Portrait of a Triathlete

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We didn't have long for this shoot. 

 Jo was to fly out the next morning for Auckland where she was to represent Australia in the ITU World Championship Triathlon.  In addition to being a world class athlete, Jo is also the mother of four young children. So as well as packing up her bike, gear and suits, we had to juggle swim practice, squads and dinner preparations. 

 No remote beach or mountainous location for us. We shot by by the pool during swim practice with my daughter on the Speedlite and softbox modifier and Jo's daughter on the reflector.

My challenges included shooting into the full sun. I was worried the Speedlite and reflector couldn't handle the blazing Australian sun but they were perfect and I ended up using it as a lovely back and rim light. I had to drop out the background because cars and buses kept passing or parking behind Jo but this also served to highlight her so I was happy. And lastly, we were shooting mid squad training so I had to try for a clear shot with eight lanes of  swimmers pounding through their sets. This just meant we had to get the shot right and quickly. So my challenges became my greatest assets.

The swimming leg saw Jo running 25th, she dropped back a little on the bike and run finishing 55th fastest in the world...pretty amazing achievement. Very pleased for Jo.
Location: Lane Cove Aquatic Centre

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