On Assignment : Atlanta Track Club Women's 5k

A week ago I had an assignment to shoot the Atlanta Track Club Women's 5k at Candler Park. This is one of the reasons I have been getting some time shooting a running events on my own.

It was an early morning call. I had to be on site at 7 a.m. and the sun wasn't up yet. Because I was going to move around to several locations along the route I packed everything I would need into my photo backpack. Luckily I brought my flash, as I needed it for the first hour.

I started out using a wide lens to capture the start of the race. I was looking for a unique angle and placed myself in the middle of the course and at a low angle. I liked the shot.

I was able to take two quick shots and then hustled off to the side once the flag dropped. I may have been able to take a couple more frames, but I didn't want to get in the way of the runners. Yeah, those in the front take this seriously. Once on the side, I climbed onto a pickup truck to get a better view.

I also caught the start of the strollers that started 10 minutes later and quickly headed to the next location. I got there in just enough time to catch the leaders coming through.

At this point I switched to the 70-200 mm lens. I'm getting more comfortable using this lens considering it's heavy. I love how close you can get isolating individuals and when shot wide open blurring out the background. This is one of the reasons I love this lens for portrait work. Here are a couple examples.

This was a tough section for the runners and the last hill before the end.

Although the day started overcast, by the time the race was over, it had turned into a beautiful spring day.

I had a great time and I'm looking forward to the next event. The images maybe used in the Atlanta Track Club newsletter available to ATC members. Which reminds me, I need to sign up, not only because I'm also a runner, but I want to see if my images get published.

I'm currently trying to do more athletic editorial shoots and I'm working on lining up a couple shoots in the future, so these kind of events help me improve my skills.

If you're looking for a portrait photographer in the Atlanta area, visit my portfolio.