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You'd think that a Downhill MTB race would be a bit of a doddle, wouldn't you?

Basically you sit on a mountain bike at the top of a hill, let go of the brake and before you know it you're at the bottom... easy peasy!

Well maybe I have that wrong? I think today's GVC MTB Downhill race held on the slopes at Pleinmont did a good job of proving that I know nothing about the effort needed to descend the slopes at speed... it is a race after all!

All this became clear as I listened to the moans and groans of the riders as they passed me whilst I took pics of their grimacing faces, ha ha.

I imagine that they were rewarded with muscle burn and a sense of achievement once their two runs were over. I have to say well done to all of them. I hope my pics of their racing remind them of the pain. Only joking!!

Follow this link if you want to view my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MTB DOWNHILL PICS

As the F1 cars take to the track at the start of their 2022 season the Guernsey Motorsport racing community have also dusted off their machinery to get back to racing.

The opening event of the Guernsey tarmac season started today with the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Vazon Sprint.

I made two visits to photograph some of the action. Between the two I popped off to Footes Lane to cover the GFC v Uxbridge football. More about that later.

Click on this link to see my first edit featuring the Vazon Sprint which is now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE GK&MC VAZON SPRINT

I decided to pop along to the National Two South rugby at Footes Lane last night.

This was going to offer a rare opportunity to photograph the game under flood lights.

I love taking pics of Rugby as the game is quite predictable and slow compared to some other sports and it can be really rewarding to photograph.

Add into the mix the floodlights... which are acceptably bright for photography at Footes Lane... and it was really good fun.

I've added a new gallery featuring my pics including a few processed in Black and White which always produces great rugby prints.

The Gallery is online here if you fancy a look:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF GUERNSEY RAIDERS v BURY ST EDMONDS

Sunday offered a mix of sports to capture. The first on the list meant a visit to the sands on Vazon beach.

The conditions were perfect for Surfing photography. It was just a shame that I only had a short time between other jobs to capture a few pics.

However I did manage to cover the Guernsey Surf Club's 2022 Women's Cold Water competition. Cooper Brouard sponsored the event.

I've added two new galleries. One featuring the women's comp and another featuring some of the other surfers.

Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST SURFING PICS

Being on the sideline of a football pitch seems to have become my natural habitat for the last week!

The latest game to be added to the football gallery is Sunday's GFC clash with the visiting team from Hanwell Town. Sadly GFC were beaten 4-1. That scoreline doesn't really tell the full story as GFC were in the game more than you could read into the result.

But ultimately two late goals for Hanwell Town put an end to any hope of a local comeback. On the day one thing stood out and that was the great support given by GFC fans to their team, even when they were beaten.

So my pics of the GFC game are now online. There is a link below.

And just in case you think I'm becoming a 'one sport photog' I'll be posting another gallery of pics from the weekend... this time from a beach. Any guesses what the sport was?
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF GFC v HANWELL TOWN

What's the saying? 'You have to take the rough with the smooth'

These old proverbs (I’m not actually sure it’s a proverb…. I must ask the missus as she’s the know-it-all on these matters!) usually have a basis in truth. However on this occasion I'd like to twist it around to say that 'it's nice to take the smooth after the rough!'

My previous Blog was about the challenge of working in low light trying to capture football action. But thankfully sports photography isn't always that way.

Today was the payoff for the previous pain and my assignment was as easy as it gets. The football game was played in bright sunlight and even the teams kits were bright and contrasting. That ticks all my boxes!

I was at The Track to photograph a Jeremie Cup game between Belgrave Wanderers and Jersey's St Clements.

I won't talk about the final score as it wasn't what a Guernseyman wants to hear and I don't want to spoil what was an enjoyable and near perfect shoot!

Follow this link to view the Gallery of my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF BELS v ST CLEMENTS

I've been shooting sports for long enough to know what to expect when I'm sent along to photograph a night game in our local Priaulx League.

The absolute certainty is that the level of floodlight illumination will be well below the needs of a photographer!

Even using the best of the Nikon range of professional cameras I still have to push settings to the limits. The saving grace is that most of the pics will only be seen on newsprint paper and at low resolution on the Internet.

But that fact shouldn't be a reason not to capture the highest quality that is possible and there is no doubt that an advantage comes from the many hours of practice!!

Whilst I enjoy the opportunity to capture the colorful and vibrant low-light shots the latest digital cameras enable us to do there is still something 'pure' about developing a few of the pics in a classic black and white format.

I did this with the edit of the recent Priaulx League game between Saints and Vale Rec and I must say that I really should find the time to do it more often.

You have to love a black and white print. Do you agree?

Follow this link to view the latest gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW THE SAINTS v VALE REC PICS

Guernsey Football Club hosted Marlow FC at Footes Lane on Saturday.

