With TRIBE Run For Love 3

Last week I headed off with TRIBE to document their 6 day running challenge on São Miguel in the Azores. Runners would take on 280km on trail, road, coastline and through jungles all to raise money to fight modern slavery.

The week saw people go through some amazing highs and lows but still crack on as hard as they could. Aside from the beauty of the island I was taken back with how strong people were. They would run, get into camp, eat, limp around, get taped up, sleep then get up and do it all over again. At checkpoints you would hear talk of not carrying on and pulling out but then at the finish you would see them cross the line. That week introduced me to amazing people who I got to witness push themselves to tears, blood, infections and plenty of blisters. Hats off to all of you!

https://wearetribe.co/

https://www.ellas.org.uk/

http://tribefreedomfoundation.com/

With Salomon Skyline Scotland

Last weekend I headed down to Kinlochleven to follow racers over three different events. These were the Ben Nevis Ultra (52km and 4000m), Ring Of Steall (29km and 2500m) and the Glencoe Skyline (52km and 4750m). I definitely had to work to catch up with runners and get up into the mountains but it was well worth it when you see them along clouded ridges and scrambling up rocks despite their legs burning.

Here are some of my favourite images from the three races.

With The Waves

“Might be a surf trip on Friday, 6am departure” was the message Alex sent to me. I’d been wanting to head on a trip with him for a while but either the weather wasn’t on or I was away. Now, I get to head along and document their early morning search for waves. I’ve always enjoyed watching and shooting surfing but after being in waves a few times, I definitely have a healthy fear of it and have a huge amount of respect for surfers.

After being satisfied with the waves, Alex and Sunny braved the wind and cool air to change into wetsuits. They then ran along a muddy path to the rocky shoreline for one last look at what they were about to submerge themselves into.

I’d been told the best places to shoot from and navigated my way around the slip n slide shoreline. Watching them paddle out and take on the water was impressive and as always, I was amazed as they cut through the water. Although this doesn’t always end well and they would be flung off the top like a rag doll.

The morning session was quite calm and bright but after lunch and a refuel they were back out into the waves. This time the clouds were grey, spitting and the water was looking choppy. Once again, they watched from the shoreline before heading straight into what would terrify me.

With Beaumont and Glasgow

Since following Mark Beaumont on his North Coast 500 ride I’ve kept in touch and hoped we would get to work on another one of his wild rides. Thankfully I had a message on my phone from him asking if I was going to the Strathpuffer 24 Hour and am I interested in following his race? Hell yes!

Mark was teaming up with Alex Glasgow who is no stranger to endurance events, having won the Celtman Triathlon, Relentless 24 Hour, 6 time Puffer entrant with two wins and many more. Mark was definitely in good hands for his first mountain bike race. And what better rigs to have for a race than a couple of Cannondale F-Si Hi-Mods in a lovely green and black which were extremely lightweight. In the support team there was Orange Fox Bikes, Tim Winterburn, Amy Owen, Chloe Valentine and Paul Littlewood. Of course Alex’s and Mark’s mums were there in full force to support their boys!

Mark started the race in the traditional LeMons style with Alex holding his bike at the ready. I hit the shutter as Mark ran up to his bike then I sprinted to catch him again on the next corner. This was the wake up call my legs needed to get me going. After I caught Mark further up the course again I thought I would be waiting a while for Alex. But this was not the case. I was quickly reminded why one has the record for cycling the world and the other has plenty of endurance event wins on his mantle piece.

As the race went on the temperature dropped and the trail became hard packed and pretty icy. There were a few spots where competitors were sliding out, one managed to smack her chin on the ice but after a quick check was back on the bike and pedalling hard. At one point I was expecting Alex but instead was greeted with a fresh looking Mark shouting “Alex fell and cut his leg pretty bad!”. I wasn’t sure if this meant he was out but soon enough Alex, the happiest man at the event, came flying round a corner. I’m sure it takes a lot more than a deep cut and stitches to put him out.

