BG Phillips Photography

A few more pics as part of my photo dump from Thursday's track day at Laguna Seca with Turn 2 Drivers Club and Hooked on Driving. Mostly BMW's in this set.

More from the track day on 8/1/24 at Laguna Seca with Turn 2 Drivers Club and Hooked on Driving. There were more Mazda Miatas there than any other car, so this set features some of those machines.

More pics from the track day at Laguna Seca on August 1 with Turn 2 Drivers club and Hooked on Driving. American Muscle featured in this set. Although various makes and models ran together on the track at the same time, I'm categorizing the images in this way just to give them a theme.

More photos from Thursday's track session at Laguna Seca with Turn 2 Drivers Club and Hooked on Driving. This set features mostly Porsches, with a few Ferraris, McLarens, a Lotus, etc. thrown in the mix.

Thursday's track day at Laguna Seca featured a lot of race spec Mazda Miatas which were very, very fast. Many of them bottomed out at the famous Corkscrew turn, however, including this one which generated a few sparks!

Spent the day Thursday at Laguna Seca racetrack at the invitation of my friend Ed who was running his McLaren 750 there with a couple of track clubs (Hooked on Driving and Turn 2 Drivers Club). Ed is friends with a number of drivers there, including Dave, who owns the two Porsches included in this set of photos. This was just a track day, not a race, so Ed took me out for a few laps in his McLaren. Let me just say it exceeded expectations. The G-forces while braking and cornering were wild! Very much like a roller coaster ride. So much so that I began having motion sickness due to the hilly and twisty nature of the track there at Laguna Seca. I had done a track day there about 25 years ago on a motorcycle, but that didn't prepare me for this, other than the fact that I know the track very well so there were no surprises. Ed's driving skill is superb, so there was no worrying about going off the track, even though it seemed like we would a few times. Due to the motion sickness, I had to turn down the opportunity to ride in Dave's Porsches. Maybe next time, but only for a few laps! I'll be posting a lot more photos of some of the other cars in action there, so watch this space.

Here are some photos that I did of a friend's house in Gardnerville, NV. The house is now on the market if anyone is interested. It's for sale by owner, so you won't likely find it unless you're specifically searching for homes for sale by owner, but here is the link:
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1008-Georgia-Ln-Gardnerville-NV-89460/7245654_zpid/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emo-SendToFriendHDP-image

Wow! Wow! Wow! Mark Cavendish has done it! For those who don't follow bike racing, this has been an amazing comeback story; that's what I love about sports. Today, Mark Cavendish got his 35th stage victory in the Tour de France, breaking the all time record that's been held by Eddy Merckx (arguably the greatest cyclist ever) since the 1970s. Mark has had so many setbacks in his career including significant illness and injury. He tried to break the record last year only to encounter some mechanical difficulties during the sprint that he almost won, then crashing and breaking his collarbone. He was set to retire last year, but decided to give it one last shot again at age 39, against rivals who are much younger. Great documentary about him on Netflix if you care to catch it. Attached here are some photos I've taken of him over the years.

Some amazing sports photography here! And no, I didn't make the list, LOL! I don't know why the link says these were the 2023 winners, as the page that it links to says 2024.

Winners 2023 Exceptional Images that have been shortlisted from the 2023 Categories for the World Sports Photography Awards.

The women's field in 2016 at the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California.

Sacramento was the final stage of the Tour of California for both the men and the women. Shots here from the women's circuit race around the state capitol area. The worst kind of lighting (other than insufficient light) for a photographer is either 1. dappled lighting (bright sun mixed with spots of shadows) or 2. bright sun (harsh light, dark shadows, too contrasty). Well, that's what we had so I tried to make the best of it, but I'll take a cloudy day anytime.

Keb' Mo' from five years ago!

Carrera Productions brought Keb' Mo' back to the Harris Center last night. Along with his smooth soulful sounds, he had a great set onstage that featured a pretty cool backdrop and the best lighting I"ve ever had at that venue.

Being both a fan of photography and of Bob Dylan, I thought it fitting to share this article about the passing of Daniel Kramer who was best known as capturing a lot of iconic shots of Dylan during his early years.

Daniel Kramer, Who Photographed Bob Dylan’s Rise, Dies at 91 For 366 days, he captured intimate images of the singer-songwriter as he changed the look and sound of the 1960s.

Just got back from an overnight motorcycle ride to Gardnerville, NV to do some real estate photography for an old friend of 45 years. She's putting her beautiful home up for sale after living there for 30 years. Here's a photo I took in her yard at sunrise this morning. The star effect from the sun is not added with software. By using a small aperture in the camera settings (F:22 in this case), you can get that effect with any bright light sources that appear in the scene.

The third and final act from yesterday's Heart of the Hills - Blues Blast in El Dorado HIlls: TOMMY CASTRO and the Painkillers. Always guaranteed to get the crowd on their feet. Even in 90 degree heat!

Chris Cain's band was the second act during yesterday's Heart of the Hills - Blues Blast in El Dorado Hills. Dewayne Pate on bass, Greg Rahn on keyboards and Randy Hayes on drums. I've probably seen and photographed Chris more than any other performer and it never gets old. One of the best blusemen on the planet.

From the Heart of the Hills - Blues Blast yesterday in El Dorado Hills, Tom Rigney and Flambeau were the opening act.

Ten years ago, the Tour of California time trial was right here in Folsom. Bradley Wiggins won the time trial that day. Mark Cavendish was in yellow as the Tour leader at that point, as he'd won the stage into Sacramento the day before as I recall. I look back on these and the first thing I notice is that my photography and photo editing skills have gotten a bit better. Some of these images are just so-so, but I was happy to capture a field of the top cyclists in the world.