Marlow are fancying their chance at achieving promotion this season and had thrashed GFC 6-0 in a previous game.

But our local team have been enjoying a recent good run and they showed impressive form against the visiting team taking a 2-0 win as a reward for their hard and consistant work.

GFC have now removed the immediate pressure to get clear of the relegation zone and on their current form it's probably not too big an ambition for them to climb well into the top half of the Isthmian South Central League.

Well done GFC... keep up the good work!

My pics of the game are here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF GFC v MARLOW

It was a chilly morning on the Pleinmont clifftop but it was worth wrapping up.

I was at the Motocross track to photograph the GVC MTB XC racing. This is a familiar work place for me but it's usually a noisy one!

But this time the bikes were pedal powered!

The setting is really great and I thing the riders enjoyed the varied slopes and track layout.

I've added a new gallery featuring some of the action:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 7 OF THE GVC MTB XC

It wasn't just the 2022 Comprop Rally that kept me busy last weekend.

My work actually began on Thursday evening when I popped along to the Rally scrutineering to capture some behind the scenes pics.

Then the racing began on Friday with two evening stages... just perfect for me to get my timing and trigger finger up to speed!

But the serious stuff started on Saturday morning which meant a 5.30am start for me!

Why such an early alarm call? Well I wanted to get into one of the first stages before it was closed.

I had checked out all the stages when they were published and I'd noted my favourite vantage points and angles. I had a plan for a couple of positions that were too dangerous to stand.... but they were perfect for a radio controlled remote camera! The early start was needed to give me time to make sure everything was setup and working properly before the first car arrived.

If you browse through my Rally pics thinking that I shouldn't of been in such risky positions, don't worry, you now know how I captured those shots!

So all day Saturday was spent moving between stages chasing the Rally racing action and by 5pm I knew I had some good shots in the can.

By now I was pretty knackered after dragging over 25kg of kit up and down the stages. Frankly I just wanted to get home and put my feet up!

But that wasn't an option as I was straight off to Beau Sejour as soon as the rally finished. The Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club had organised their 'February Fury' event. This featured 10 Bouts of boxing with a GABC team facing a team from East Wales.

After refuelling with a chocolate bar and an energy drink I was ring-side capturing another form of action sport.

Gratefully the 10 bouts went without holdup or hitch and my day finished earlier than expected and I was home by 9.30pm.

It's safe to say that by the time my head hit the pillow I was ready for a good nights sleep... after such a long and tiring but fun day!

I've completed the Rally and boxing edits and the Galleries are online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE FEBRUARY FURY BOXING
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2022 COMPROP GUERNSEY RALLY

After missing two years of racing due to the restrictions imposed by Covid regulations the Guernsey Rally was back in 2022 with new sponsors Comprop.

The lost time had been well used and the 2022 Comprop Guernsey Rally was bigger and better than all the previous years. The public are now getting a feel for how a rally event is organized and it was clear that spectators had done their homework as many vantage points were lined with crowds of people. There was a great atmosphere all through the stages.

I'd managed to plan my different shooting positions and achieved most of the shots I had intended. The only fail was because the very last stage on Saturday was cancelled due to running out of time.

The variety of angles I captured was helped once again by the remote camera I set up on a couple of corners. This meant that you can actually see me in some of my own shots!

Two pics for the price of one! It's magic!!

These galleries feature the most extensive coverage of the 2022 Comprop Guernsey Rally....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2022 COMPROP GUERNSEY RALLY

I think we'll call this weekend the warmup for next weekends rally event. After missing the Rally last year due to the evil covid the excitement is now boiling over for the 2022 Guernsey Rally.

Hopefully the weather will warm up a little by then too!

So today I got my Motorsport fix by visiting the Kart racing at The Track followed by a very windy trip down on to the sands at Chouet for the Autocross Bangers.

The first pics of the Karting are already online with the Bangers to follow....
CLICK TO VIEW RACE 2 OF THE GK&MC KART CHAMPIONSHIP


I've now added a new Gallery featuring Round 8 of the Winter Autocross Banger racing championship of the windswept beach at Chouet.


Follow this link to view the latest Banger racing pics:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 8 OF THE AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

I popped up to the Motocross track on Saturday to photograph the championship racing.

Sadly there was a very small entry as it seems several factors combined to make riders unavailable... Covid, School Holidays and other future commitments.

Hopefully this is a one-off as the financial cost and the commitment by officials and Marshall's needed to organize a days racing will not be covered by such a small entry!

Fingers crossed that it is back to normal for the next meeting.

My pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MOTOCROSS RACING

My first assignment of the day was to photograph the GK&MC Motocross racing at Pleinmont. It has been a while since I have been up there so I was looking forward to capturing some dynamic action.

However it was a bit disappointing really. The entry was a very low twelve riders! Having asked around the pits it seems there were several factors at work, school holidays, Covid and some riders wanting to stay fit for next weekends racing.