I made my way back to the camp in the evening to catch them resting and found Alex getting a massage and Tim coordinating the arrival of Mark. The changeover was down to the second and executed perfectly to get the least amount of time in transition if any at all. It was a quick change of the dibber riding side by side. Mark was then straight into the tent to get warmed up and fed while Tim ensured the bike was running perfectly.

Throughout the night the guys plodded on at a great pace and in the morning still seemed pretty fresh after only having short 50 minute breaks! At 06:30 I found Alex resting up with a cup of tea. He was in their horse box which had a sofa as their resting place, cosy and warm. At this point they were sitting second but had put in good time between them and third which left them trying to push for final laps before time ran out.

Compared to last year, it seemed warmer on the Sunday but there was still plenty of ice sending racers off track and to the ground. Thankfully there were no more crashes for these two and they pushed on at a good pace with smiles, despite it coming up to 24 hours of riding. The cut off time was 10:00 but if you could get in before then you could go around for another lap. After shooting Alex on track again I ran to catch them at the changeover but his legs made short work of getting back despite my shortcut. Alex’s changeover was at 09:45 which sent Mark off on the final lap. I waited at the finish and Mark came in looking slightly weary but with a grin. After dibbing and hugging it out with Alex and the team, they made their way to record a few clips and were looking pretty chuffed with themselves! So they should be, taking second place with 30 laps!

See more on my Instagram and email for any image use.

Rally Favourites

While having to go and search through a few old hard drives I came across rallies I have shot at. Although most of my work is based around the outdoors, I do love shooting motorsport!

The first shot here is from a rally in New Zealand which was great. The light was fantastic and the cars were giving it all the beans! As good as this was, this was also when a car flicked up a stone which chipped the glass on my 24mm. Since then I have always kept the camera covered once a car has past, lesson learned when shooting wild drivers getting it sent sideways!

Here are a few favourites from the depths of my folders……

With Monster The Loch

I’ve always found Loch Ness a bit creepy but I love it, maybe it was from the stories of Nessie when growing up.

“Loch Ness, the monster, you know where that is?” this is usually how I explain where I stay in Scotland. For good reason, it’s famous and known all around the world. Not a bad place to hold a race! The Loch can apparently hold the worlds population three times over and simply put, it’s bloody massive!

With the loch being 22.7 miles long and 1 mile wide it was the perfect location for Pete Wells at Row Tours to hold a race. The idea was to go from Fort Augustus to Dorres beach in a boat under human power. The current record for rowing is 2:28.09 which is pretty bloody fast!

My day was spent in a dingy being jetted up and down Loch Ness shooting racers which ended up with my arms in the loch, camera getting wet and having a few collisions with waves. One in wave in particular (potentially Nessie under us) was when the dingy’s front end came up and sent Pete and I flying forward and my camera bag getting a bit of height, thankfully neither of us ended up taking a dip. Always good to have a little bit of excitement while on a job!

Here are a few of my favourite shots from the race. More information on the event and next years plans over on Monster The Loch.

With CrossFit 57 North

Last week I headed over to shoot CrossFit 57 North's yearly in house competition.  The event consisted of teams of two smashing out three rounds to put them through their paces.  The final event was kept under wraps until the end which built up the atmosphere coming to the finish.

This was my first time shooting CrossFit and it didn't disappoint at all.  The effort put in and how much strength each person put in made for brilliant captures.  With such high focus on the task at hand I'm not sure if any of them remember me shooting up close.

With Jenny Tough and Montane

I'd first heard of Jenny a couple of years ago when she took on a solo, unsupported, 1000km run across the Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan.  What a badass!  I got in touch with her via Twitter and hoped one day we would get to work on a project together.

