For Photographers

2010 Garage Games - Day Two - Men

Juist a few shots from Sunday, February 7th, 2010. Many more to come, but taking a break from post processing the final sub-gallery for the Women's Sand Pit event. Hope you enjoy these, I think you'll recognize these guys.

2010 Garage Games - Day One - Trail Run

Before the world starts turning again, I wanted to thank everyone for some very kind comments I received over on my Facebook page concerning the death of my aunt and Godmother. Thanks again for your kindness, it was much appreciated. I know that my first cousin and the rest of the family and friends really appreciated your kindness, thanks again.

The images I am posting are some of my favorites from the two day event - the 7 Kilometer Trail Run. There was a stream crossing that made for some incredible images of splashing water as the runners battled the thigh deep stream. For you photographers out there, I was shooting with a Nikon D3s and an Elinchrom Ranger RX Speed AS portable battery powered pack and an A head plugged into the 'B' connector which gave me a flash duration of 1/5,120 sec that was firing through a huge 16 inch wide and 24 inch deep sports reflector. To bore you non-photographers even a little more, think of flash duration the same way you think of shutter speed; with the camera, the shutter is limited by its flash synch speed. If you over shoot the camera's flash synch speed you will get black bands in your images, so, to my point, the Elinchrom flash equipment is AWESOME BABY!!! The super fast flash duration is what gives you those crisp clean images that you just cannot get with flash that has slow flash duration; so like everything else, it really helps to have the right kit for the circumstance and I was lucky to have the right kit shooting the runners at the stream.

I want to give Wade Meetze, the owner and coach at Hit CrossFit in Mauldin, SC, a huge shout out for his assistance in humping the equipment to the stream. There is a six pack of Fat Tire, a very tasty Belgian ale, his favorite brew, and a collection of nice prints on the way to his gym early next week as a way to demonstrate my appreciation for his critical support. He held the light during the shooting and he deserves a lot of credit for these shots. Thanks Wade, you da man!

Don't forget, click on the image to see a bigger version.

 

 

2010 Garage Games - More Day Images

Here are some more images from Day One from The Garage Games at the Cherokee Outdoor YMCA at Woodstock, GA.

2010 Garage Games - Saturday, February 6th - AMRAP

More shots from the first day taken during the AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) event. To get a larger view of the image single click on it.

 

2010 Garage Games - Day One - Post One

Saturday, February 6th was a miserable day for an intense competition; it rained, it sleeted, there was strong wind, it was cold and it didn't matter. In fact, it seemed the more miserable the conditions, the more intense the competition became. The competitors actually relished the additional hardship, they thrived in the less than ideal conditions and seemed to love and hate the weather, the mud, the pain.

I must confess, I have been moved, affected, awakened and definitely inspired. So blogging about the 2010 Garage Games is going to be a process. There is a lot of material here to cover and I am floundering as I begin to gather my thoughts and work my way through over 17,500 images. Yes, I think the term process is appropriate.

During the two day event I had a chance to talk with the competitors. They were superb athletes from all over the southeast. Many traveled great distances to compete and many missed the Super Bowl because they were driving home while the game aired. This is what makes this group of dedicated cross-fit junkies so unique. They are committed, and I don't mean a little bit, I mean like "I am all in!!!" committed at a 7  card stud table in Vegas. There are no half measures with any of these folks, no quit, no whining... none of that.

I need to keep this one short, it's late and I need to hit the sack, but you have to check back and see some of the images that Amy Kelly, Steve Glass, Alex Smith, Joyce Hayag, Srini Jujjavarapu and myself captured over the two days. There is so much more to come - these are just a few quick grabs of some of our images.

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge my good friend Shane for inviting me to shoot the 2010 Garage Games - it was an awesome experience. Tomorrow morning I am going to call my local crossfit gym here in Dahlonega and get started on my own fitness regimen. I saw a T-Shirt that read, "Your Workout is My Warmup," I would have to agree to that. I hope our images are able to convey the energy, excitement and enthusiasm that the competitors and spectators alike witnessed. It was awesome and can't wait to do it again soon.

2010 Garage Games Event Coverage

Jeffrey Franks Photography will have photographers on site to document the 2010 Garage Games in Woodstock, GA. The event will be held February 6th and 7th at the YMCA in Woodstock and in your interested in attending or competing please click on the graphic below to take you to their site for more information.

Check back for some great images of the competitors. Jeff Franks, Kristy Dickerson, Steve Glass, Dana Hornbeck, Amy Kelly and others will be there, cameras in hand, to record the intensity and competitive spirit of the events. Here is another link to the event's website 2010 Garage Games.