Outdoor Adventure USA

I'm a free lance photographer shooting off-raod racing for a part-time job. Here are a few shots of my most recent race in Parker, AZ, the Parker 425 last weekend 2-6-10. 239 vehicles of all shapes and sizes started. Rained most of the day on race day. Here are a few...

Cherokee style


Wrangler style


Trophy truck



and how I get there

You can't get any closer to the action...



I usually camp out the night before the race somewhere out on the course near where I will be shooting the next morning. Most races start at 6:00am. A lot of the time I will set up an 20 foot fiberglass mast and and a 10-80m G5RV lite from Radio Wavz and will make QSO's through out the night. Some Carne Asada, a few tortillas, something cold to drink and it doesn't get much better than that. Well, it does....I get paid to do this!

I like it. How much time does iy keep you away from the family?

Cool job! Do you ever get spectators or other photographers crowding your spots?

OLLIE wrote:I like it. How much time does iy keep you away from the family?

Usually only one weekend a month, but this looks to be very busy year. I usually go out alone. Hopefully after Tax season I'll get my dad to come out for a race.

raYGunn wrote:Cool job! Do you ever get spectators or other photographers crowding your spots?

Spectators usually aren't a problem at the races in the U.S., but that is because the BLM doesn't allow spectators out on the course areas.
However the races down in Baja can be a whole other unruley animal. I have had some very ugly situations involving "locals" in Mexico and now prefer to be out in the middle of nowhere on the course and away from humans for the most part when down there. All of us photographers all know each other and at times there are spots that look like a photographers copnvention. At the race where the photos above were taken there were 12 photographers in a 1/8 mile stretch of course due to the fact that the race organizer had bull dozed / graded most of the 130 miles of the course. We have a saying that "if the cars aren't flying, no one is buying".

Out and about covering a race in north central NV.
I thought this was cool little canyon This is where I am parked right now:
Spot Tracker personal page

Nice pic Dave.

Great pictures. That looks like a ton of fun!

Sweet pics, maybe ill tag along on weekend if you wouldn't mind the company

salad_man wrote:Sweet pics, maybe ill tag along on weekend if you wouldn't mind the company

I'd never mind having the company along. As long as you don't mind rough camping in the middle of nowhere.

I'll be headed to Baja next week for the Baja 500 out of Ensanada.