RUNNING: A taste for the outdoor life!

RUNNING

Words & Photos: Jacques Marais

A

taste for the outdoor life!

The Spur Adventure Duo series of events definitely gets my thumbs up as one of the best family fun ways to spend a day outside. Come on then, go get a taste of it!

Image 1: TAKE ME TO THE RIVER The Shot: A boulder river crossing made up part of the route at the Lourensford Spur Adventure Duo, and made for great images as the competitors fjorded the strong-flowing stream. I shot from in the water, using my Outex housing to keep my camera safe and dry.

The Specifications: 1/250 th sec @ f9; Sony A99SLT + 16-35 mm wide-angle lens; ISO 50; WB setting (Auto); AE setting (-1 EV); on-camera flash; Outex waterproof housing.

More Information: www.facebook.com/outexSA

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Presented by Ugene Nel and his Quantum Adventures crew, the longrunning SPUR multisport races have introduced a whole generation of racers to the sprint adventure racing platform. A few

exciting changes to the current format have seen the inclusion of a new Spur Adventure Duo category, enabling serious competitors to get their teeth into a technical 25 km MTB ride, followed by a 6 km trail run without water obstacles along the way.

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Image 2: TYRE BOY The Shot: The water obstacle during the Team event allows competitors to cool down towards the end of the race. Using a telephoto zoom allowed me to isolate the subject through a narrow depth of field.

The Specifications: 1/500 th sec @ f5.6; Sony A99-SLT + 70-400 mm lens; ISO 400; WB setting (Cloudy); no flash used; AE setting (0 EV); cold filter in Adobe Lightroom.

More Information: www.sony.co.za

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Image 3: Splash ‘n Dash!

The Shot: Competitors from both the Spur Adventure Duo and Team events had to cross this muddy ditch and this made for close-up action. The Outex housing allowed me to get right in there, while a Phottix transceiver fired an off-camera flash to light up the scene.

The Specifications: 1/500 th sec @ f5.6; Sony A99-SLT + fisheye lens; ISO 50; WB setting (Auto); wireless flash triggered by Phottix; AE setting (-1 EV); levels in Adobe Lightroom.

More Information: www.quantumadventures.co.za

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1/500sec @ f6.3; SONY A99-SLT Body + 70-400mm Lens @ a focal length of 180mm; ISO 400; WB Setting (Auto - Warm); AE SEtting (0EV); No Flash; In-Camera parameters applied.

PICK 'n PAY Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour 80km MTB Challenge - OYSTER FESTIVAL.

www.jacquesmarais.co.za/SONY

never miss the moment

full detail

99 with 300mm F2.8 G SSM II

Photograph by Jacques Marais Global shooter and author; National newspaper columnist; Respected magazine journalist; author of 11 outdoor books and guides.

www.jacquesmarais.co.za Proud Sony Ambassador

Experience the evolution of Translucent Mirror Technology. 35mm full-frame Exmor® CMOS sensor, newly developed BIONZ image processor, the world’s first* Dual AF System capable of 19+102 AF points and 60p/24p full HD movies.

Capture any moment with a wide array of lenses for high contrast, rich gradation, and high resolution images. *The world’s first AF system in a 35mm full-frame interchangeable lens digital camera to feature two phase detection sensors as of September 12, 2012, according to Sony’s internal survey.

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Image 4: Road to Somewhere The Shot: A dash onto a nearby dam wall gave me a bird's-eye view of the mountain biking leg, and the use of a fisheye lens enhanced this perspective.

The Specifications: 1/250 th sec @ f8; Sony A99-SLT + fisheye lens; ISO 50; WB setting (Sunny); AE setting (0 EV); no flash utilised.

More Information: www.spur.co.za

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"Remember our TWITTER HASH-TAG! #spursports"

Image 5: The Flashman Cometh The Shot: Rob Flashman probably holds the record for the most Spur races done by a single individual. Here he does his best to make sure I get my fair share of mud as he bounds through one of the many water crossings on the Solo Duo route.

The Specifications: 1/250 th sec @ 10; Sony A99-SLT + fisheye lens; ISO 50; WB setting (Auto); wireless flash triggered

by Phottix; AE setting (-1 EV); levels in Adobe Lightroom.

More Information: www.jacquesmarais.co.za

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This event has been a huge hit with the local Cape AR community, allowing them to combine a family fun day with hard-core racing in some of the most beautiful destinations in the Western Cape. The concept of family participation lives on in the ‘team component’, with a short course aimed at weekend warriors and kids keen to join mum and dad in this fastgrowing sport.

Hundreds of competitors and stunning weather made for a great day at gorgeous Lourensford Wine Estate this past weekend, but there will be lots more to come from Spur and the crew at Quantum Adventures. • Keep an eye on www.spur.co.za and www.quantumadventures.co.za (or the QAE Facebook page) for images and upcoming event dates.

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