He talks to Capture about the unusual life of a cycling photographer, divulges some tricks of the trade and reveals his extensive gear list.
Tell us a bit about your journey. How did you go from cyclist to cycling photographer?
Photography has been my passion since my primary school days growing up in Newcastle. I studied photography throughout high school setting up my own darkroom. I moved to Sydney after school and went on to complete a Diploma in Photography at TAFE. After graduating I worked as a commercial photographer for 10 years for a company called Studio Commercial.
During this time, I started an Instagram account documenting my daily road bike rides. After the images were well received, it motivated me to make the trip to cover Le Tour de France in 2013 as a spectator.
After returning with a reasonably strong body of work, I felt I had enough images to curate a photographic exhibition.
Fortunately, the exhibition was a success, and I started to receive commissioned work including travelling to the Giro d'Italia in 2014.
Since then, I have covered six Tour de Frances, five Giro d’Italias, two Vuelta Españas and shot for numerous clients in the cycling industry. I have worked for tourism boards and have been published in a range of magazines and online publications.
I was originally based in Sydney, but relocated to Hobart five years ago. It’s been an adjustment, but I managed to diversify my business to incorporate the remote location.
How many tours do you shoot per year on average? And what are the most challenging aspects of shooting a cycle tour?
I started off just shooting one Grand Tour per year but eventually ended up at all three – Giro d’Italia, Le Tour de France and La Vuelta España. With each race taking three weeks to complete it was a lot of time away.
Things have cooled down since then with the arrival of my two daughters and moving to Hobart, Tasmania. As well as cycling races, I do commercial shoots for brands as well as photographing cycling tours in Tasmania. The tours are a reasonably new addition to my business which started up during COVID when I was looking for local work.
Image: Marcus Enno
Tasmania has become a very popular destination for people that would normally travel overseas for a cycling holiday. I enjoy hosting these tours as everything is contained locally, and as a bonus, I get to enjoy cycling as well.
In contrast, the typical Grand Tour covers thousands of kilometres and sometimes multiple countries – so there is a lot of driving. You are on the move constantly, changing hotels, packing bags and getting stuck in traffic – especially with the Tour as it’s peak holiday season, so the amount of spectators on the mountain stages is insane. You need to be ready to open your laptop and work anywhere – in the car, on a mountainside, or in a hotel or restaurant.
Two years ago you were hit by a utility vehicle that turned into your path while riding near Hobart. We are overjoyed to hear you are back riding and shooting. How does something like that affect your outlook on life?
It was such a serious accident – my leg and arm were broken in a horrific way. Three weeks in hospital followed by three months in a wheelchair meant I had to go through some very intensive rehabilitation to get back to where I am now. There is no doubt that an experience like this makes you take stock and appreciate what you have. For me it was my amazing family. It gave me more time to spend at home with our second daughter who arrived during my recovery journey. It was a ‘go-slow’ for the business side, but as my recovery progresses, I’ve been on an upwards trajectory back to full duties.
What gear do you use, and what makes it suited to photographing cycling?
I’ve been using the OM System since 2017 and in that time I have seen it move from my secondary camera to my dedicated kit.
Most of my work involves travel to far flung locations. It is not uncommon for me to carry my camera gear on my back while cycling in all conditions. I also shoot from the back of a motorbike, ATV and out the back of a car – therefore a lightweight portable kit is essential for me.
The OM cameras and lenses are not only lightweight, they’re also extremely durable. I’ve had my camera kit soaked in rain, splattered in mud, baked in the sun, and even dropped on the ground – and it survived everything!
I was a little sceptical about the smaller format at first but after testing it against my previous kit (Canon 1Dx Mark II), I was impressed.
When flying, the compact nature of the lenses means that I can pack all my camera gear into carry-on without the stress of it being overweight or having to check the luggage in – where it could get damaged or lost in transit – which would be a total disaster if I had to shoot the next day. And of course, I can easily ride all day with a full complement of lenses – something that isn’t easy with larger full-frame systems. I can carry three OM lenses in the space of one or two full-frame lenses! For example, the M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO II lens (equivalent to a full-frame 24-80mm) weighs 382g and is 70 x 84mm, while a typical full-frame 24-70mm f/2.8 may weigh 900g and is 90 x 125mm.
How do you manage to protect your gear from the elements, especially in unpredictable weather conditions?
