Behind the Shutter - Keith Valentine

Ever wondered whose behind the shutter of some of the most incredible mountain bike images on the planet? Wonder no more... MoreDirt are posing those burning questions to the best photographers on the circuit. First up meet Keith Valentine aka Phunkt.com.

Name: Keith Valentine aka phunkt.com
Location: Edinburgh
Age: Over 21
Height: 5'11"
Star Sign: Leo
Bikes: Giant xtc carbon and Giant STP pimped out for 4x and DJ.

Are you a Canon or a Nikon man?
I use Canon gear.

Any formal qualifications in photography?
None, self taught and still evolving....bbbbbbaby you ain't seen nothing yet.

How did you get involved in taking photos in the mountain bike industry?
I started shooting Mountain Bikes in 2003 when my good mate Joe invited me to the Fort William World Cup. We camped with some motor bikers and I took a few snaps. I passed them onto the Fort Bill website and they loved them... Next year I got a better camera and took a few more and they published them. The rest is history... Now I'm the official photographer for the Fort William World Cup website.

Who are your main clients?
My main clients at the moment are Norco, Fortbill website, BDS, Pinkbike, Rocky Roads, Canadian cycling and some riders...I try and keep my clients to a minimum as to actually enjoy the events rather than being a wage slave.

Favourite location you have ever shot at?
My fave event to shoot is Fort William world cup, but my fave place was Andorra - I'm so glad the world cup is back there in 2013.

Favourite rider to work with?
Probably Taylor Vernon, spotted his talents a couple of years ago so decided to sponsor him, now he's british youth champ and moves up to the big boys in 2013 (watch this space). I also love shooting Cedric, Remi, Josh and Loic all great to shoot 24/7.

Give us a run down of your kit you'd take to an average shoot on the hill?
For 2013 it will be... Canon 1dx, canon 7d, 300mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8, 16-35mm f2.8, 8-15mm fisheye, 135mm f2.0, 24-70mm f2.8, 50mm f1.2, 3 canon flashes and a Fuji x100 for portrait and podium work.
I also have lowepro bags (various), remote triggers, 2 manfrotto tripods, lacie external hard drives, walkie talkies, macbook pro 13", canon 1.4 extender and various other wee bits n bobs. I always carry allen keys, gaffa tape, chewing gum, lens cloth, bottle opener, cider, rocket blower, bunjee cord, music, with me up the hill as I am forever getting asked to borrow them!

What lens could you never be without?
I couldn't be without the moneymaker 70-200mm f2.8 L is ii. It's the most used lens for almost everyone. Always sharp and just the right zoom range.

Do you prefer utilising flashes in your work or use natural light?
I prefer natural light it saves the hassle of setting up a flash. The British photographers are the best low light shooters in the world. We have to be as we never end up seeing the sun haha.

Do you ride bikes yourself?
I don't ride downhill, but I go to Glentress once a week to do berm baby berm.

Any advice for a newbie starting out in the world of mountain bike photography?
My best advice is not to do it! Its expensive and very hard to make money with all the competition out there. If you have to do it, do it for the love of a great photo not for cash. For me its more an obsession than a job.
If I could afford to do it for free I would.

Some other advice-
1. Weather - Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
2. Do it for the love not the money!
3. Make your own luck. Be in the right place at the right time with the right set up.
4. Practice, practice, PRACTICE.
5. Light is your friend - If you don't have it, create it.
6. Don't be scared to ask togs for advice - If you see 10 top togs all shooting in the same place.  Maybe you should check it out.
7. Know your equipment - It's limits and flaws.
8. If the photo looks average to you, it will do to everyone else.
9. Editing is just as important as getting the shot - Experiment with your photoshop.
10. Go to as many races as possible - Get a feel for it.
11. Never give away photos - It de-values your work and everyone else's.
12. Save money - Camping, exchanging photos for lifts, abuse the food in the media room and buying your kit second hand will always look after the pennies!

Do you take photos of anything other than bikes?
In off season I shoot DJ's, Bands, Modelling shoots, Cyclo x, BMX and whatever else takes my fancy really. Keeps it interesting and fresh.

Any final words for us?
Shooting mtb is a passion for me, name another sport in the world where you can share a gondola with a world champ and shoot him 10 seconds later?

I've noticed the sport changing a bit over the last few years. Money is tighter, jumps are bigger and the UCI gets more hassle than ever.

20% of the togs and vogs are now british when you go to a world cup dh race, kits getting more expensive, Women racers getting more hassle, 4X disappearing from the world cups, venues changing and all the riders getting older...

Even through all that, It's all about getting that one amazing shot at a race that makes the travel, weather and expense all worth while.

What would I rather be doing, sitting at a football match watching my team getting beaten or sitting up a mountain in the sun with a cider in one hand and a camera in the other, having a good laugh with some great banter shooting stuff like this? no contest. haha

For the last 3 years I've taken a helper/photographer/apprentice to Fort William to help me cover the event. 2013 will be no exception... Maybe someone reading this would like to try for it.

Here are some more bangers from Keith. For even more goodies check out www.phunkt.com

A big thanks to Keith for giving up his time.

Stay tuned for more Behind the Shutter in the very near future.

Credit: www.phunkt.com