Earlier this year I had the chance, Jenny dropped me an email about doing a fast packing shoot with Montane and I jumped at the opportunity!  The original plan got scrapped at 11pm the night before leaving and was changed to Skye due to weather.  The new plan was for an overnight bothy run where we carry in all our gear.  Our route was simple and pretty direct.  We left from Kilmarie, into Camasunary, straight up Sgurr na Stri, down to Loch Courisk, stay the night at a bothy and then make our way back to the car via the coastal route and Bad Step.

The run went really well with us only having one issue.  The bothy wasn't open and we had to run the following days kilometres in the dark so we could stay at a bothy back in Camasunary, all part of the fun!  For me, the challenge was running while carrying all my camera gear.  This wasn't on a nice flat road but rather steep inclines, scrambles, river crossings and plenty of heather bashing!  Shooting in between running definitely tested my legs and right arm after holding the camera for most of the journey but this job was brilliant, up there in the favourites!  Below are some images from the shoot of Jenny making it look easy!

Go be inspired by Jenny - http://www.jennytough.com   

With Ryan and Andrew

While out for a Sunday ride with a few locals we ran into Ryan and Andrew at the top of the newly built jump line.  I'd seen a few videos of these two ripping it up on bikes and was keen to shoot.  After short conversation we had a plan arranged for the next day. 

The weather was dreich on the day but once the rain cleared we were left with a perfect mist which disappointedly disappeared quickly and the sun came out.  Regardless of the weather, the they sent it big and steezy with a few tricks thrown in along the way.  

Proper Puffer Weather

Tucked away just North of Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland is a well-known mountain bike race called the Strathpuffer.  All about endurance, this race has about 1,000 racers, being a combination of solo entrants and teams.  They aim to complete as many laps of the 13km track as they can within 24 hours.

As you enter the main area there is a fantastic feel of community.  Bikes are laid everywhere in preparation for the Le Mans-stye start.  Teams are setting up camps, and generators, firewood and bags of food are being carried.  All this while spare inner tubes and tyres are slung over shoulders.  Everyone is happy for a chat and everyone is excited about putting themselves through a long race in minus conditions. 

The Puffer prides itself on wintery conditions.  This year they got it as one rider shouted, “This is proper Puffer weather”.  With a heavy snowstorm running up to the race, the stage was set perfectly.  Temperatures dropped down to -9 with ice and snow covering the trail throughout.  The elements along with the length of time makes this race.  Riders may have 24 hours to smash out laps but they are plunged into 17 hours of darkness and low temperatures. 

With a few hours of daylight and a stunning sunset, the darkness sets in.  Riders’ lights are turned on and all around the camps fires are lit.  As one rider comes in another one heads off and support teams (dedicated friends and family) are on hand to check bikes, warm up, feed and water riders.  Through the night and into the early morning the temperature keeps dropping but it didn’t stop riders from putting in the laps. 

As the sun rose, riders continued to battle through the last few hours to get the last laps.  With a lack of sleep and energy depleting there was still smiles on the faces of many as they rode hard to the finish to be greeted by hecklers.  Maybe even a bacon roll and a cup of tea, if they’re lucky.

Follow more of my adventures on Instagram - @johny.cook

Calling It Quits: Skiing Ben Wyvis

I was halfway through drinking tea and stuffing my face with toast smothered in peanut butter when my friend Ronan messaged me.  His plan was to hike up Ben Wyvis (Scottish mountain at 1,046 metres) and ski back down it - "Going to be there for 10:00 if you want to come?".  I couldn't say no to shooting this and despite not having skis and needing to hike the whole day, I didn't mind at all!

I was delighted to go hike in the mountains and with it starting to snow I had a grin from ear to ear.  All the images I wanted to capture were in my head already, 10-15 shots of the days adventure.  Skiing was something I have wanted to capture for a while so no photographic opportunity was going to be missed!

On our walk to the bottom of the mountain I caught glimpses of the peak and started to realise what a mission was ahead.  I had always hiked but never gone up a mountain in knee deep snow to try and shoot someone skiing down it.  Nervous but excited, a challenge is always good, right?