I have to admit that my enthusiasm was dampened once I had the necessary shots in the bag and I felt that spending the afternoon repeating my work wasn't going to do it for me!

So, what to do with a spare couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon?

How about a bit of Rugby photography?

So after lunch I headed down to Footes Lane for the National League 2 South rugby... and it wasn't a mistake.

Rugby is a fantastic sport to photograph as the action is much more predictable than many sports and you are guaranteed a few keepers!

I had salvaged the day and was more than satisfied with the outcome even though it was very stressful supporting Guernsey Raiders who, at half time, were trailing well behind and looking like they were going to take a brutal beating.

But they came back in the second half like a different team and pulled a tense win out of the bag, 28-26!

My pics of Guernsey Raiders v Barnes RFC are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW GUERNSEY RAIDERS v BARNES RFC

Having started last night to edit around 700 pics of Friday nights Dinner Boxing at St Pierre Park Hotel I took a brief break from my desk this afternoon to photograph today's GVC MTB Downhill racing at Petit Bot.

Predictably the slopes were pretty slippery and they took a few victims with some pretty spectacular crashes. Every one that I saw resulted in the rider quickly getting back in the saddle to finish their run.

Rather than leave the MTB pics hanging around waiting for me to finish the boxing pics I thought I'd quickly complete the MTB edit.... so there's a new Gallery featuring those pics already online to look at here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MTB PICS FROM PETIT BOT

This is just a quick 'heads up' telling you that I'm on the case....

Actually what I mean by that is I've started to edit about 700 pics taken at Friday's Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club's evening at St Pierre Park Hotel.

I've already added pics of the three headlining bouts and all the others will follow shortly.

This is a link if you want to view them as they are uploaded:
CLICK TO VIEW THE DINNER BOXING PICS

As a pensioner I look with envy at the energy, boldness and creativity of youth. Their lack of fear combined with an optimistic outlook is a powerful thing. It is exciting.

Youth also represents the future. It brings with it hope and change.

Youth can also be quite formidable when it comes face to face with the older generations!

This was a scenario faced by Vale Rec when they played the Guernsey Island Under 18's in a Strangers Cup football game at KGV.

Vale Rec were given quite a run-around by the young legs who chased every ball, worked well supporting each other and clearly loved the game. All the attributes I listed above were on show and it was a pleasure to see (not so good if you were a fan of the Rec)... BTW I'm a neutral when photographing a game!!

As I left at the end of the game I was positive that the future looks safe and inspiring in the hands and feet of the youngsters.

Oh, and after that ramble I forgot to give you the score. 2-6 for the U18's... and it could have been more!

I've added a few pics to a Gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE VALE REC v ISLAND U18 PICS

It was a tough hour's workout amongst the pine trees of the Guet.

A circuit had been laid out for the GVC MTB XC riders that twisted back and forth covering the whole area with every slope available included all adding to the torture.

It was clear from some of the groaning that completing the hour plus a lap race pushed riders to their limits.

From my point of view I was worn out just following the racing up and down the slopes!

The venue also challenged a photographer as the day was bright and sunny creating high contrast and many shadows from the multitude of tree trunks.

So rather than aiming to capture the 'peak' action I spent most of the race trying to time the pics for when the rider was in sunlight rather than shadow.

At the end of the morning I had enough keepers for a Gallery. View it here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE GVC MTB XC PICS AT THE GUET

Sadly this time the GFC couldn't produce the late comeback that they achieved on their last outing.

Once again they had fallen behind the visiting team , Benfield on this occasion, and at 1-3 down it needed something of a special intervention to rescue a result.

But the Gods... or actually the Ref in this case was against such a rally as his yellow card made ten appearances slowing the flow of the game.

It also has to be said that some of the Benfield squad must have just finished their time playing drama queens in a Panto as they habitually 'went to ground' when GFC had possession.

But it seems this is a common feature in Isthmian League football and our GFC team are just going to have to accept it and ensure that it is them that take a lead and then they can enjoy the element of control that would bring.

My pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE GFC v BINFIELD PICS

As the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club start their 2022 full calendar of events the hopes and spirits are high as racers look forward with spanners crossed for no more Covid disruptions.

Between this Club and the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club motorsport fans can compete locally in just about every genre of the sport... within the limitations of what a small Island can host.

If you look at the list I think you must agree....

Hillclimbs at four venues
Karting
Motocross
Rallying
Sand Racing
Trials
Sprints at several venues
Speed Events
Twisty Sprints
Autotests

....and there is also the Guernsey Autocross Club Banger Racing on the beach!

So it was great for me to return to The Track to photograph Round-1 of the 2022 Kart Championship on Sunday whilst looking forward to a busy year.

My pics of the karting can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND-1 OF THE 2022 KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP