Pedaling Pictures

I’ve been very fortunate of late. Most of my projects for Journal Communications have been here in North Carolina or just over the border in Virginia. This close proximity to home has allowed me to drive instead of getting on a plane and traveling halfway across the country.

This also means I get to carry more crap gear with me when I travel. I’m only limited by the amount of equipment I can stuff into my Honda Element. And trust me, I can stuff a lot into my car.

One of the stories that seems to be a recurring theme in the Journal magazines is biking.

Most of the communities Journal features are trying to attract young professionals and one way is to lure them with stories about the plethora of outdoor activities available: kayaking, hiking and biking.

Whenever there is a biking story, or any outdoor story, I try to travel over a weekend, since most people are likely to be outdoors on their days off. But it doesn’t always work out that way.

And that’s where my bike comes in.

I’ve worked up a rig on my bike that allows me to mount a camera just above my handle bars which I use to take pictures while I’m riding. I use a magic arm to position the camera and run a cable release to the right grip on my handlebar. As I’m riding along the trail, I just click away, capturing other riders as we pass.

There are also days when no one can be found for miles. So yes, sometimes I have to shoot pictures of myself to use as stock for the Journal magazines.

But the tradeoffs are worth it. The magazine gets photos of bicyclists. And I get a little exercise.