I love running. And as much as I love running I love photographing running even more. I was recently asked to join the amazing crew that puts on the Worlds End Ultras at Worlds End State Park as one of their photographers for the race.

I fell in love with Worlds End State Park while training for and running the 2018 Worlds End Ultra 50k. I have been back to this park on race day almost every year since then. I have run the 50k twice, crewed friends multiple times, and now as race photographer. All the experiences have been great.

This is such a beautiful park. I enjoy returning to the park for my standard nature photography as well. There is so much natural beauty to see and enjoy. But take that natural beauty and combine it with the amazing athletes that choose to take on a very challenging course at either the 50k or 100k distances and that takes it to an entirely different level.

It was an exciting opportunity to be able to be out on the trails documenting some of the experiences runners were having out on the trails. I have photographed bits and pieces of the race here and there unofficially when I have been helping to crew friends. (I never leave my camera behind.) But being out on the trails at multiple different locations was really a different experience.

I was a little nervous about photographing this race. Most of my race photography occurs in relatively well lit conditions. However, Worlds End Ultra 100k starts before sunrise. And as race photographer it was part of my job to be out there to capture the moments of the runners beginning their journey across the 100k course. This meant there would be very little light.

For this part of my photography I started off hiking down the trail a little ways past the first aid station. I wanted to give the runners enough time to get their aid and sort things out and be on the move again running down the trail before they reached where I would photograph them.

I also tried to find a spot where there was a little bit of a break in the forest canopy so at least a little light would leak into the photos. It wouldn’t directly light the runners, but it would add some backlighting to provide contrast. For the first time ever during race photography I employed my two small panel LED lights off to the side and one small LED light mounted to my hot-shoe of my camera. This gave me just a little bit more light. And it really helped make some of the bright colors and reflective bits of peoples clothes pop.

Often my goal in sports photography is to get a crisp, clear, sharp, motion freezing photograph. To do this requires light. Light I did not have. Instead of fighting for what I didn’t have to get those sharp, motion stopping images I opted to work with the low light conditions.

Low light availability creates the need for a slower shutter speed for proper exposure. A slower shutter speed allows for motion blur. I could pan with the runners, putting the background in motion blur. And the runners as they moved would be in motions blur. The parts of them moving the most would be the most blurry. Feet and arms especially. What better way to portray a running event than with legs and feet a blur of motion.

I really liked the challenge of creating these specific images. It is a lot harder to really nail these types of photos. Andin a race where I have only moments with each runner as they pass by I knew I couldn’t get the best shot every time. There were a bunch of shots I really liked. There were many shots I didn’t love. I think I can do better on subsequent attempts at this style of photography. I hope if nothing else I provided some interesting and different race photos for the runners.

50k Start

After all the 100k runners had all passed me I made my way back down to the main park area to capture the beginning of the 50k race.

I knew approximately where I would like to be out on the trails for this part of the event. And the parking area for that was in the perfect location. It allowed me to park right near the bridge that the 50k runners would cross near the very beginning as they made their way down the park road to the trails. I had plenty of time to get in position and watch the runners approach. As they ran by I captured as many images as I could.

The beginning stages of a race are a little more challenging to photograph as everyone is all clumped together., There were a few front runners ahead of everyone lese that I was able to isolate for solo shots as they crossed the bridge. Then the groupings became increasingly crowded as runners of similar pace were all together. I eventually switched cameras from my Nikon with a 70-200mm lens to my trusty small Sony Alpha with the 20mm lens so I could capture the larger groups of runners crossing the bridge together.

After the runners crossed the bridge I started up the High Rocks Trail to find a good spot to photograph the runners from.

I started hiking up the High Rocks Trail looking for a good spot to set up to photograph the runners as they ran by. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted. It was one of those scenarios when you know it when you see it. Then I came to a place in the trail where the trail crossed a stream strewn with large boulders. And the trail crossed the stream via a bridge.

I decided this looked like a good spot. I could perch on a boulder and watch the runners cross the bridge right in front of me. The rocks and stream created a little space in the trees. This allowed a bit of light for backlight.

I was in great position to watch the runners cross the bridge from this location. I captured some really cool photos of the runners. And some of the runners had real fun with their photo ops, which I loved.

While having a great vantage point for seeing the runners from my perch on the rocks it wasn’t all roses. The backlight was a bit of a problem. The backlight was almost too much. The bright light in the background often caused the main subject, the runner, to bee underexposed. And the camera often wanted to focus on areas where there was the most contrast and definition. Because the runners were underexposed there wasn’t as much contrast on their faces for the camera to catch and the autofocus often caught the edges of leaves and branches. Sometimes that caused the runner to bee completely out of focus. That was disappointing at times, but from my place on the rocks I could often take multiple shots of each runner, so usually at least one turned out good.

Down By the Loyalsock Creek

After all of the 50k runners passed by me at the bridge I left to find another location where I could photograph the action from.

At this point in the race the runners would be getting more spread out. It was possible that there would be a mix of 50k and 100k runners on the trails at other locations.

I headed down to a section of the course that ran close to the Loyalsock Creek, one of the main features of the area. From my memory of the course back when I ran it in 2018 and 2019 I remembered a park of the course where runners were more exposed and close to the water and rocky shoreline of the creek. I was hoping that if that section was still part of the course that where I was headed would be that section. It was hard to tell from the map.

As it turned out this area of the course was not the part I was thinking of. This area was still pretty well forested although close to the creek. I hiked into the woods looking for a good spot to set up for photos. AS I was hiking along I started to encounter runners. I stopped and photographed them as they approached. I saw, as it turned out the 50k leaders. and then increasing numbers of runners.

I really like photographing runners as I am moving through the course and having constant changes in scenery. But it is not really feasible to walk an entire 50k or 100k course while taking photos. So I kept walking until I reached a spot that looked good.

Eventually, I reached a location that seemed like a really good set up. I was standing low in a valley along the creek. I faced a steep incline that lead up towards the road. The trail started on the high ground. Then the trail wound its way down towards the valley floor and then to me.

It was a great spot to get multiple photos of each runner from different vantage points. I could even use both of my cameras for different shots.

This must have been a slightly confusing section of the trail, because periodically runners would take along pause at the top of the ridge and look around and almost wander off in the wrong direction. Eventually they would see the trail leading down the embankment toward the creek and where I was standing.

The runners started on the high ground and ran perpendicular to my position. That allowed me to watch the runners move at a steep angle along the edge of the ravine on a narrow trail. The runners were staying almost the same distance away on that part of the trail. This allowed me to capture several images of the runners as they descended from their higher vantage point. The trail must have been tricky and getting deteriorated as multiple runners slipped and fell here. Fortunately no one was hurt.

During the runners descent down the trail I photographed them using my Nikon camera and 70-200mm lens. This allowed me to zoom in since they were a little bit of a distance away. And the zoom capabilities allowed me to change the composition of the images as the terrain changed and runners moved along the trail.

As the runners reached the valley floor the trail turned and brought he runners right in my direction. As the runners pivoted and charged down the trail towards me I switched cameras. I traded my zoom lens for my Sony and 20mm lens. This allowed to capture the runners progress down the path towards my position. I was standing just off the path 20 or 30 yards away. The wide angle showed the runners at a distance at first, surrounded by the forest. And then they ran my direction. Eventually filling most of the frame as they passed by me at close range.

I liked that spot for the variety of photographic options that it allowed me even though it wasn’t the area I had envisioned.

I am really hoping to scout out some different locations if I am back next year and maybe move around even more on the course.

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