November 2023, Milano
The now classic meeting to understand gravel & trail trends in Italy, Upcycle Trail weekend is now 10 years old. The formula is the same: expo, presentations and talks on saturday, and 3 gravel rides on sunday.
What was good, or easy
A full weekend of cycling-related stuff and a 100k gravel ride? Seriously, what could be better?
What was bad, or hard
Logistics has been a challenge. A full day of shooting the indoor event, plus a full day of riding reportage: meaning, two different jobs. Mixing equipment and managing everything is a delicate matter, especially because it’s not only about photo gear (think about mixing SD cards), but also clothes and sleeping stuff.
Any surprise, good or bad
The hangar was dark, way darker than I had planned, despite the lights. So I had to go up with ISO, but well, this isn’t such a big deal nowadays. Besides, darkness is always interesting to create moody or intimate scenes.
On sunday, the one surprise was a game of hunting (!) that blocked our route for about 10k, forcing the 550 riders to take a brief detour in the plains around Milano. In this occasion, I was happy to pause my assignment to ensure a safe change of plan, coordinating with the organizers’ minivan. Besides that, it was another great day to shoot from the bike, even though conditions were different from the 150s-miles.
A few numbers
- Pictures shot: just shy of 5000 for the weekend
- Final output: about 450 pics. There is a variety of genres: some rider portraits, pics for the sponsors, funny situations, riders riding all over, details and objects, talks/workshops, and so on.
- Equipment: Full equipment, without the drone. On saturday, in the hangar, I used a lot the 40-150mm and the recently acquired 7-14 f2.8, very useful in tiny spaces. Obviously, the 17mm 1.2 has been invaluable for close portraits in the dark, and it’s always a magic to use. Speaking of shallow depth of field, it’s the first time I would have liked a 45mm 1.2 to have fun.
- On the sunday ride, I used the usual minimal travel kit: Olympus Em1mkIII, Zuiko 12–40 f2.8, Lumix 35–100 F2.8, a couple batteries.
What to say? See you next year!
Un pensiero su “Upcycle Trail Weekend”