As we started to climb, the wind picked up and a grey cloud came in sending a good amount of snow our way.  The visibility got worse and there was no sign of the path.  We made our own way up but every now and then we would drop to above our knees in snow.  It was deep and we had a few laughs at each others expense.  Although thankfully every so often the path would reappear and give our legs a break.

As it started to clear we got back to being motivated to reach the summit and do what we came here to do.  Looking at the summit we could see the snow blowing off the top and wondered if we would be calling it quits. 

Of course the weather decided to come in again.  We took shelter behind a boulder, the usual spot on Wyvis for a snack and rehydration.  Contemplating a plan, we decided on going a little further up and make a call.  Unfortunately more ice was appearing and the wind was biting at our faces.

I have been in some pretty strong winds while hiking but this wasn't good.  When your hiking poles are flapping around and your leaning hard into the wind to stop yourself from falling over, it was time to head back down.  We were so close to the summit, close to getting to the other side and getting those shots we wanted.  I felt like we failed and was frustrated with all the effort we had put in.  That's how it is and to be honest, it's okay.  It's risky being out there and no point in being blown away for trying to ski down a hill and get the shot.

Feeling disappointed, we made our way back down.  During my frustration the cloud had moved and the wind died down.  Ronan shouted that he could ski a section just below us and suddenly I felt like our failure took a turn.  We worked out his line and I dug a hideout in the snow to shoot from. 

Once he had his skis on I was delighted, we are finally getting what we came for!  At the same time I was nervous.  If I miss the shot it was a slog for him to get back up and do the run again.  My gloves weren't doing a great job and I need my fingers to work. I placed my hands  down my trousers and on my thighs, body warmth is great although people look at your oddly!  Now I was ready.

From having to turn back because of conditions to getting two shots and even having the sun make an appearance.  Having to retreat was certainly a hard pill to swallow and something that sadly happens with these kind of shoots.  In the end it worked out although not quite what we had in mind.  "Better safe than sorry" is a good saying but even when the weather is great what we do is still risky.  

With Glacier360

Would you like to photograph riders around Iceland's 2nd largest glacier? YES!

I was back in Scotland for 36 hours and it was time to catch a flight to Iceland.  The job was to shoot a race called Glacier360 which had riders race  290km over 3 days around a glacier called Langjökull.

Not knowing anyone who would be there, the first people I met were of course from Scotland with one of them living 20 minutes away from me.  Not such a big world.

After learning more about the race I was taken by the media manager, Torfi, to ride an ATV about 50kms to recce part of the first days stage.  Our ride was in the Icelandic Highland's and I was delighted.  Driving over dirt and rocks while taking in the stunning volcanic surroundings was a good start.  Having a glacier on your lefthand side also adds to the beauty.  Here are some of my favourite shots from the race.

With A Paddle

The rain is slapping the window outside as I am back home in Scotland after spending almost two fantastic years in New Zealand.  This week has mostly been spent trying to find various bits of gear that I have hidden in our luggage and going through hard drives which brought up a trip I did with Kirsty back in January.

With January being a summer month on the other side of the world we packed the truck and fitted our paddle boards on top, and spent a week looking for stunning spots to paddle around Otago and Canterbury.  A highlight of the trip was getting to paddle on the stunningly blue Lake Pukaki and have New Zealand's highest mountain, Mt Cook, ahead.

Off To The Mountains, Back Soon!

Over the past 18 months I have noticed that it is pretty easy to spend a lot of time behind the computer, either editing or keeping up with emails.  This comes with the job, and I am not complaining about it - I absolutely love being a photographer. But its important to get outside.

I always read about the importance of having a great work-life balance but mine is definitely sporadic.  There are a variety of tips online and recommendations for companies to work for who give the best work-life balance but it is really what works for yourself.  A lunchtime walk, evening run or biking with friends can make all the difference.

This weekend called for a bit more than a run around the city after a long week of working at the computer and drinking far too much tea.  We decided to head up 1,800 metres to stay the night at the Mueller Hut in the Southern Alps, which was far enough away from the emails and editing.

