screen grabs in this post, shot at 48 frames per second, with ISO varying between 160 and 3200. I could have shot at higher frame rates, but then you lose the “film” feel and it starts to look like a TV sporting event.

For audio, I mostly used the Fujifilm MIC-STI Stereo Microphone, either in the camera’s hot shoe, or extending it with a 10′ cable, sticking it on a Manfrotto Justin clap and clipping it to anything I could find that would offer me closer placement.

I also used an Insignia brand lapel mic, which came in handy for interviews. I monitored sound via a pair of BOSE headphones that were plugged directly into the X-T3’s headphone port. Yes…! My audio engineering training finally comes in handy!

After starting with the pre-race activities, I shot at the start, the halfway checkpoint at Rainy Pass Lodge, and at the finish in the town of McGrath. My traveling/producer companion was Ally Davis, who is Rebecca’s Media/Business partner, and we spent the week traveling by bush plane, hanging out in the cold in remote Alaska and capturing different aspects about the ITI.

Although I’m a video newbie, I felt comfortable working in this new format. I feel that my photography experience with light, framing and being able to recognize key moments as they unfold translated well and helped me capture some great clips.

As with my regular “still style,” I often shot handheld and moved around quite a bit. However, depending on the lens and framing, certain shots required a tripod to avoid an overly shaky look to the video.

Throughout the project, I made use of a number of the X-T3’s video features, including AUDIO SETTING, the ZEBRA SETTING highlight warning, which I kept at 95%, and AF-C CUSTOM SETTINGS, which lets you adjust how the autofocus performs with regards to acquire speed and “lock-on.” When shooting stills, you always want the fastest acquire possible, but with film, you sometimes want a slower acquire so that it doesn’t look too jumpy.

I also used the HIGHLIGHT/SHADOW TONE settings quite often. In fact, I stuck all of these settings into the X-T3’s MY MENU so I could quickly adjust parameters on the fly. And since it has a separate video settings for photo and video, I could easily switch back and forth when I needed to capture stills.

Overall video performance of the X-T3 was incredible. It worked fine in the cold, down to -20F, the autofocus did great, although to make sure it didn’t “hunt” during a low-movement scene, I often locked on, then switched to Manual Focus with RED/HIGH peaking, and I made use of FACE DETECTION AF whenever possible.

Even though I’m new to this world, I shot with confidence and I feel good about the footage we got. After all, it isn’t really the shooting part that keeps me away from doing more video, it’s the additional time involved. The reality is that I’m afraid I’ll really like it and right now, I can only afford to like it so much.

Fortunately, I won’t have to do the editing. We documented Rebecca’s Alaska adventure for Outside TV and Red Bull, so their in-house production departments will handle all of the post.

Originally designated for 10 minute shorts, we have enough video for a much larger project, so we’re hoping that this will be extended to a full length feature/episode on their channels. I’ll be very excited to see how it all ends up.

Bottom line, the X-T3 is an amazing video camera, and it will handle any kind of project you throw at it.

Of course, the real question is, did I suddenly become a video shooter? Am I hooked? Let’s just say I’m intrigued. The main reason I took this on is because I have a very good working relationship with Rebecca Rusch and a special admiration (ahem… professional crush) for what she does. I wouldn’t have done this for just anyone, and when it all comes down, I still love the magic and power of still photographs.

That said, it was a fun change of pace, a good exercise and a new challenge to dip my toe into this world. I learned a lot, I gained some valuable experience, and as an X-Photographer and X Series guidebook author, I suddenly have a lot more insight when it comes to shooting video on the Fuji cameras.

With my newfound skills and confidence, I’m sure I’ll transition into doing more video. I do enjoy putting together short pieces to score myself, mostly because it gives me an excuse to play music at my desk and call it work.

Check out Rebecca’s Instagram to read detailed and personal accounts of her ITI race experience; they’re quite compelling. And stay tuned for the final film, I’ll let you know as soon as it’s released.

My Susitna 100 Fat Bike Ultra Winter Adventure Race

Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog Posted on by

Deep snow somewhere around Mile 88, almost 30 hours into the race.

This past weekend was my 51st birthday, and I figured, what better way to celebrate than by doing a 100 mile fat bike winter endurance race here in Alaska and spending all day outside in the snow and cold?

