San Dimas Stage Race Stage winners...

[Dan-o]

The stage winners so far.

Stage 1: 3 mile uphill TT averaging over 5%. Ben Day ripped the course averaging 17.9 MPH!

http://dmunson.smugmug.com/photos/495419705_CgAkH-X3.jpg

Pro Women winner Marra Abbott averaging 15.2 MPH.

http://dmunson.smugmug.com/photos/495419685_hQmKR-X3.jpg

Stage 2 winner Phil Gaimon attacked with 5 miles to go and hung on by seconds.



Stage 3 in today I'll post up some of the better ones later. Not real happy with the first two but the winners are the winners.

[sk82712]

I really like 3, but it's a bit blown out don't you think?

[Dan-o]

Thanks. The scene was what it was . It was very hazy and back lit. Had I exposed for the background the riders face would have been black.

[namasste]

You had to be practically touching Day when you shot that first one. Really nice capture. Might be interesting on those to even drop your shutter to 1/125 and stop down a touch more jut to create even more shutter drag effect. Either way, well done. Love #3 and I think you handled the conditions well. Backlit shots are very difficult and you called it right to meter for the face. A small shadow lift and low opacity soft light layer might get it popping even more and overcome some of the backlighting (if you felt like putting more time in post of course). Nice job as always D.

[Dan-o]

Thanks Scott. That climb is my home climb, I do it about 3 times a week. On a good day I'll be doing high 11s to low 12s. To see these guys going by at 15-18 MPH was incredible. I would say I'm getting old but the top 35+ guys was 16.2 average and the top 45+ was 15.8. I'll post up my better shots later.

[namasste]

Thanks Scott. That climb is my home climb, I do it about 3 times a week. On a good day I'll be doing high 11s to low 12s. To see these guys going by at 15-18 MPH was incredible. I would say I'm getting old but the top 35+ guys was 16.2 average and the top 45+ was 15.8. I'll post up my better shots later.The "old men" can haul. Anyone who thinks masters and such is for washed up wannabes is in for a rude awakening if you get in a peloton with them.

[Big K]

I really like the 3rd shot. Excellent job on the exposure settings for those conditions. I shoot a lot of stuff backlit and have found a contrast adjustment and a slight saturation boost is pretty easy to add in post and gives some pop back to the main subject and most of the time gets better separation from the background.

I did a 30 second edit of your shot and reattached. Hope that is OK.