Speeding South after the grind Sarah’s car had been loaded in a luggage tribute to Tetris. Only 3 hours in we stopped over in concrete bland nastiness of a cheap motel chain for the best nights sleep we could manage. Once more in the automobile the road trip ended only a few hours later with the wheels resting in Bicknoller in Somerset for the first day of Seb Rogers Photo Course Not quite the first to arrive we made bike/photo small talk with Andy as Mike from Bikemagic sidled along in his camper van. Seb was the next to arrive and within a short space of time the other budding sports photographers had too. Every one settled in their respective rooms we all headed up to the kitchenette serving as the classroom for the weekend. Seb went through the upcoming three days, starting from the basics right on through to the good stuff but if you want specific details on that you’ll have to go on the course…
With the first classroom session over we suited up and headed out from the B & B for a very short tarmac spin to the hills. A brief push up a very steep dirt path and we were soon on the valley side, steep banking to the right and gulley laden with dead trees and other trail detritus to our left. Seb had the photographers split up into pairs as they each practised their new learned skills. As I was only there for the ride I wizzed up and down the same bit of trail as Sarah clicked away. Mike gave me a pointer or too on being a good subject as he rocketed up and down the full section giving advice to the others too. As I worked myself dizzy riding the same section for my lovely wife Seb raced back and forth giving advice and tuition to each of the shooters in turn. Sarah was enjoying bossing me about on the hills far too much for my liking and was grinning like the Cheshire Cat behind the viewfinder.
From the track we rode on for a way climbing further up the Quantocks to the next section for shooting. A bit of a cliché perhaps but we stopped by a stream crossing and Mike and I headed up the run in whilst Seb instructed the soul stealers. A quick kick of the pedals and I rolled into the trail wheeling the smooth winding top section. The drop into the stream was not steep but rockier than it looked and with my arse over the saddle in time for the splash. I lost count of how many times I rolled through the stream but it took the first few to stop holding my breath when I hit the water. This consequently meant that the first few shots have me hamster cheeked as well as gurning away. With each run my feet were getting progressively wetter yet strangley the left considerably more than the right. Mike commented that the perfect Quantocks footwear combo would be the usual Disco Slipper on the right and a welly with a cleat on the left…
The afternoon shooting drawing to a close the guys asked Mike and I if we could have a go at riding down together. It turned out to be surprisingly difficult to do and we scored more success with Mike following my rear wheel. Later analysis of those shots would reveal that we had to be much closer than is comfortable for that particular type of shot to have worked in that location. Hundred of photos later we headed back to the B & B for kilos and kilos of Mary’s amazingly delicious home made cake and critique of each Photographers shots. Showered and changed to our civvies and we headed out to the pub to talk bikes, camera’s and whole pantheon of other nonsense over much bear and great food. A night’s sleep in the world hottest unheated room was all that separated us from Saturday’s loaded day of photo fun filled frolics…
As always Mrs Fat Lad’s photos can be found at the end of this clicky 🙂
Fat Lad