The Mueller Hut is about a 5 hour trek up to the top, including our various photo and snack stops. The walk starts with a nice gravel path then moves onto a few steps, 2,200 to be exact!  I had heard about the steps but nothing prepares you for the sheer number and steepness of them. As I type this two days later, my calves are still contracted.  After doing what felt like a never-ending Stairmaster 2000, we reached Sealy Tarns (the top of the stairs). The rest of the hike involved rock hopping, and a snow filled push to the ridge.  Throughout this hike there are great views, but when we reached the ridge we were greeted with 360 degree views of high peaks and glaciers. Then, 30 minutes more along the ridge, and we were glad to see our accommodation for the night. Although peaceful, every now and then you would hear a crack and rumble from ice falls on the glaciers.

Of course I am typing this while back in front of my computer with tea but shifting through the images reminds me to get my ass back outdoors.  

With GodZone

The first time I heard about GodZone was back in 2016. While staying at a friend’s house, I noticed his wife was constantly at their computer looking at a map.  She explained to me that the map had markers which were moving to indicate the location of teams participating in an adventure race.  The teams were required to kayak, run, hike and cycle a distance which spanned 530km in total, and lasted for up to 7 days.  I was intrigued, and knew instantly that this was definitely something which I wanted to document.

For the 2017 event, I landed a spot on the media team and was excited to follow these crazy teams as they negotiated their way around the Queenstown course.  I didn't imagine this would be an easy shoot, and this was confirmed on the first day.  An awesome spot caught my eye, where I would be able to capture the teams and give a sense of scale in the landscape.  However, the problem was, this awesome spot was in a river.  I rolled up my shorts, and waded across the water, getting into position just in time to catch the first team go by.  The shot looked great, and I decided to wait for a few more to come through.  After waiting for about 30 minutes I heard teams coming, and got my camera ready, sadly only to realise that they had gone a different route to avoid the river crossing - they were on a trail up on the left behind trees!  This is probably the worst part about shooting adventure racing, not knowing where teams will be coming from. But this is also the best part, as teams don't all go the same way, and you can end up with a good variety of images. 

After running around for the first few days I was able to hop on a helicopter into the Queenstown backcountry in search of teams.  I have shot from motorbikes, cars, bicycles and boats but never while flying.  This proved to be quite difficult with the airflow and trying to coordinate leaning out while being strapped in with a lap belt and lanyard.  Thankfully there were plenty of teams dotted around which gave me a few opportunities to shoot while I cautiously learnt how to lean out of the chopper and shoot from above.

Peninsula Fog - With Jake Paddon

Throughout the afternoon, an eerie fog began creeping in over the hills of the Otago Peninsula, arriving at the same time that as I was hoping to get some moody road biking shots.  A quick call to Jake, and we were heading into the fog 20 minutes later.  

The roads out here are smooth and surrounded by some stunning scenery, although this was slightly altered with the fog continually rolling in.

With Harley-Davidson

Last week I took on a five day job for Harley-Davidson Australia documenting the Iron Run event.  It started with a two day media ride that left Dunedin and headed down to Invercargill, up to Manapouri and then up and over to Queenstown.  

Once in Queenstown, there were various rides that took place including the main event on the Saturday.  This group ride was impressive with over a thousand riders who then all took over Arrowtown with their bikes lining either side of the street.  Here are a few select favourites from the week.

Next time I will consider wearing ear defenders.

The First Year: No Ferrari Or Mansion, But Getting There

December 2015 was the time that I decided I would fully commit to photography and let it be my sole source of income.  I wasn't too sure where to start but the ball began rolling for me when I was on my initial travels around New Zealand.  

While in Rotorua riding I got chatting to Kashi Leuchs, a bike shop owner from Dunedin who had some demo Yetis.  He mentioned that he was running the 3 Peaks Enduro mountain bike race in Dunedin and said it was worth coming down to.  He gave me his details, and I later emailed him about coming down and he offered to pay for an album of photos from his race.  I jumped at the chance.  

Shot for 3 Peaks Enduro 2015

After arriving in Dunedin it was suggested that I reach out to the local tourism to do an article on the bike race. As I was new to the area and didn't have any contacts, this meant just walking into the tourist visitor centre and asking to speak to someone from marketing.  This worked out well, as, not only did they want me to do an article on the bike race, but they also asked me to do additional articles for them.  After working with the local tourism, I was put in touch with the New Zealand Masters Games and ended up shooting their event. This introduced me to working with a local media company, and then also working with the city council events department.  

All of that work came because I chatted to Kashi in Rotorua, there was no big meeting or fancy way of doing it, all I did was introduce myself.

Phil Atwill for Propain Bikes

Now I never thought this would be a walk in the park but this is what I want to do for a living, create great imagery for people.  I was determined that this would happen and when I first arrived in Dunedin, I worked on the enduro race and articles while living in my truck in a beach car park (not as pretty as you might think with people unaware of how to use a bin or toilet).  The truck became the transport, office, bedroom and kitchen but I was getting somewhere.

Our 41 square foot house on wheels

Otago Rally shot for a driver

One of my concerns jumping into this was how to work out my pricing.  I have listened to podcasts, read blogs and discussed this topic numerous times with peers and you still never really find a price.  For me, I don't have a particular day rate and want to work within potential clients budgets where possible.  Of course, it is always ok to say no to a job if its not feasible.   

One potential client said they didn't have a photo budget but could pay x amount.  It was under what I would normally charge for the work but instead of saying no, I gave them the offer of shooting a lesser amount of imagery, and we agreed companies at this event could purchase images also.  On top of the clients charge, I also had images purchased from another company, giving me more than double.  There are sometimes ways to work with people without feeling you are underselling yourself or undercutting others in the industry, and this in turn can work in your favour.  But again, its ok to walk away.

Jib Jam shot for Red Bull New Zealand 

Rainbow Mountain for TNZ

For me, this is still a slow process and has a huge learning curve. A year later, I find that my approach to getting work has improved.  The business side has been trial and error and I have quickly picked up what works, and what doesn't.  Someone told me "It is more important to farm than to hunt".  I like this because I can find myself constantly trying to get a specific job when it is beneficial to just get your name out, introduce yourself to people or brands you want to work with. This in turn hopefully means you are thought of should they need a photographer.

For Mons Royale printed at Skyline, Queenstown

It has now just been over a year since I started and I have shot the 3 Peaks Enduro for the second year.  This next year will be challenging as I only have 6 months left in New Zealand before heading back to Scotland with the business, which makes me pretty nervous but also excited.  

Footnote:

One thing that I would recommend everyone does is check their email before sending it.  I recently noticed while checking for a sent email that the wording was slightly off, thankfully someone i have worked with in the past and have a good working relationship with.  Not sure why the computer decided to autocorrect but it did and I should have checked, you can spot it.

Always check

Shells

Two weeks ago I was back in Maui, Hawaii and keen to see and swim with the sea turtles.  At one beach they swim ashore to rest and this is a perfect place to document them.  It isn't the easiest to move around with volunteers roping off the area so people don't start trying to take selfies and touch the turtles.  Despite this it I could still get close enough to capture the wonderful textures they have.

Keep up to date on Instagram and Snapchat - @johny.cook 

Short South Road Trip

Since moving out of the truck and into a house we decided we needed to get back on the road for a short stint.  We had missed a few things the first time we had done a loop of New Zealand so it became the perfect opportunity to get back out.

We started in Dunedin and made our way north up the east coast, across to the west coast via Arthur's Pass and make our way up north to Punakakai.  Driving all the way back down the west coast we aimed for Wanaka, Mt Cook then Lake Tekapo putting us back onto the east coast and back down to Dunedin.