You would assume after a decade of shooting motocross bikes, that I would get bored of standing in these muddy fields being covered in dust and dirt. The truth is, being so close to the action is somewhat of an adrenaline rush. Capturing some of the best riders in the world as they continue to hone their craft, wrestling over 100kg of metal and rubber on demanding terrains and gradients… it just doesn’t get boring.
Although the vast majority of my work pertains to creating videos and documentary style footage, I still occasionally have the opportunity to head out with my Canon EOS R3 and capture some crisp, high-quality action photography shots.
Composition and Context
When you’re shooting fast-moving subjects it’s easy to forget these things and just focus on trying to land a sharp image of the rider. But to add dimension to your shot, it’s important to consider your background, foreground, and direction of travel. Consider what you are trying to achieve with each image, position yourself accordingly and you’ll find yourself with a bank of stills that you’re happy to use (at least these are things I try to remind myself of each time I head out on track).
On a recent impromptu trip to Moto 101 (Grantham, Lincolnshire), a public training facility, I was able to pull the R3 from my camera bag for 20 minutes and take a few shots of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pilot, Jeffrey Herlings. Nicknamed ‘The Bullet’, he has five MXGP World Championship titles to his name and the most MXGP wins in history. Some may say he is somewhat of a ‘big deal’ in motocross.
Opting to ride the track alone after a busy public practice day, Jeffrey took to the circuit for 2 x 35 minute sessions, smashing the previous track lap record before heading up to Durham for the next round of the Dirt Store British Motocross Championship.
Check out some of the shots I was able to capture in a short space of time through this article.
Integral Memory
So, let’s actually talk about Integral Memory, the products I use and why I use them.
For anyone who is familiar with the Canon EOS R3, you will be aware that this camera is built for speed and is complemented by its extremely impressive video capabilities. Being able to shoot stills up to 30fps, bursts of 195fps, 6K60 in Cinema Raw formats, 120fps in 4K, the R3 requires reliable, high-performance memory cards.
And of course, it goes without saying… I shoot raw and utilise the most demanding features that my camera has to offer.
Now, I’ve been using Integral Memory products for over a decade (way before I became an ambassador for the brand). I relied on their CFast 2.0 Ultima Pro X2 for both my Canon EOS 1DXMkii and C200; I literally built my career on the back of these cards without ever skipping a beat.