Bingey 'cross, Yorkshire Points Round 7

Bingey 'cross, Yorkshire Points Round 7
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Photos online.

Flickr Set

Winter weekends.

Today it was 'cross at Bingley for round 7 of the Yorkshire Points series. Shot quite a few rolls of film and this week am hoping for a slightly quicker turn-around to get my photos online before the end of the week.
I'm going to miss the atmosphere of these races when the season is over. Even though it's my first taste of cyclo-cross, I feel smitten already.

Condor Cross, Yorkshire Points Round 6

Condor Cross, Yorkshire Points Round 6
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Photos online.

Flickr Set

Air/Water

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Random horizon photo from a Summertime trip.


Had another busy weekend this week. I spent Saturday with a lot of my family and had a bonfire in the rain and pie'n'pea supper.
Then Sunday I was over in Brighouse for another round of cyclo-cross. It was the first time I had seen it ridden in the wet and my respect for every rider who turned out doubled instantly. There was a lot of good racing but my schnapping was hindered by one of my camera bodies jamming, still made the best of the situation. Hopefully photos will be online by next weekend.

Today I've been in bed most of the day with a bug, had to call in sick to work, which didn't feel good letting people down but I would have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard. Seems like the worst has passed now though.
I've had a lot of time to think today and tried to use what energy I had to do some organising so hopefully I can hit the ground running with both photography and cycling when next Spring rolls around.

Jonathan Noble Memorial, Yorkshire Points Round 4

Jonathan Noble Memorial, Yorkshire Points Round 4
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Photos online.


Flickr Set

Try Cycling/Yorkshire Points Round 5

Try Cycling/Yorkshire Points Round 5
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Photos online.

Flickr Set

Tour Of Britian 2008

Tour Of Britian 2008
Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Photos online.

Flickr Set

Drop it like it's hot.

After six month's in a very long pipeline it's finally online.
Please check it out, any feedback or questions are welcome.

My Website

Thank you.

A Sunday in Hudds'

Yesterday I made the trip over to Huddersfield for another Sunday of cyclo-cross. The weather was a tad worse than last week, gale force winds instead of lovely blue skies. It didn't seem to effect the riders too much with another two awesome races, underlining the toughness of each rider in the field.
I got another 5 rolls of film which are going to the processor's today and should be ready by the end of the week, and last weeks photographs from Temple Newsam will be online in the next couple of days at http://www.flickr.com/photos/paperthin/

To any riders/interested parties, any image is available to buy. All my photographs are shot with film and are hand printed by Silvertone printers, who have over 30 years experience and produce faultless work. Digital prints are also available, please contact me with any requests or questions on paperthin.ben@googlemail.com

My website is going through final building this week and shouldn't be long before that hits the internet too.

Bike Weekend

Yesterday I rode Manchester Velodrome for the second time but the first time on my own track bike. I had a great session and the bike held up just fine.

Today I went to Temple Newsam in Leeds and photographed a cyclo-cross event. It was the first time that I'd witnessed 'cross and I loved the whole experience. It was such a family occasion, full of real characters but full of hard riding too. I tried to capture the day as a whole rather than just the racing, my photographs will be online, on my Flickr, soon.
I plan to photograph the rest of the events in the Yorkshire Points series too, hopefully building up a body of work at the end of it.

A bit like Jurassic Park...

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

you know, the bit where the raptor is behind the curtain.

So it goes

- A week in Cornwall is a grand way to pass the time.
- Got a haircut yesterday.
- Had my first day at my new job today.
- Going to watch the Tour of Britain next week.
- In two weeks I'll be an Usher at a wedding for the second time this year.

I can take stuff apart and I can almost put it back together.

So I signed this thing called the Offical Secrets Act, which means I can't tell you how much my former job sucked.
I'm in that inbetween period at the moment.
Time is passing slowly but watching Family Guy and reading cycling books helps, especially with all this rain about at the moment.

I'm dangerous, like I imagine a dolphin could be

Change is coming.

Next few weeks new opportunities are coming my way, a little bit of traveling and hopefully happier times.

We're all tourists sometimes.

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

All my SF photographs are online (finally).


Also after almost six months of just having a holding page my website is actually coming together, and will be online soon.

Same Old Story

I don't want to hear it over and over again.

Everybody needs to get some new stories and then we can talk.

I'm still here, just quietly going about my business.

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Another one in the stable

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

The pain makes it real.

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

Today I rode up to Helmsey to watch the road racing National Championships. I planned to take some photos of the day and enjoy the roadside atmosphere. All in all I think the bag I took weighed somewhere in the region of 15kg.
My route included going through Bransby, which I could remember had a steep climb but just how steep I would discover later. The body will do things that at first feel impossible, cycling gives the power to make me feel super human. It's as if suffering gives me strength I didn't know I pocessed. As I climbed today, my bag weighing heavier with each pedal, lactic acid making my muscles burn, all I could focus on was the pain and getting to the top. And then it was over, enjoy a quick rest during the descent and then do it all over again.
It might sound stupid to some people and not that great a way to spend a day off but each of us looks for our own sense of achievement.
I take photos for the same reason. The feeling of seeing a shot on film that is exactly how I imagined it as I took it is incredible. The above photo shows someone else's moment of suffering on Bulmer Bank. This image looks exactly how I wanted it to and therefore a success even before others judge it.
I will continue to take photographs and climb hills on my bike. It's as if pride won't allow me to stop.

Finally getting around...

Originally uploaded by Paper Thin

to editing my SF photos. Digital first and then later on FILM.

Think I've been putting it off because I don't want to be reminded I'm not there anymore.