Shooting from the hip whilst not to being a hip(ster)

Off-piste in Whistler, BC

It's been a week or two now of wind, rain, rain, some beautiful sunshine and a little bit of a chill back here in the UK. During the general chaos of life and the cold I have just managed to get the photos from my stateside trip off of the iPhone. That is finally off after a lot of confusion as to why it could possibly be so difficult.

Maybe that's a little plea from me to Apple to stop making me update everything all the time just so I can function - that's why I don't use Windows!! Moving on..

iPhone finally downloading!

There are 1167 photos and a few videos in total from start to finish and it's amazing that the phones still in one piece. Especially considering the other trips it's dealt with this year and a few big memorable bangs. You know the ones that make you freeze in an awkward position before recovering the phone.

On top of that theres a whole bunch of video clips from Tahoe, CA which I had to upload to a server over some pretty sketchy wifi after the phone informed me it wouldn't be able to function with no hard drive space. Once that was taken care of it was back to the business of recording my trip with a device I didn't ever think I would embrace in such a big way.

I took a bag full of different cameras to the US to record this trip but as I departed for my first ride on the Backbone Trail overlooking Los Angeles there only one was in my pocket - my phone. It doesn't have the best lens - in fact I would go as far as saying it's crap in comparison to any real camera but it doesn't really matter because it's my phone and it fits unobtrusively in my pocket.

Santa Cruz, CA trails with the excellent Cody as host - damn that kid can ride - and hell those trails are sweet!

You see I really do love riding my mountain bike and when I'm whizzing past trees as fast as I possibly can it really focuses my attention to the task at hand. I'd even go as far as saying it's a bit like meditation for me because all of life's worries and everything that isn't concerned with the right now is filtered out - it's just riding.

That said I can think of lot's of things that would ruin a good ride from the standard puncture to that nagging gear adjustment that probably means you've bent something. More annoying than that is carrying extra weight with you on your ride. When I ride in the UK I try to ride with just the clothes on my back but if it's a long jaunt or it's the sweltering US heat then a small cambleback will suffice with water and a few essential tools. The last thing I want to be carrying with me is an SLR with a few lenses and a tripod - because then I would be muling camera gear around on my bike - not riding.

So for this reason and the fact that the gps saved my lost ass more than once the iPhone is a saviour and I will be putting together a piece with all of the images as soon as I dig out the flash cards from the stuff I did shoot on the 5d and the 30 or so rolls of assorted 120 I got through on the Mamiya. Yep it's time to get busy in the darkroom.

Good Energy website

I shot these portraits these two portraits as part of a larger set of the customer care team at Good Energy in Chippenham. Their was a number of constraints for the shoot and the main aim was to depart from a group shot taken in their lunch break.

The images were for the print edition of Good Energy's magazine but one has also found it's way on to the front page of their website which is nice.

Back

Me riding a sweet bit of singletrack 'off piste' at Whistler

I'm back (home) and finally sat at a computer (my computer that is) for the first time in months looking for a natural starting place for past, present and future work. I have been traveling with a bike instead of a laptop and an iPhone instead of a digital camera. I couldn't leave my trusty Mamiya behind but it was a bit bulky to accompany me on my travels across the dustiest and hottest mountain bike trails I had ever experienced so it stayed in the car, the bus, the train and came out when I wasn't hammering out the miles.

One of the most important things in the past few months for me has been water. I don't think I really realised the full extent of how much I relied upon my £20 camelback until a few weeks back when I went out for a midday ride in 105 F heat and I could barely function. A mountain lion 30 feet off in the grass does wonderful things for the minds ability to tell the body to get the fuck on with it and so I did make it back to the car - albeit a bit hot and bothered.

I've got lots more to share about my trip, the people, places, rides, beers, food and the experiences and as soon as I can find the cable for my phone it will be time to get started.

Bikes

Just a quick note to say I love bikes and hopefully I'm going to be spending the next 10 weeks riding a lot of them. Well mainly one...but riding it a lot.

On the note of bikes here are a few very quick scans from Bristol bike maker Robin Mather. Robin's a great guy who builds steel frames and parts in his workshop here in the middle of Bristol. He very kindly allowed me to come down and photograph him and these are some of the first results. There are more and I will be going back in the winter to finish up these pictures.

I will probably also be saving up the pennies to get a handmade frame as it's just such a beautiful process.

Off

Off for a bit to do some work and life in the states. Popped down to Devon last night to share skills, eat food, play a little guitar and say farewell (for a bit) to a few people and especially to someone I care deeply about.

It was beautiful in Devon - just beautiful.

 Dining room

 Kitchen

Washing up 

Kevin's turkish coffee 

Duncan

Kevin

Boo & Rufus

The inspiration wall thrives..

Peter

Packing to go

The hardest working man in show business.... James Brown

It's great to get invited to your friends wedding. The people you love and care about having a great day and hopefully a bunch of your good friends who you probably don't see enough. Mix in a bit of sunshine and your smart attire with a few beverages and the day passes way too quickly. I do however hate wedding lists.. I mean they really aren't that bad because your aunty Mary from Azerbaijan probably has no idea what to get you for a gift and it is traditional to give gifts but still - I always think they are a bit weird.

I usually think for a while about some inappropriate gift that I can purchase and generally leave it a little late so I end up in Bristol scrabbling around to find a roll of 120 film (yes I know I could go to Photographique but I just don't like them!) so that I can take a few nice photographs.

Here are the results from one such day back in sunny May...yes you remember - before the sunshine now and the rainy rain season we have had the sunshine.....yep thats it. Amanda & James tied the knot at St Just in Roseland's beautiful church on the water in Cornwall before hopping aboard James' boat The Madeline Rose to motor round into St Mawes. It was a lovely day and the celebrations went on well into the evening. Thanks for the invite Mr & Mrs Brown (Harley) [Harley Brown]...ahh these modern names....

...and no they are not in order....nor have they had a thorough clean..

All photographs © Mike Lusmore. If you want one email me and I will prepare you a nice clean scan...