I have been impressed by the durability of the OM System through rain, dust and vibrations – my cameras and lenses cop a beating.
I’ve even had a camera fall from a moving bike more than once and survive. Once was due to a camera bag strap failing and a body with two lenses hit the road, narrowly being missed by a car. I couldn’t believe they still worked.
In wet conditions I do my best to keep my equipment dry using a chamois or microfibre cloth to dry off the gear. I’ve never had to resort to any type of extra waterproof camera covers as the weather sealing is that good.
How do you balance the demands of cycling with the need to stop frequently for photos? Do you have a good understanding of photogenic viewpoints of the course and race ahead of?
Course recon is always ideal. If I’m in a car following a bike race, you often only get a couple of chances to photograph the riders – so being strategic with photo stops, and shortcuts to get ahead of the race, and then making it to the finish line in time is key. On a motorbike it’s easier to get ahead, and you get more opportunities – but it’s not always an option.
Can you describe a particularly memorable moment or photograph from one of your tours?
My first Tour de France in 2015 as a photographer was pretty special. I had the opportunity to be on the team bus with the winning team (Team Sky) on the last stage. I captured Chris Froome pinning numbers on his yellow jersey before finishing the race in Paris.
The dust, dirt and crowds make for photographic gold. Image: Marcus Enno
You also sell prints. Is 20 megapixels large enough? Are there some shots that sell more than others?
I find that 20 megapixels is plenty for my prints, which I sell up to 90cm (longest edge) in size. Classic mountain shots are by far the most popular. Aside from individual prints, I also produce a yearly calendar of my best images of that year gone by.
What three tips would you give to someone looking to combine their love of cycling and photography?
A compact camera kit makes life easy. I use a front mounted bar bag to carry my kit when it’s not slung around my shoulder. It's easy to access on the bike, and provides protection if the weather really gets foul.
I ride ahead when I know a good photo spot is coming up, so I’ve got a chance to set up and get off the bike if necessary. This means a bit of a chase to catch up, but if your mates know you are capturing images of them, they should be ok to wait.
Practice makes perfect. Taking photos from a moving vehicle is difficult. If it’s a bicycle, car or motorbike – you need to practice your technique. Fast shutter speeds, precise autofocus and image stabilisation help with the task immensely.
Thanks so much for the conversation! ■
You can see more of Beardy's work on his website. Or read more about his camera kit below.
Beardy’s Equipment
OM-1: My newest camera and the one I reach for first. Lightweight with fantastic autofocus, I’ll often ride with this camera around my shoulder to capture cycling from a unique perspective. I really like the files straight out of the camera and which usually need only minimal processing.
OM-D E-M1 Mark III: A great little camera and my go-to for taking on my bike until the newer OM-1 came out. Now I use this camera mainly as a backup as it takes up so little space in my camera pack you hardly know it’s there.
OM-D E-M1X: The weather sealing on this camera is truly amazing. I’ve used it in the most horrendous conditions without a problem. It’s a heavier, sturdier body with a built-in grip that does well counter-balancing the larger 300 F4 lens.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 7-14MM F2.8 PRO: A great super-wide zoom I use for landscape shots or tight locations such as mountain bike trails.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40MM F2.8 PRO: A good standard kit lens with a fast F2.8 aperture. This lens is always in my camera bag.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150MM F2.8 PRO: Very flexible and perfect long zoom for finish line shots.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 8MM F1.8 FISHEYE PRO: Great for Mountain bike trails in dark forests and accentuating curves in the road for dynamic shots.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 17MM F1.2 PRO: I love using it for a media scrum at the end of a bike race.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 25MM F1.2 PRO: My favourite lens that has a super shallow depth of field and great focal length. I use it for portraits of riders especially at the start and finish of bike races.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 45MM F1.2 PRO: Another great lens for low light and shallow DOF. I use this lens for photographing bikes and components.
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75MM F1.8: I use this when riding. It’s a tiny lens but packs a punch. Beautiful out of focus backgrounds, nice sturdy construction and it fits in a cycling jersey pocket!
M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 300MM F4.0 IS PRO: The 300mm focal length compresses scenes and brings the background and foreground together. Great for accentuating distance mountains Lights and Triggers.
FL-700WR ELECTRONIC FLASH + FC-WR COMMANDER: Both are very compact and I use the high speed sync to combine it with daylight and fast shutter speeds.
You can read more about Beardy's gear here.
