What makes this cover shot unique is that the cyclist also was the photographer, which conveniently eliminated the usual pleading when it was time for pass number six.
I know this because I was the guy up on that mountainside, alone and wearing many hats. It was my last S240, or bike overnight, of the year and I headed out knowing I needed a few more images for my upcoming story, "A Season in the Snake." Since I couldn't find anyone to ride/camp with me, I decided to do it myself and headed out with my lightest camping gear and a pack full of camera equipment to ride up and down some mountains and take some pretty pictures.
I was trying to get to the mountaintop for breakfast, but I kept getting slowed down by pretty spots, where the routine went like this: compose picture, set up the tripod, trigger remote shutter release (set on self-timer), ride forward and hope timing is right, repeat over and over until the shot is just how I wanted it. As you might guess, it took me a while to get to reach the mountaintop.
We usually mock up a few different cover options before we choose a winner, and two alternates that didn't make the cut are posted below. The first one was actually my favorite. The contrail, however, elicited mixed response -- some people thought it added a compelling visual symmetry with the landscape, while others (including art director Greg Siple and new designer Derek Gallagher) felt it completely ruined the image. The second mockup was the most dynamic, but the reason we didn't use it is fairly obvious: it's too hard to read the logo and cover lines. The last one is the cover we finally chose and printed. Which one do you like best?
Lastly, for those interested in lightweight gear geekery and S24Os, I'm adding an image at the end that shows my setup. Sleeping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad) is in the handlebar bag; clothes (pants, shirt, down jacket, hat, gloves, and knee and elbow pads for the technical descent) are in the seatbag. Food for the trail goes in the fuel cell on my top tube. The bags are handmade by Jeff over at Carousel Design Works.
Read my entire story, "A Season in the Snake" (PDF). Check out Grant Petersen's excellent Adventure Cyclist piece on S24Os (PDF).
--
RIDE ON THE WILD SIDE appears the first Wednesday of every month and is handcrafted by Aaron Teasdale, deputy editor of Adventure Cyclist and photo editor for Adventure Cycling Association. It looks at the wilder side of bicycle travel and photography, and offers behind-the-scenes looks at the creation of Adventure Cyclist magazine. To see more of Teasdale’s work, check out his personal blog: http://aaronteasdale.blogspot.com.
Posts
Don't mind the contrail at all in the first image and don't really see how it detracts from the shot. That being said, I do think I like the actual cover image the best. I especially like how the valley in the background lines up perfectly with the masthead creating a frame like effect. The second shot is my least favorite and of course these are just my opinions.
ReplyDelete