Battle of
Ballito
STORY & PHOTOGRAPHS ZOON CRONJE
AUGUST 2014
South Africa’s largest obstacle race series with 8 events and more than 50 000 competitors
THE ACTION Some 4000 Warriors tackling one of the many obstacles that form part of the Jeep Warrior Race
THE SHOT I got down on my hands and knees in the mud to get line of sight and use the bouquet effect with my zoom lens focussed on the athlete
THE SPECS 1/500s @ f5.6 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
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Spectacle
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spectacle Some 4000 new Warriors were crowned in KZN and saw over 2000 spectators in support
THE ACTION Spectators cheer on as warriors work their way through the danger swamp obstacle
THE SHOT I had to wade through the mud and position with my back against the sugar cane to capture the action together with the cheering crowd
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f7.1 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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Call to ar The grand finale sports R100 000 prize money for the first Black Ops male and female
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THE ACTION Close to 4000 Warriors took to the start line at the Ballito leg of the event
THE SHOT The epic cloud cover and the start line tension made this shot a must
THE SPECS 1/250s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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Over the edge Ballito was the 5th event in the 2014 Series of 8
THE ACTION The Tower of Rage is a massive mental obstacle to some, here another warrior overcomes
THE SHOT I had to lean off the edge holding on to the scaffolding to get the full visual effect of the nothingness beneath the edge of the 6m drop
THE SPECS 1/160s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.warrior.co.za
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Pulling
power Sheldon Riley, “Loved it... Cant wait till the next one. Thanks guys for the event�
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THE ACTION Shannon Fischer otherwise known as “machine� makes light work of the first obstacle faced on the day
THE SHOT Using a wide angle lens allows you to get right into the action and it shows in the image, the trick is to avoid getting caught in or interfering with the action
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f14 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
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Sugar sweet
Alicia Vermaak, “It was awesome�
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THE ACTION The Ballito surrounds are riddled with sugar can fields, here eventual winner Thomas van Tonder makes his way through a trail in one of the many sugar cane fields
THE SHOT Getting shots of the leaders is more of a challenge than most realise, the speed at which they navigate the course is incredible
THE SPECS 1/250s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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Sink or s #Warrior5
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Aquanita Viljoen, “I have never had so much fun:-) cant wait for the next ine:-) please consider more than 1 race next year “
swim
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THE ACTION The face says it all as a warrior navigates the murky waters
THE SHOT I managed to get right above the action by clambering onto a deck overlooking the dam athletes had to navigate and was the perfect perch to get the shot
THE SPECS 1/320s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
MORE INFO www.warrior.co.za
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Hang in
there
THE ACTION
The chain reaction obstacle forces you to concentrate on keeping your balance more than it is about strength
THE SHOT I love shooting this obstacle with the various perspectives, facial expressions and depth of field you can play with
THE SPECS 1/500s @ f5.6 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za #Warrior5
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Tough tutu THE ACTION
At the very core of it the Jeep Warrior Race is all about having fun and nowhere is this more evident than with the later batches in the day
THE SHOT The combination of flash and dark clouds turn any image into an epic canvas for action
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f10 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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Wir
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red THE ACTION
The abominable danger swamp has claimed many a victim, this warrior though makes light work of the barbed mud bath
THE SHOT Getting super low and shooting with a zoom lens into the approaching subject give the image a unique perspective and depth of field
THE SPECS 1/500s @ f5.6 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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Mud warriors THE ACTION The voice of Warrior otherwise known as Warrior Ric revs up another would be warrior at the startling
THE SHOT Using off camera flash combined with a powerful flash on the body the shot into the sun gives the image a nice dynamic that would otherwise be bland in that environment with not much going on in the background
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f11 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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Miles of muddy
smiles THE ACTION
It never gets too dirty or too hard to crack a smile
THE SHOT Smiles always catch my eye especially when people don’t pose for shots and the sheer enjoyment is evident
THE SPECS 1/160s @ f6.3 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens SB910 flash fired
MORE INFO www.warrior.co.za
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Thomas “the thunder” van Tonder THE ACTION Thomas van Tonder otherwise known as “the thunder” powers to another win
THE SHOT I wanted to show off the sheer size of the obstacle and used the wide angle lens low down together with the rule of thirds to emphasise the size of the obstacle
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f7.1 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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Runnin
