One of the familiar and strangely comfortable aspects of being given the task of photographing a particular or famous personality is the challenge of having to work around their invariably slammed timeline and still command the usually momentary slot of time and pre-determined, often changing location, you have to bear as little effect as possible on the circumstances and yet still come away with the results needed. Equally the case in fashion, news or cycling and as true as ever.
There’s usually so much more to photographic assignments than pressing the buttons. That’s the easy bit in many ways. I increasingly think it’s less and less about equipment now and simply about people and human relationships. And that’s probably always been the most interesting aspect to me anyway.
And in some aspects, as much as you can plan all you like invariably things from weather, location, outfit or extras can change a little, even something unforeseen can step in. But one of the charms in photographing people in a new place for me is both scouting and seeing incredible possibilities as much as rolling with the punches and changing tack in the flow of a live situation.
Below are a few of the photogenic backdrops the lovely Fizik crew and I scouted around the island for my portrait that happily ended up elsewhere anyway. The model was the true professional, superb photographer and utterly patient Creative Director Fabio.
And here is a test, and a test and the portrait of (soon after) World Champion to be Alejandro Valverde photographed for Fizik in Mallorca last year.
Testing…Testing…Portrait. Ride.
And this was the one. And a snap of my part in that.