May 2023, Alba-Bra (IT)

Two separate events, a common thread : road cycling races. In the first case, it was a major amateur event to document from the bike; the second was a major international event to document for local folklore.

What was good, or easy

During the from-the-bike shooting, the point of view was very limited, pushing me to explore the whole range of possible techniques.

During the second event, it was nice to shoot the party rather than the race itself: lots of nice people, colors, and happenings in the old town of Bra.

What was bad, or hard

Once more, the weather was bad. At least it did not rain during the first race, which would have made shooting from a bike very challenging (or dangerous). But grey skies… well, they are grey. So again, the efforts were towards finding some less-flat backgrounds.

Any surprise, good or bad

It was the perfect occasion to test a wide-angle lens, the Lumix 8-18 f2.8-4. Nice, tough, and very versatile in some context, although not easy to use due to the extreme distortion. A lot of fun with that, and it will be my last lens to complete the kit (either the Lumix 8-18 or the Zuiko 8-25 F4, if I’ll have the chance to test it).

A few numbers

Pictures shot: about 2500 in the first event, a bit less than 900 in the second.

Final output: the first selection has been of 400+120 pictures.

Equipment: The usual. Olympus Em1mkII, Em1mkIII. Zuiko 12–40 f2.8, Lumix 35–100 F2.8, Zuiko 17 f1.2. Plus a borrowed Lumix 8–18 f2.8–4 for test.

Finally, pictures!