Light & Shadows Photography

05/11/2025

Bobcat pictures from Friday. Just came down from the space between the mesa edge pathway and near top of wheelchair ramp. Did not care if I was there or not while seeing what images I could get. Hear some rusting in the leaves and go to see the cat come down the slope and jump off small wall onto ramp just in front of me. Bobcat just going about it's life. Just lucky to get these images of animal that rarely seen open settings.

01/01/2025

Just signed for Belgian Waffle Ride quad triple crown series in non binary/gender diverse. First time doing the home region gravel-mixed surface race as I would normally be busy with bike race photowork or dealing with other life issues. Coming off fall base going into the start of SoCal Gravel season at Temecula gravel & whine in a few weeks to shake the bike and wake up the legs. then 1.5 months later BWR series starts. No coach and using a budget alloy frame from Poseidon Bike with an older mechanical 1x11 shift/brake with limited travel budget in my first big time gravel race. Here we go.
Ride Spinergy TIME Sport

10/08/2024

Have to cancel the trip to Grassroots Gravel at Pebulo, CO. Art gallery work I help with came up Wednesday afternoon leaving not enough time to do the 16 hour drive plus gas/ food stops. The plan of waiting till after getting home from this weekend finding a new frame is now. Then transfer sram 1x11 mechanical/brake drivetrain and parts over. The 2017 Raleigh rx2.0 size 58 frame is just too small for me with saddle rails pushed all the back on a 25mm setback extra long seatpost, toe hits by front gravel 40mm or CX tires, and 8cm of spaces under stem. Bike fitter from pre covid said possible safety risk on long or rougher rides. So have find a cx/ all road/ fast gravel/ do local errands-road rides frame this month before possible SoCalCross PRESTIGE SERIESCX racing starts. Then get a gravel frame for the coming gravel season with Gravel & Whine, Belgian Waffle Ride series in winter/ spring with possible June/July trip out the central plains and rocky mt front area for Grounded Nebraska and others. Free entry to Grassroots Gravel will go to next year and maybe do the long whole 115mi route then compared to half 72mile route non binary group was planning this weekend. Was hoping to make some connections in the cycling LGBTQ+ community or possible sponsors and experience making the trip before next summer. So budget but solid quality alloy frame for small tires. Then TI gravel frame the big tires. Thinking of going local company Poseidon Bike for budget alloy frame then Turner Bikes for gravel, long days, rougher rides, and travel bike.

10/02/2024

Early fall heatwave this week, hopefully last for the year till next summer. Looking forward to when it finally cools down for some months. Got a free entry in Grassroots Gravel next weekend in Pebulo, CO on Oct 12. First time doing a race on the Rocky Mt front range/ central plains area. Or first time even driving out east from Inland SoCal. Asking for camping advice along Hwy 40 in AZ or NM on the way out and back? Signed up for the 70mi route non binary. Hoping to meet more the LGBTQ+ cycling community there and make some connections. Just an learning experience for next summer. Looking at a new gravel frames after. Leaning towards Turner Bikes or from local bike shop. Then onto regional CX season. is planned or try The Rock Cobbler due to limited money and tired from CX season races and staff work. Then into Belgian Waffle Ride Triple Crown as the big home race series with looking forward to the route possibly out of Del Mar Racetrack/San Diego Fairgrounds at the beach. BWR Cedar City is race and get out of the state asap as is not friendly state to the LGBTQ+ community. Montana is slightly better. If I can fit Redlands Strada Rossa in there. Next summer is possible Grounded Nebraska , FoCo Fondo , Rebecca's Private Idaho, Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder maybe others trip to avoid inland SoCal summer heatwaves combined with photowork. Thinking Tour de Big Bear gravel early Aug. with Mammoth Gran Fondo package. Spending the week up there to acclimate and photowork before Mammoth TUFF 2024 going for the long route Other events fill in as possible with travel time from SoCal. SoCalCross PRESTIGE SERIES Ride Spinergy TIME Sport

