Mr. H – Motocross with a Tunnel Bridge & Train

.

On March 22, 2010 I met with Steve Howard aka Mr. H for another exciting photo shoot. There were two locations this time; one was just behind the South Point, here in Las Vegas and the second was a train tunnel… and later in the morning there was an unplanned encounter with a train!!

Mr. H was in his element again today, and he was excited to show me the air he was getting since the jump had been rebuilt. Steve warmed up for his jumps and I settled in to capture the action.  Mr. H just keeps getting better and better each time we get together for a photo shoot.  His landings are more solid and the air keeps getting bigger.  Well done Mr. H.

Next it was off to a train tunnel bridge… it is a tunnel but, the train goes over the tunnel instead of through it, hence a bridge.  This was a cool shoot because of the tunnel bridge.  Steve had fun circling back and forth through the tunnel. 

Then we did a few shots where he comes in out of the desert and through the tunnel.  The first attempt was a bit of challenge because the tunnel is on a slight angle and not meant to be taken straight on.  But, Mr. H kept himself steady and handled the tunnel with no problems.

We took a few shots of Mr. H posing beside a Joshua tree, and a few shots of Mr. H on top of the tunnel bridge.  These were neat shots in the fact that it just Mr. H, the side of the tunnel bridge, and blue sky.

Mr. H is sitting on his bike on top of the tunnel bridge, and he exclaims ‘oh s**t, train!’  Of course I thought Mr. H was kidding, I should have learned from the last shoot when Mr. H managed to get an earth mover in to rebuild his jump. 

I could hear the train before I could see it, and Mr. H was busy getting himself off of the tunnel bridge, so he wouldn’t be hit by the train.  The engineer was blowing his whistle to warn Mr. H to get moving… Mr. H didn’t need to be told twice!  I got some very interesting shots of Mr. H and the train…  I asked Mr. H to be careful what he wished for next. 

We closed the shoot with some fun shots of Mr. H and his bike on a couch near the tracks.  Mr. H thank you for another awesome photo shoot, and I am looking forward to the next adventure.

 Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”

He’s Back… Mr. H Returns With More Motocross Action

.

On March 1, 2010 I met with Steve Howard aka Mr. H for another exciting photo shoot.  The chosen location this time was just behind the South Point, here in Las Vegas.  Mr. H had been out early planning his jumps, rebuilding the jumps after the spring storms, and clearing the track of rocks.

This was our second photo shoot together, and so I was pretty excited knowing that Mr. H liked the photos, and working with me.  I was not sure to expect, as I knew Mr. H had been planning this shoot all week.  I arrived just after 8 am and the sun was shining, but would disappear behind the clouds throughout the morning.

Mr. H walked me through the jumps he had planned and what he was looking for me to capture.  Mr. H was still very safety conscious and explained where I could be and where Mr. H would look for me to be, giving me the freedom to choose where I thought the best shooting locations were. 

Mr. H was just as excited as the first day we did our photo shoot.  Mr. H seemed very relaxed and focused, and couldn’t wait to get started.  So with that the morning began on what was going to be a very intense and exciting few hours.

Mr. H wanted some photos of him preparing to ride, and to focus on specific company names for possible sponsorship.  We also did some fun shots where Mr. H made a few interesting faces.  Mr. H has a great sense of humor; it was great to see him enjoying the morning.

My focus on this shoot was to capture Mr. H in the air, and not focus so much on track and flat work, as we had captured that in our first photoshoot.  Mr. H was great and on top of his game this morning.  His jumps were bigger and further than I had seen them the first time.  The air Mr. H was getting that day was the best I had seen so far.  If there was any fear or hesitation with Mr. H, you couldn’t tell. 

Between jumps Mr. H was explaining how he would eventually hire a backhoe or a bobcat operator to come in and redo a few of the jumps.  This would allow him to encompass more height and air into his jumps.  I agreed that would be a great idea, and it would allow Mr. H to increase his experience, as well as getting some great shots for sponsorship opportunities. Mr. H also found a small ravine that would provide some cool over head shots.  As you will see some of the shots are very artistic and are not your typical motocross photos.  There were a lot of opportunities to show the air that Mr. H was able to achieve, and it was very exciting. 

As we were wrapping up for the day, Mr. H asked the operator of a nearby 924G Wheel Loader, if he could rebuild one of the jumps.  To our surprise the operator was more than happy to help out.  As you will see in the photos, Mr. H is busy directing this huge piece of equipment, more commonly seen in construction work, road work, and gravel pits. The 924G Wheel Loader weighs just under twenty five thousand pounds, and is just under ten feet tall.  I am still amazed at the size of the 924G Wheel Loader, and the how easy the jump was rebuilt.  My thanks to the operator of that 924G Wheel Loader… you made Mr. H’s day.  I don’t think I saw a bigger grin on Mr. H’s face that day.  Once the jump was rebuilt by the 924G Wheel Loader, Mr. H did a few more jumps just to see how much higher and further he could jump.

As I said before Mr. H will be taking the Motocross world by storm.  Mr. H may be bigger than your average Motocross rider, and he may be taller.  But, do not underestimate his ability, his skill, or his try.  Mr. H will be jumping to the roar of the crowds instead of the click of my shutter very soon… Well done Mr. H thank you for another awesome photo shoot, and I am looking forward to the next adventure.

Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”

Next Page »