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Tag Archives: Expedition Africa

articles, Blog, business, Events, featured, Photography, portfolio, Travel |

May 14, 2018

| admin

5 Expedition Africa tips for Photographers

Expedition Africa : Swaziland

in 2012, my sister (who is racing her 2nd EA.. Go Team Slummies!!!) and I followed her husband (Go Team Castle Lite!!!) as he raced around the Sunshine Coast. It was one of those spur of the moment things we could do before all our kids came along. But we “tracked” them (more like stumbled upon them) and at night i gracefully slept as they came past us. The year after that, I was asked to head up the photography for, what will be, one of the biggest adventures of my life.. This year, I will be photographing the start line of my 6th Expedition Africa!

Expedition Africa has always been for the athlete, for the teams. No surprise since, well, it’s a race raced by racers. I know right, mind blown! But over the past two years, however, the Kinetic Events team have changed that. Meet, what they are calling, Team Media. A relatively new concept in Adventure Racing is where each team brings a media representative to blog, photograph, tweet, video, etc etc about their team. Essentially, these guys and girls become the eyes and ears for family, friends, sponsors and just interested parties for those back home.

It goes without saying that AR offers very little “spectator value”, but with modern tech and media people on the ground, Kinetic has changed this to a point where they are reaching hundreds and thousands of people within the event they put on.  It is thanks to these media persons reporting on their respective teams that “bring the game home”.

But this blog is not about endless possibilities of bringing AR to your glowing screen, but rather for those who are preparing to document their teams. With 50 teams entered into Expedition Africa: Namaqua, there will be close to the same amount of media on route, many of them popping their adventure media cherry on Expedition Africa. “It’s remote and there is no popping into the local Wimpy for a coffee, you on your own out there”, shares Race Director, Stephan Muller. This is your own adventure, so document the hell out of it!

So, in saying all that, below are 5 tips and tricks that I have learnt over the past 6 years that will make it a little easier for those documenting their teams at this year’s EA.

1) Fuel

Team Slummies photographer, Dalton Burton, making sure he ain’t going hungry!

 

Yip, you are not the only one out there burning calaries. Sure, it’s not at the same rate as your team members, but working close up to 24 hours a day, for 3-7 days will eventually catch up. Make sure you have easy to make food, available water and a few treats for when you’re moeg. Future Life in a zip lock bag is a good option for breakfast, or a simple snack, so are cup a soups or pretty much anything you can heat on the side of the road with your mini gas cooker.

Keep fuelled and that will help you to plan and work clearly. Supporting local restaurants is a fantastic way to report from featuring the added bonus of food you didn’t have to heat or prepare yourself!

 

Yeah, we’re lost!
Photo: Adam Rose

2) Plan

The more you plan, the luckier you will get. Coming up with a plan to meet your team is one thing but timing it with a setting sun, mid abseil is another animal all together. Stephan Muller from Kinetic Events, puts together an incredible media plan that allows us media to barely use a brain cell when it comes to planning your day. But mix it up with one of the many map apps, 1:50 000 map and you’re on your way to getting the shot. Team Media are usually only allowed in designated areas for good reason, but within your means, there is nothing stopping you from thinking outside the box and nailing those shots you planned in your head. In saying all this, be flexible. Your team could easy pick up a problem and you could miss that glorious sunrise.

 

3) Be careful

Ah man! As a photographer, I have put myself in many dangerous situations that probably could have been by passed but resulted in EPIC photographs and some of the best memories. But in no way is a photo worth your life or equipment. Be constantly aware of your surroundings and the area you are in. In the end this is an adventure race and your safety falls firmly on your own shoulders.

2013 – 2015 EA Video Guru, Steven Freitag. We always had each others back!

4) Be on it!
As I mentioned above, we become the eyes and ears to the followers back home. Get the news and photographs out to the public as quick as possible. This will result in better, more quality views and interactions with your audience. Include the Kinetic Events ‘tag’ into your post which will then be shared by the page, which will generate more views for your content.

EA Legend & Good Friend, Andreas Strandh (Sweden) – all smiles, just don’t get in his way 🙂

5) Have a Jol!

Some of my best friendships have been created with a camera in my hands. Some of my best memories have been on some or other route in Expedition Africa. Take the time to get to know your fellow media and work with them, in the end your best work is usually a team effort so branch out and work together instead of against each other. Finally, I can promise you that once you head home after all this adventure, you will have post-race blues – and for good reason, this was an adventure of a life time!

 

 

 

 

PS: A final note – respect goes a long way when you out photographing your team. with over 20 media on course, you are bound to photo bomb someone’s long awaited photo. So be respectful of other peoples space and be aware of your surroudings. You will find the more you work together, the more you will get done… Just ask your team 🙂

Expedition Africa
Photography, Travel |

May 30, 2017

| admin

Expedition Africa: Baviaans ~ A Photographer’s Thoughts

Not too many people in this world get to have an office like mine. I am part of a fortunate few who gets to call the mountains and rivers my desk. This doesn’t come from a place of arrogance but rather I am humbled by these circumstances.

It’s 04h00; I find myself stripping down with a group of South Africa’s finest Adventure Racers as we prepare for an icy water crossing deep in the Baviaans. Someone cracks a joke which includes the size men genitalia and the temperature of water. Laughter emerges from those re-dressing themselves. Its light hearted, yet certain seriousness is felt by the cold and the impending 50 odd kilometres that lie ahead on this trek leg.

This is one of many stories that you will hear from the photographers who were out in the field. People in the wilderness doing what they do best, while we photographers do what we do best; capturing the essence and love of adventure racing.

Being a part of the team who brings Expedition Africa to the world is not only an exciting job, but an exhilarating one. Here we are, shedding a tear with teams who are at their lowest point, trying to comprehend their pain, their feelings and then capturing it. Then, we find ourselves with a team member at 22:00 on day something-or-other who is wiping away tears simply because a local farmer shared dinner with them, allowed the team to catch an hour sleep on his porch. Welcome to the Adventure Racing Amusement Park where Emotions are the roller-coaster of choice!

Six years; Yip, I am part of the furniture of Expedition Africa. Port Alfed, Drakensburg, Wild Coast, Swaziland, Garden Route and now Baviaans. Watching the teams come and go, seeing athletes grow and get older (some would argue wiser!) over the years has been fascinating. Many I call friends, most I call family… and I am not the only one that shares this notion. Stumbling in the dark and coming across a familiar face is like seeing a long lost brother or sister. My right shoulder is usually damp from a few crying eyes as a hug is shared in the most remote locations.. (Right, Noodle?)

So why do I shoot Adventure Racing? Exhaustion, broken equipment, bodily damage and away from family for extended periods are all pretty good and valid reasons to move onto something more easy. But, who wants easy? Who wants safe? Let’s hike in Buffel territory with friends, let’s shiver of cold and alone waiting for the shot… Let’s live a little. Let’s live a lot! The love that drives this sport is like no other I have been a part of… I’ll even dare to say that I see more love at this finish line that at an altar.

We all want to be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves. Expedition Africa is just that; a cumulative of intently hard work by an intensely skilled team lead by a couple who intensely leads us through integrity… why?

Because it’s all about love.

Adventure Racing, Expedition Africa, Trail Running

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