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ng free THE ACTION
The running component of the Jeep Warrior Race is often underestimated but is still very much a factor in determining the winner
THE SHOT The epic cloud cover and clear horizon dotted with warriors running to their next challenge drew my eye
THE SPECS 1/250s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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THE ACTION Dominique D’Oliviera makes light work of the chain reaction obstacle
THE SHOT
Unchained
I got my wide angle right onto the ground and fired the shot upward to show off the epic scale of these obstacles and the guts and determination to
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f9 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.warrior.co.za
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Off to OCR Wor THE ACTION Jay Jay Deysel who competed with a knee injury managed to do enough to secure his place in the OCR World Champs
THE SHOT Hard hitting action is always better getting into the thick of it with a wide angle lens, key is not to get in the way though
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f9 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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rld champs
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Carr
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ry
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on THE ACTION
Hanneke Dannhauser pulled through and also secured her spot at OCR World Champs
THE SHOT
Shooting in cloudy conditions with powerful flash allows you some liberties in making average shots stand out that you would otherwise miss
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f7.8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO
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Helping THE ACTION
hand
The Jeep Warrior Races are all about teamwork and overcoming obstacles where friendships are forged and strangers lend a helping hand
THE SHOT Lying flat on my stomach with my elbows in the mud I anticipated a “helping hand� to come from one of the many warriors navigating the thick muddy mess that was the danger swamp
THE SPECS The spec: 1/250s @ f4 Nikon D610 Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 zoom lens no flash MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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THE ACTION Focus is key in finding your footing on some of the obstacles and the facial expression in this shot says it all
Focus
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THE SHOT The facial expression and the lines of the obstacle made me fire the shot in portrait
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO
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THE ACTION Thomas van Tonder takes the danger swamp on his stride on his way to the black ops win
THE SHOT I got right onto my hands and knees in the mud to get a low enough angle here
THE SPECS 1/160s @ f6.3 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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swamp survivor
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Mission accomplished
THE ACTION The finish line is always a welcome sight where warriors realise their achivements
THE SHOT Portrait wide angle shots allow you to let the action come right at you
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f9 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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Hanging tough #Warrior5
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THE ACTION One of the KZN Warriors hanging tough pushing his physical and mental toughness to the limit
THE SHOT Sometimes a bit of point and shoot with the right settings and a bit of luck delivers a jewel like this
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f11 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.warrior.co.za
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THE ACTION The trenches was the first obstacle warriors were faced with
THE SHOT Being so close to the start I had the rare opportunity get close to show just how many athletes take to the course on a day
THE SPECS 1/160s @ f6.3 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.warrior.co.za
Tunnel
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Got you THE ACTION Two Black Ops contenders celebrate as they cross the line together
THE SHOT I couldn’t resist knowing the wordplay I could use later with the obvious I got your back and the in your face back in the shot
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f10 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zcmc.co.za
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ur back
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Pretty in pink THE ACTION The Warrior Race is for everyone with the only requirement a will to challenge yourself
THE SHOT I wanted to show the fun and this shot had all the right ingredients
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f8 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO
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Mass
satisfacti
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ion
THE ACTION The Jeep Warrior Race is not just a solo event and many teams also take to the obstacles to conquer fears and their physical limits in a group environment
THE SHOT It’s not that hard to convince fun loving warriors to do a group photo camera in hand
THE SPECS 1/160s @ f6.3 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO
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Jump city THE ACTION Two more warriors make the leap off the tower of rage 6m platform
THE SHOT I had to get onto the platform and lean off while holding onto a marshal behind me to get the action and the race village all in one go
THE SPECS 1/200s @ f7.1 Nikon D610 Nikkor 14-24mm f2.8 wide angle lens two SB910 both fired
MORE INFO www.zooncronje.com
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OT O:
ZO O
NC
RO N
JE
South Africa’s largest obstacle race series with 8 events and more than 50 000 competitors
PH
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