I had a blast photographing the 2008 Rally in the Valley last weekend; mountain biking gatherings are always fun, and so is capturing them in photos.
Preparation was easy for this one since I’ve volunteered at the event before and ridden the location many times. A test ride with all my gear in the backpack was enough to convince me I wanted to do minimal shuffling while loaded down like a sherpa, so I picked a few spots within a mile of the start off the main trail.
Another useful activity was making up signs; one saying “Smile! Photographer ahead.” and a few more letting people know where to find my photos on the web. The smile sign really worked; people actually looked at the camera, smiled, and gave thumbs up, peace signs, wheelies, & jumps!
Since the leaves on the trees haven’t come in yet, there was more light than I expected. It was enough to get fast shots along Forbidden Drive, though people’s faces still ended up in the shadows sometimes. On the trails, flash was more of a necessity, but took a bit of trail and error to dial in manually. I think the truth of event photography is that you have to have an automatic, through-the-lens (TTL) metering flash.
I found I took wider shots to make sure I got people in motion, then cropped them down afterwards. As the day went on, though, it became easier to get tighter, more emotive shots.
With so many people around, it was also great networking. I met a few fellow photographers, both beginners and established pros, some potential customers, and got a few ideas for new opportunities.
Other useful odds and ends: bungees to tie signs to existing posts, water and snacks, hat, music for the slow spells. Given my minimal riding, street clothes and shoes were definitely the way to go. Wearing my IMBA jersey even prompted someone to ask me if I had flown out from Boulder for the event. Maybe they’ll come next year, after they see my photos 
del.icio.us/mbotos