A few images from today's stage, just a short walk from my home. I'll get around to labeling the names of some of the riders... as soon as I get more free time! Ah ha ha...

CZ World Championships 2024: Over 800 photos are now on my website at: https://www.bgphillipsphotography.com/Motorcycles/CZ-World-Championships-2024 .
For any photos that you find here on my page, feel free to share, tag, and comment. Please do not crop out the watermark in the lower right when re-posting.

Occasionally I'll take some time out from my regular posting of pictures to talk about a particular aspect of photography. Sometimes people wonder why it takes photographers like me a week or more to process the photos from an event. Maybe they don't even know what it means to edit or process digital photos.

Some "photographers" will post the images essentially as they come out of the camera and not even screen out those that are less than perfectly sharp, let alone process it to ensure that it looks its best.

The first photo here is one example of what you would see if I didn't spend time editing my photos. It's captured in the camera properly, as it's in focus and sharp, but nothing else has been done to it. One of the first steps of the editing process is cropping the image, usually to an 8 x 10 format so that the rider fills the frame of the photo to a greater extent. Then I zoom in at 100% to make sure that it's tack sharp. For example, I look at the dot on the CZ logo and make sure it's not blurry. Assuming it's passed that test, I'll then apply some sharpening to the image. I reject a lot of my own photos if they don't look sharp when I zoom in at 100%.

Then comes the process of pulling detail out of the shadows which I won't go into right now. But if you look at the first unedited image, you can see how much detail of the bike and rider are obscured by the dark shadows. This is a bigger problem with bright sun, which creates very harsh light and shadows. But thanks to shooting in RAW file format, having good software, and knowing how to use it, I can enhance that image so that you can see things like the carb, the fins, and even the screws on the crankcase if you zoom in close enough (not always possible with Facebook photos). I think my attention to detail in the editing process is what separates me from other photographers who aren't making that degree of effort. While the results may not be as noticeable with photos reduced in size and quality on Facebook (particularly if you're just viewing them on a cell phone), those who purchase full high resolution images or prints from me should be able to see the difference. Before and after shots shown here. Same exact photo. I think you'll agree that the rider pops out from the background quite a bit more in the edited version, and you can see details that were previously obscured by shadows.

At a typical motocross race, I might take 2000 photos. Of those, maybe 500-700 make the final cut, but that still takes time.

Here are a few more images from last Sunday's CZ World Championship event at MMX in Marysville, CA. I'll try to have another batch posted before the weekend is over, then all photos will be put on my website when the editing/processing is done. Feel free to like, tag, share and comment.

A preview of some of the photos I took today at the CZ World Championships at MMX in Marysville, CA. I'll have more later in the week. Feel free to like, comment, tag, and share!

All of the photos that made the final cut from Sunday's AHRMA races at Burrows Ranch are now on my website at: https://www.bgphillipsphotography.com/Motorcycles/AHRMA-Vintage-Motocross-Burrows-Ranch-4724. Purchases of prints, digital downloads and wall art will help to ensure my attendance at future events and are very much appreciated.

Photoset #2 from Sunday's AHRMA races near Willows, CA. If you missed it, I posted about 70 or so photos yesterday as well.

A few of the photos I took yesterday at the AHRMA vintage motocross races at Burrows Ranch in Chrome, CA. I'll be posting more here soon. Later this week all the photos that made the final cut will go on my website for those who would like to help support my efforts with purchases of prints, wall art, or digital downloads.

Last year, when I posted my photos of the Burrows Ranch motocross races, my buddy Rich Clark had commented that there should be a song called Maicos and Mud. So today, I decided to write such a song. Those of you who don't follow vintage motocross may not get all the lyrics, but for those who do, I hope you'll enjoy:

(Verse 1)
Well I’ve been to museums
In Paris and Rome
And I’ve travelled around this great world
Saw the lights of the city
And the oceans so blue
Pretty girls with their hair all in curls
I’ve sung lots of songs
In good times and bad
I’ve been hurt till I’m covered in blood
But ain’t nothing that soothes me
No memories move me
Like thoughts of Maicos and mud

(Chorus)
Maicos and mud
Like P, B and J
Maicos and mud
It’ll always be that way
Maicos and mud
Go together it seems
Maicos and mud
Forever in my dreams

(Verse 2)
When I ride in the desert
It just ain’t the same
All the dust and the snakes and the hares
And the heat of the prairies
Tarantulas too
Coyotes all travelling in pairs
I rode Huskies in Sweden
Bultacos in Spain
Banging bars with all my best buds
But when the rain’s coming down
Mixing up with the ground
It’s time for Maicos and mud

(Chorus)
Maicos and mud
Macaroni and cheese
Maicos and mud
Cold beer on the side if you please
Maicos and mud
Sure makes my day
Maicos and mud
It’s my favorite kind of play

(Verse 3)
Well I never grew fond of
Kawasakis and Hondas
Or Ossas with tanks painted blue
When your KTM’s seizing
And your CZ is wheezing
My Maico will always be true.
Never cared for Suzukis
Montesas are goofy
It’s the same for the Yamahas too
But a Maico 450
Is more than just Nifty
It’s a credo I hold myself to

(Chorus)
Maicos and mud
Burgers and brew
Maicos and mud
With a side of potato chips too
Maicos and mud
Entwined in my brain
Maicos and mud
Please bring on the rain