09/17/2024

Finally cleaned up and stuff put away from getting home from 2024. The opening of the SoCal Gravel/CX season after another brutal inland Heatinter (summer of 100+ heatwaves) and massive fires breaking out post labor day. Left Pomona Thur. Sep. 12. Heading for Mammoth Lakes in Eastern Sierra. Finally cool temps and clean skies after months of suffering heat. Signed up for short route again after CX/Gravel bike put back together early June after late winter/spring forced rebuild and testing out bike setup for rest of season after stuck inside on zwift due to summer heatwaves past few months. 2nd time doing short route, wanted to do medium route, bike build problems nixed that idea with lack of outside riding on setup. Two pre event group rides back to back to acclimate to about 8,000ft Friday morning and get use to how the bike will handle the sandy/pumice, hardpack, and bumpy washboards. Friday afternoon check-in, watch beer mile insanity, and pre race talk at the village area where S/F is. Sat. morning short route goes off third about hour later then first wave/long route on new route this year start. Each route has different early miles, but finish climb the same. Short about 40 miles 2,400ft of climbing. S/F most the way up main climb. Had someone else in non binary short route this year. Front part of field going out of town. First dirt section is sandy few miles through forest turns so backed of pace to not slide out or crash. When the other person passed me halfway through there. Out of sand onto hwy395 briefly. Onto an old paved road going back nature watching the lines through. Into a double track section. Onto Owen's River Road about 40% done put the power down to make up time passing and working with others. Very little time at reststop. Then climb 1000ft into town about 10miles that all routes do. Caught the other person after last dirt/sand section. Then all in last 1.5 miles uphill to win the non binary. Sunday morning podium and massive raffle. Frame maybe too small for me with toes hitting front tire. May have to change frames. Next year long route? Photos from Sunday after done with event.

09/13/2024

Up at Mammoth Lakes for Mammoth TUFF 2024 gravel event this weekend. Part bike race trip, part vacation, and part photowork. First race/event of 2024-25 Socal Season. Coming off a late June to early September Inland SoCal heatwaves and firesmoke blocking outside long rides stuck on Zwift inside doing stage racing up till last weekend. After rebuilding bike up early June of months finding parts and installing on older disc 2017 CX/gravel bike. Ride Spinergy SoCalCross PRESTIGE SERIES

01/29/2024

Sat Jan 27th did Temecula Gravel and Whine race. The kickoff to the start of SoCal late winter/spring gravel/mixed surface races. Survived a hard route for the race. 64mi with 7600 ft climbing. Too many double digit walls and water cuts. Plus mtby stuff that pushed cx-gravel bike limits. Maybe possible to do BWR Triple starting March 2nd or just the BWR North County San Diego instead in gender diverse. Will have choose this week to get ready for it. Not much other chances for gravel races before summer heat sets in SoCal.

01/09/2024

SoCal CX 2023-24 series final photos posted link: https://public.fotki.com/quatre24/bike-races-2022/socal-cx-2023-24-8-/

12/19/2023

photos from Socal Cx #6 santa Cx D2 are posted. link

photos of Light & Shadows Photography: Socal CX 2023 #6 12-17-23 -

12/13/2023

Photos from sunday SoCalCx 2023-24 race 4 lake casitas D2. are posted. Next race is woodland hills at pierce college day 2 this coming Sunday. gallery link: https://public.fotki.com/quatre24/bike-races-2022/socal-cx-2023-4-12-10-23/

11/30/2023

Started back in with CX race photowork this past Sunday at SoCal CX 2023-24 #2 Turkey Trot CX day 2. Next race is next weekend 12/9-10 at Ventura Lake Castias, Ojai planned. Link to gallery https://public.fotki.com/quatre24/bike-races-2022/socal-cx-2023-2-11-26-23/

09/23/2023

Last weekend did my first gravel event/race Mammoth Tuff Sep 16th. Partly to support some of friends (Amanda Panda Nauman and David Sheek)event from many years of CX seasons. Getting use to these gravel-mixed surface events so did the short ride to learn by doing how to do these events. First time also the non binary cat in bike race/event ever. Lots of sand first third of route. Excellent views along the middle section made wish I could put my dslr on bike. Planning on it next year with the medium route. Became a mini vacation four days in Mammoth Lakes and travel day home. First since covid pandemic starting. Great way to get four days altitude training - endurance rides in. Town has some excellent bike paths through town and up to the lakes basin. Also did some phototwork Sunday and along hwy 395 each way. Now to clean up photos and get ready for Trans San Gabriel possibly next weekend. Mostly a home event. Then onto CX season