Being my fourth Susitna 100, I trained hard, riding over 700 miles in December and January, and went in with a lighter bike, (Fatback Carbon Corvus,) stronger legs and much more experience. I was hoping for my fastest SU time ever, but as it often happens with winter adventures, all that went out the window and it ended up being by biggest, baddest and slowest SU100 ever.

For the most part, my race strategy for an anticipated 12-14 hour finish held through the entire first third of the race. I rode hard with a consistent pace for the first 40 miles, and blasted in and out of the 22 and 34 mile checkpoints with minimal time lost.

The stretch across notoriously awful Dismal Swamp went relatively well, despite completely flat light, which made it nearly impossible to see the track.

Things started to fall part around mile 40, when we dropped onto the Susitna River. Conditions on the well-tracked rivers can be hit or miss. Today it was miss, and soft, unconsolidated snow that was littered with the footprints of the 40 riders ahead of me made for horrendous conditions. That’s where the pushing started.

Fortunately, the river section only lasted two miles, but then we hit Big Swamp. Countless short stretches of windblown snow, and a mix of tire ruts and footprints made for challenging riding conditions, causing lots of “on-and-off” the bike.

The trail improved dramatically after rate 49 mile checkpoint, which I hit right before sunset. However, by then, I was getting pretty tired. I had been riding for 9 hours by then, and my pace begun to drop as I made frequent short stops to drink water and shake out my arms.

I hit the 63 mile checkpoint at Eagle Quest Lodge around 10:00pm and spent an hour inside the lodge eating some hot food and drying out my clothing. At one point, there were three of us dudes eating dinner together at the same table, and it happened to be all of our birthdays, even though we didn’t know it at the time.

Eagle Quest is an easy place to get sucked in, and it’s a convenient place to stop for hours. Many racers call it quits there, since it’s right on the road and they have free heated sleeping cabins for the racers. After a dry night inside, a ride home is only a phone call away to a friend or family member who will come get you.

We saw a lot of bikes parked there and with the steady falling snow, we figured that most of them would end up staying parked for the whole night. However, I was determined not to fall prey to temptations and I stayed just long enough to get a decent rest.

Leaving Eagle Quest just after 11:00pm with renewed energy, I rode with Ryan, who was one of the three birthday guys. We kept a pretty good pace for a few miles until we hit a big stretch of churned-up snow and had to start pushing.

We were on and off the bikes for the next couple miles, but ended up pushing the all of the last 5 or so miles though soft snow to Cow Lake, the 80-mile checkpoint. That 17 mile stretch took us about 6.5 hrs.

Ryan called it quits there, but since nothing hurt, and I has a good 2 MPH pushing pace, I had no thoughts of quitting. There was still plenty of time for me to finish, even if I had to push the entire rest of the way. Plus, I live with someone who has run and skied the SU, with multiple 30+ hour finishes.

After an hour and a half bleary-eyed rest inside the nice warm tent, I decided to head out. Leaving Cow Lake in the dark at 6:51am, I pushed the entire 12 miles to the Hunter checkpoint under continuously falling snow.

About a mile before I got there, I heard a voice behind me, Looking back, I saw Rylee, who had arrived at Cow Lake in the middle of the night. After sleeping for 5 hours, she woke up, followed my track, and caught up with me about a mile before the tent.

We got a brief rest at the last checkpoint, left together and pushed the last 10 miles to the finish. We arrived at race headquarters to the cheers of family, friends and race volunteers very tired, but in very good spirits.

Total time for my race: 35 hrs, 19 min, pushing for about 27 straight miles on Sunday. Add in the whole 2 mile river section and all of the other churned-up snow sections in Big Swamp, I probably pushed for a total of 30 miles. When I was done, I was tired and my feet hurt from being on them for so long.

I have heard plenty of stories of people pushing their bikes for miles during these Alaska winter races. It seemed rather daunting, but now I’m one of them. It’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it, or at least resign yourself to the notion of “this is what I’m doing now, and it’s going to last for a very long time.”

My 5 Favorite Photos From The Past Week

Dan Bailey's Adventure Photography Blog Posted on by

I see each week as a chance to practice new camera techniques and improve as a photographer. Even if you only shoot a small handful of photos during the course of a week, every time you pick it up, you’re giving yourself a new opportunity to learn something, whether you try out a new tip, or notice a different aspect about the light or your subject matter.

