Velodrome Racing: A Photographer’s Experience
How my need to pick up my camera helped me discover a new sport in Washington State
As a photographer, I love to capture moments when traveling, of people, and from technology events I’ve attended while living in Silicon Valley. It’s a cathartic art form and allows me a creative reset, a chance to recharge and look at life anew.
Sports photography is a different beast entirely. You must stay sharp to identify key moments that tell an impactful story. Though I’ve brought my camera to games (e.g., baseball, football, basketball, etc), I often watch from afar (“nose bleed” sections), meaning the details I’d capture wouldn’t be significant. Things changed recently, allowing me the freedom to hone my action photography skills.
In 2023, I discovered cyclocross, a form of bicycle racing, and attended a couple of events in the Seattle area to photograph them. It was fun because the track was looped, making it easier to follow what was happening, mainly if you hadn’t attended competitions before. I could navigate the course to be close to the action and not have to hop in a car to chase down the racers. It was all in a confined space.
I loved how those photos turned out and had so much fun watching the cyclists navigate the course. But after the final cyclocross race, I wondered when my next “fix” might be. Did I have to wait another year before I could photograph another race?
One problem with cyclocross is that they are held all over the state, which makes it inconvenient for me to attend. Then, in late June, I came across velodrome racing — indoor and outdoor track racing. Fortunately, a track nearby hosted regular weekly races throughout the summer. And that’s how my journey into velodrome photography began…
Diving Into Velodrome Photography
I had zero knowledge or expectation when I stopped by the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome in Redmond, Washington, in early July. The racing season had started already, and on that particular day, it was an event known as “Junior Takeover.” It didn’t make sense initially, but I soon realized it featured the younger riders (18 years and under).
Having never been at the velodrome, I surveyed the track to identify optimal places to position myself to photograph the races. All I knew was the cyclists would be going around the track multiple times. What I didn’t know were the different types of races that took place and how the points were awarded. No matter, though. As a photographer, it was enough to know that these cyclists would be going around a circular track, sometimes multiple times. That left me thinking of possible locations to scout to capture unforgettable moments.
As luck would have it, my inaugural experience with the Jerry Baker Velodrome and its eponymous junior cycling team would be event-filled. Not only were there regular races on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but the 2024 Junior Track National Championships was to be held at the Redmond Velodrome!
The shutterbug that I am, over the next two months, I would wind up taking tens of thousands of photos 😅
While at the track, I came to know Dennis Crane, Steve Everist, Tory Hernandez, and other photographers, many of whom captured great shots from the inner field. I was fine resigning myself to patrolling the track perimeter, which created some unique angles. One of the best things about this experience is that I improved my craft and learned some great tips from my newfound colleagues—I now know how to do panning shots!
However, being at the velodrome exposed some weaknesses in my photography, including an inability to take superb low-light/night shots. Though the lenses I had with my Sony A7c were great, their main benefits were seen during the day. The massive lights at the track weren’t enough to provide the necessary illumination for me to get sharp photos without tremendous noise. I’ll need to upgrade to better glass, which requires a more significant investment in my gear (e.g., money 😂).
My technical setup was a source of consternation. Usually, my camera bag included two Sigma lenses: a 28–70mm f/2.8 and a 100–400mm f/5–6.3. The latter would be my workhorse lens, but taking time to swap out lenses could risk me missing out on capturing a moment. Imagine being unable to zoom out enough to photograph a close finish because you had to either weigh digging through your bag to swap out lenses or elect for different shots.
Of course, I experimented with carrying around my Canon 7D and available lenses. But because that gear is so old, it didn’t provide the same quality level as my Sony camera. So, I stuck with my Sony gear, and it did the trick.
To my future self: Bring multiple camera bodies and lenses.
Thoughts About the Velodrome
- Seeing that the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome is the only one in Washington, my experience is limited to just one venue. However, it seems to have a great organization behind it. It actively streams its Friday night races on YouTube and encourages the community to attend its “Kiddie Kilo” events, where young children can do a lap ride around the track. Hundreds of kids show up every time!
- The Velodrome is inclusive. Everyone is welcome, whether you’re a spectator or a rider. They have rides for men, women, and non-binary cyclists.
- Something unique to the Velodrome is the “Marymoor Crawl.” It’s a contest in which riders start off holding a track stand for an unspecified amount of time (up to three minutes?), and if they touch the rail or put a foot down, they’re eliminated. Sometimes, spectators will offer money or treats to the cyclists, almost like they’re trained seals 🤣 Then, officials will say “go,” and the remaining participants will sprint off for a single lap around the track, with the first crossing the finish line declared the winner. This was my favorite race, primarily because it made it easy to take great photos 😏
- Although races are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the season, each day is designated for specific riders. If you’re looking to get acquainted with the sport, it might be best to start with the Monday or Wednesday races since they’re smaller and fewer people attend. The Friday races are the “main event” of the week, plus there are food trucks and a beer garden.
- The Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome is open-air, so it can get quite hot during the summer while you watch the races. There is also limited seating along the finish line, where most people watch—the back straight has seating as well, or you can bring your chair to watch anywhere along the track (someone even set up a hammock once!)
The Consequences of Track Photography
If you take a photo but don’t share it with anybody…did you do it?
With a new trove of content, I searched for the best way to share it with my friends and the internet. Instagram was the logical place to start, but I didn’t want to spam people with multiple daily posts. With my shutterbug mentality, that’s not a good thing. Instead, I turned to my long-dormant Flickr account, which was great for displaying my photos, but the lack of networking effects perturbed me.
With proper tagging and mentions, my photos gained the attention of the velodrome community. My Instagram account started gaining followers because of the cycling content, which I found amusing since my photos of tech events, traveling, and randomness didn’t move the needle. However, I soon learned after posting hundreds of cycling photos and garnering dozens of likes per post that sharing non-cycling photos didn’t generate the same result.
Perhaps the most negative experience I had was when anti-trans people and media outlets used my photos, without my permission, to attack cyclists. They were bashed for wanting to belong and participate in a sport, especially in an arena that explicitly states that everyone is welcome.
But what surprised me the most about this whole thing was the appreciation I received from the Velodrome community. Some riders and their parents expressed an interest in buying my photos, which shocked me as I didn’t have the necessary infrastructure. After all, the whole point of my being at these events was that I wanted to do creative photography, not because I was on assignment. So, I stood up an online store for people to buy digital copies of my work.
Was It Worth Opening a Store?
Admittedly, I believe I set up my online store too late in the season. Instead, I should have implemented a more straightforward means of transacting purchases. Now that Velodrome racing is over for the year, it doesn’t behoove me to maintain the store, so I’ll likely take that down to save on the monthly fee.
If you are confident that you will have sufficient demand volume for your work and auxiliary income to offset your store’s subscription, then hosting your work on a platform like Smugmug is fine. However, if none of those, as mentioned earlier, applies, then you’re perhaps better off operating a more low-tech way to sell your wares. I fall into the latter category.
I have greatly enjoyed being a part of the Velodrome community this summer. It is addictive, and I want to attend the Monday, Wednesday and Friday races each week — not to watch as a spectator, but to photograph. Walking away, I can say that the biggest reward I gained from all of this is being more confident and comfortable with my camera, especially in sporting events. But it also opened my eyes to the need for better lenses.
So, who wants to help me out with that? 😀
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