Darren: Cycling is a huge part of my life and when I am home I tend to ride around at least 5-6 days a week typically. I live in the midwest so I ride until there is snow on the ground or it dips below the low 20’s outside for the most part, then I ride on a compu-trainer in the basement. I just started racing cyclocross a few years back on and off for a local team where I live, it has been a blast when I am not suffering so bad I can’t see straight.

I think like anything, be it sport or a specific interest, you are deeply involved and part of the scene and this helps you know what is going on and better try to predict what is happening or is going to happen. Just being in the same place mentally and knowing physically how they feel as what you are shooting helps you get in a better position and feel out what might happen next. Also I think being involved in it lets you explore how to photograph something differently because you have shot the typical image so many times before you feel more free to take chances and look for something different. Also it’s easy to relate to the subjects and just blend in and hopefully get images without being in the way.

Well for one I did this work with no real intentions other than I could give the pictures to the group to help raise awareness and gather more support to help expand the team and get more kids involved. Beyond that I also shot it just for myself to photograph something I love and just have fun, no restrictions or end goals just shoot and see what happens. Its been a lot of fun and I will shoot some more this fall of the team to see some of the kids from last year and some of the new kids who joined over the summer. After all, shooting for the joy of just taking great pictures is why most people got into photography.

The rewards I have gotten so far is just seeing these kids who some have never really ridden a bike get together with others and just enjoy  being outside having a blast. I heard so many times after a race when asked how it went and many of the kids would all say “oh man that was so hard I was suffering so bad I did not think i could finish”. Then they would pause and all say the same thing, “that was awesome can we do it again?!!” That enthusiasm is contagious and just makes you want to keep charging along and remember in life you just have to have fun and keep moving forward.

Now that I have made a promo and gotten some real positive response from the images I am trying to use this to reach out to potential new clients and show them some fresh work that has a positive feel to it. I think most people can relate to this project even if they do not ride bikes, it has a great universal positive vibe to it.