In the end, this is what makes you a better shooter. Putting the camera into your hands on a regular basis will lead to increased confidence, efficiency and skill.

Plus, it’s fun to look back on a week and see what you did by gauging the photos you shot. Here’s a collection of my 5 favorite images from the past week. Enjoy, and if you have links to your favorites from the past week, post them in the comment section.

1. Floating on Top of the Snow.

Here’s my friend Kurt Barclay from 45NRTH enjoying some fresh powder on his fat bike. I shot this with my Fujifilm X-T2 and the XF90mm f/2 lens and processed the photo with Luminar, using the “Enigmatic Vision” preset, dialed down to about 20%. I like the way this setting softened the snowy background just a little bit, and I think it helps Kurt stand out with added prominence in the shot.

Just so you know, if you’ve never ridden a fat bike in the snow, you can’t really ride on top of fresh powder. You need some kind of a base, whether it’s an underlying layer of compacted now, ice, or a snow machine (snowmobile) track. If you suddenly find yourself with no base underneath, you’ll sink right in…

2. Ridin’ Snow Bikes and Taking Names.

Here’s another shot of my friend Kurt, this time captured with the XF14mm f/2.8 ultra wide angle lens. I LOVE the 14, it’s one of my favorite of all the Fuji lenses. Being a huge fan of wide glass, I love being able to get very close to my subjects and create that “right in the middle of the action” feel to the image. (Here’s my full review of the Fuji14mm lens.)

This photo was also processed with Luminar, this time using the “Image Enhancer” preset, which I dialed down to about 20%. This seems to be the magic number for me when using the presets in Luminar. The adjustment helped bring out the detail in the clouds, while lightening up the blacks and the shadows on Kurt’s face.

3. Foot Down!

This is Amy making her own line through the powder. She hit a soft spot and… we’ll, you know what comes next, don’t you?! Sometimes it’s all about the moment. I also shot this one with the X-T2 and the XF90mm f/2 lens.

4. Sunset on Nujukenah Point

During the end of the day, we were riding back from the other side of the Eklunta Lake trail, when a dramatic display of pink light hit the surrounding peaks. At the time, we were still in the trees, and pedaling furiously, hoping to break out into an open area before the light faded so we could take some photos of the sunset.

Right as we hit a clearing, we caught the best light hitting a little 5,640′ bump called Nujukena Point. Hopping off the bike, I slapped on the XF90mm f/2 lens and got this shot above. It’s a straight JPEG using the Velvia film sim on the X-T2. You can never go wrong with Velvia at sunset!

5. Bicycle Shop Portrait

I sponsor and ride with the The Bicycle Shop team here in Anchorage, so this week, I shot staff portraits of the people who work at the two stores. Here’s a photo of Zac. Younger, short Zac, not to be confused with older, taller Zac, who also works there.

The Bicycle Shop has been a mainstay of Anchorage for over 50 years. Started in 1964, the store has seen a lot of history, and of course, throughout the early years, they sold tons of Schwinn bikes. (My next door neighbor bought a Schwinn Varsity there back in the 70s.) To honor their legacy, the Dimond Road location has a bunch of classic Schwinns hanging from the ceiling.

I wanted to feature this in my portrait of Zac and show the old and the young, so I used the X-T2 and the super awesome Fuji XF56mm f/1.2 lens, which is ideal for portraits.

To light Zac up close, I used a Nikon SB-800 flash inside a Photoflex HalfDome softbox, and a second bare bulb flash with an orange CTO gel about 20 feet behind an to the left to light the bike also as an accent light on Zac. I used a long zoom setting on the flash to throw a blast of hard, direct light to give the shot more excitement.

I triggered the flashes using a trio of PocketWizards- one on the camera, and one on each flash. To do a shot like this, you could use just about any kind of radio trigger, including the affordable PocketWizard PlusX models, the even more affordable Cactus v.5 triggers, (they also come in a set of 2).

If you’re a Nikon shooter, you could use the SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander, which is an awesome piece of gear if you shoot a lot of flash inside. Read my review of the Nikon SU-800 here.

Ok that wraps up this episode. I hope you have a great week!