Photography In and Around Broome
Written by Randy Cummings
If you live in or around Broome County and you like photography, you are blessed in having a tremendous range of photographic subjects within a few miles of your location.
If you are a landscape photographer, there are several scenic farms along the rural roads running parallel to both route 81N and 88E, and almost anywhere along the Chenango or Susquehanna River will offer an interesting scene for photography, especially at sunset or early morning with the mist rising off the river. If you like wildlife, the area's abundant white tail deer, Canada Goose, woodchucks, and squirrels are often willing to pose for a snapshot or two; if you are lucky you might even see some wild turkeys, a rabbit, or a fox. If sports are your interest, the Binghamton Mets, Senators, or any of the area's high school teams can give you plenty of fast action enjoyment. For sheer color and excitement, however, I favor the Annual Chris Thater Memorial 100mile Cycle Race at Binghamton's Recreation Park.
Each year hundreds of the world's top cyclists come here to compete in this event, which is held in honor of Chris Thater, an avid young area cyclist killed by a drunk driver. Cycling is a team sport so participants wear colorful matching team racing gear (helmets, shirts, and shorts). Shirts are often decorated with additional advertising patches and emblems. The men also sport tatoos, ear rings, and other accoutrements, giving photos an edgy look.
The Thater event is composed of the main 100 mi race along with shorter distance races. I like to get there for the earlier races to refresh my cycling photography skills, stake out the best positions for photos, and generally get accustomed to the course and the crowds. This is a good time for practicing or experimenting with your panning shots, different aperture and shutter speed settings, etc.
While these shorter, preliminary races are taking place, this is also a good time to walk inside the tent area in Recreation Park. You can get some shots of the cycle maintenance, repair, and adjustments that occur throughout the races. There are also lots of vendor displays (shirts, shorts, sunglasses, etc), which make for colorful subjects, especially if non-racing cyclists are also included in the picture.
There are a number of key shots that you will want to get at the Thater Memorial Race. I like to photograph the cyclists as they are loungeing around the starting line on Beethoven Street, before the introductions of the top riders. The cyclists at this point are relaxed and just talking among themselves or perhaps meditating a little. This is usually a colorful shot, with lots of different body angles, facial expressions, and gear compositions. One of my favorites is one I call "Helmets."
Things begin to get serious when the lead riders are called up to the starting line. These are the top seeds, so they will be putting on their serious race faces and you can see the tension beginning to mount. You will want to get a couple of shots of these top cyclists: individually, in small groups, and in an encompassing wide shot. YOu might try to get some of the signage advertising the race and the sponsors included in the photos; but remember if you try to include this you will have to either use a wide angle lens or you will have to stand back, making your human subjects very small in your photo.
You now have a choice, either photograph the starting line as the cyclists begin the race riding toward you; or wait, and take a photo of the backs of the cyclists as they leave the starting line. If you came in time for the earlier races, then you could have photos of both.
There isn't much tricky about these starting line photos. An automatic setting will be fine. But for the rest of the race, the riders are going to be moving fast, so you will want to use a fast shutter speed. If you use shutter priority of 1/1000 second or faster, you should be able to stop most action. Higher shutter speeds will insure that you stop all the action, but then you might have to open up your aperture (losing depth of field) or crank up your ISO (increasing graininess if you want to enlarge your photos later).
The first key action shot you will want to get is of the riders making the lst turn after the straight stretch on Beethoven Street. For the lst couple of laps, the riders will still be bunched up so you can get several different photos of this turn. Later in the race, as the riders spread out, you can get a shot of the riders in a long "L" shape, the leaders turning into Seminary Ave and the rest of the pack still stretched out back onto Beethoven St. Focus sharply on one or two of the lead riders.
From Beethoven Street, the cyclists pedal up Seminary Ave until they get up above Recreation Park and Seton High School. From here it is a down hill stretch of about 100 yards and then a sharp left turn into Chestnut Street. This is a great spot to photograph, especially in the early laps of the race. The riders will be tightly grouped and straining to control their bikes. Take several photos using different apertures, putting different groups of riders in focus and leaving others more blurred to indicate motion (usually you will want either the leading few riders or the middle group of riders in focus).
Incidentally, in walking up Seminary to the Laurel Ave curve, you will have a chance to take photos of the riders pedalling hard up this steep hill. Again, use different apertures to vary the depth of focus. Both pan and freeze the action to vary your photos.
Once the riders have negotiated the curve at Seminary and Chestnut, it is a downhill straight-away for about fifty yards or so, and then a very sharp turn into College Street. This particular curve in the past has been the scene of several pile-ups so you might get a couple of exciting shots. Use extreme caution photographing in this area (stay behind the barriers and police lines). You don't want to cause an accident, and you don't want to be in the way if an accident is about to occur.
After this curve, the next quarter mile or so provides a straight-away where you can get some indivual shots or some small group shots. Try to shoot into Recreation Park so you don't have the houses on the surrounding streets cluttering your backgrounds. Again, pan some shots, freeze others. Experiment a little, don't take the same old shot every time.
There is one last sharp curve at the corner of Schubert and Beethoven as the riders end their lap. This corner can provide some good shots of the riders negotiating the curve, but the pace is slowed due to the acuteness of the curve. There are some barriers on the outside of the curve behind which you can get some fast action shots. Once the racers have cleared this curve, it is a fairly straight, slightly uphill, jaunt to the grandstand area.
The announcers call out the laps as the race progresses. I usually walk around the course a couple of times during the 100 mile race, making it a point to be near the finish line when the leaders sprint for the win. The leader crossing the finish line with arms raised above his head is always a classic shot. The trophy presentation and the victory kiss are also shots not to be missed.
There is more to the Thater Races than the 100 mile men's race. There is also a women's 50 mile race and a world class 10 km Run. If you have the time, try to include these in your photographic visit as well. The women cyclists are just as tough as the men, and the starting line of the 10 km race is a great place to get some close-up shots of runners, individually and in small groups.
A final note: Since most of you are shooting digital now, take extra batteries and memory cards. And take lots and lots of photos. That way you will be sure to get a couple of prize winners for your efforts.