Frenzy in the Forest

Yesterday I went to Sunapee, NH to take photos at Frenzy in the Forest, the latest race in the excellent Western New Hampshire Trail Race Series (website here). This is the third race in the series that I've photographed this year, and so far the race organizers and participants alike have been extremely friendly (even the runners who aren't necessarily thrilled when I catch them on an  uphill or at a tough point in their race) and the courses look both challenging and very, very fun.

My photos weren't so great for that race, though. I prefer to get shots out on the course rather than at finish lines, especially at trail races, but I didn't make the best decision about where to set up this time out. For starters, I ran the first two miles or so of the course to get to the spot I was looking for, a short uphill at a clearing where Mt. Sunapee should have been looming the background. It was very humid that morning and I was in cotton shorts and a t-shirt with a backpack full of camera gear. By the time I found the spot I was completely drenched in sweat, and acting as a smelly magnet for mosquitoes and deerflies alike. And to my great disappointment I realized there would be no way to get both the mountain and the runners in the same shot. With the first runner due to arrive in minutes, I found a spot to catch them coming up the hill into the small clearing. I shot there for maybe the first 2/3 of the race, then moved further along to a spot where I could catch people coming downhill along a prettier stretch of the trail (there were many pretty stretches of trail in this race). As I said, I'm really not thrilled with the results, but for anyone who ran and is looking for the pictures, here they are.

2013 Frenzy in the Forest in Sunapee, NH