videography

Enduro Motorcycle Riders photographed by Dave Estment

Capturing Hard Core Racing

Posted by Dave on

Not for the faint hearted, the 3rd round of the 2017 Enduro World Cross Country (EWXC) series was held recently at Serendipity, about 2.5 hours from Johannesburg. Our OV&P team was there to capture the action with our cutting edge filming gear, including 2 aerial drones to add a spectacular perspective for the riders and supporters to enjoy.

This year, Gary Franks and his Enduro World team set a new course that offered demanding terrain for the competitors to negotiate during the 3 hour test of their riding fitness and skills, as well as their physical and mental tenacity. My good friend and colleague, Chris Duys, was my right hand cameraman, each of us armed with a pro drone and a Panasonic DVX200 4K camera. We recce’d the course together early in the morning to select good vantage points to film from and create a compelling video.

Racing started at 8am with the Pro and Expert classes being the first to blaze a trail through the challenging terrain. The first serious obstacle was about 300 metres in, so Chris covered the start then ran to join me there. It was a steep, rocky, slippery climb which saw riders strewn over every possible line, being helped to manhandle their machines until they reached the top and had a slight breather before tackling the rest of the course. An exhausted rider described it as having been set by someone with sadistic tendencies, namely Igor Baleta and his team, who have earned a reputation for setting awesome but tough courses.

There were some ‘chicken routes’ for less experienced riders, who opt for an easier way around specific obstacles, which takes longer but is less exhausting. Chris and I stuck to the interesting and challenging parts of the course, clambering over rocks and running from one vantage point to the next, toting our cameras and setting up before the riders came through. It’s funny to watch their antics as they approach a camera, either putting on a great show or stopping to chat with us and catch their breath.

Being competitive souls, not too many riders take the easier route, which often results in bottle-necks. This can be very entertaining for spectators and the film crew, watching riders of different skill levels use each other for traction, if necessary, to conquer rocky river beds, steep climbs, water hazards and what seems to be a never-ending roller coaster testing man and machine to their limit. We caught some classic action on camera and with the drones, making dramatic manoeuvres through the trees and rocks to shoot some great tracking and panning shots as the riders negotiated the course. Watch the video below to see for yourself:

Three separate races were held for the different classes, ranging from the Professional and Expert riders to ladies who never cease to amaze their male opponents at how well they ride, all the way down to the youngest riders on their little 65cc and 85cc bikes. They really steal the hearts of the spectators and parents who shout and scream to encourage these little tigers, our future champions. At the end of a hot and well organised day of racing, we filmed the top 6 riders in each class being awarded their trophies at the prize-giving, happily celebrating their achievements to cheering from their rivals and spectators alike. After the formal proceedings, the story-telling and banter began amongst this tightly knit community of athletes comparing stories, hardships and experiences.

It was gratifying to be included in the banter, sharing our day of filming and running around like headless chickens to get everything covered. As the sun set, everyone loaded their battered bikes onto trailers and headed home for a relaxing evening before returning to the hustle and bustle of Jozi on Monday. Since my own racing days seem to be over, this is a great way for me to stay involved and give something back to a sport that has been such a huge part of my life. Well done to the organisers for yet another successful leg of the EWXC Championship which will definitely be the talking point until the next race. We hope to be there to capture the action!

Ubuntu Mass Ride at Yamaha SA

Ubuntu Mass Ride

Posted by Naomi on

The spirit of Ubuntu flourished last Sunday, when more than a thousand bikers came together at the iconic World of Yamaha concept store to participate in the impressive Ubuntu Mass Ride. Our OV&P team covered the event on behalf of Yamaha, using two aerial drones to capture multiple perspectives, as well as shooting ground video footage and impromptu interviews with participants.

It was inspiring to witness their passion for riding motorcycles and to hear them share why this is personally special to them, in addition to how it connects people across all cultures, ages, backgrounds, genders and walks of life. With so much revving in the background, a directional microphone was called for, in combination with one of our Panasonic DVX200 video cameras. Our DJI Osmo also came in handy for close-up shots between the bikes. Watch our video below for a taste of the high voltage energy of the day!

Yamaha Brand Ambassador, Alfred Matamela (a.k.a. King Donut), a legendary motorcycle rider and instructor from Soweto, organised the event, and a number of people there noted their gratitude to Yamaha SA for being gracious hosts and providing coffee and snacks for everyone – including riders from various clubs with a range of different motorbike brands, all equally welcome.

The pre-ride briefing and prayer focussed on gratitude for contributors to the event and of course safety for all the riders, also sharing details of the route to Westonaria and key traffic points to look out for. Then the throttles started twisting, turning up the volume as the eclectic procession of motorcycles headed out though the gates in the direction of the M1 highway.

Well done Yamaha and everyone else on this exceptional event. Bikers totally rock and so does the spirit of Ubuntu!

Olive Thrush Chicks photographed by Dave Estment

Patience is Rewarded

Posted by Dave on

I recently noticed that there was an Olive Thrush painstakingly building a nest in the fork of a tree in our garden. My interest grew, watching as this hard-working bird carried in twigs, wet grass and even tissue paper to help line the bowl-shaped nest, followed by a thin layer of mud to smooth things off. What was interesting was that the female did all the work while the male just watched on.

A couple of days later I noticed that two light blue eggs with brown speckles had been laid in the nest. The male and female shared incubating duties until I pulled my cameras out as I noticed two tiny, pink chicks had hatched, their hearts beating wildly. I captured some of this special footage as they shuffled around trying to find a comfortable place to rest and grow, as the female brought in copious amounts of earthworms and insects to nourish them. I was astonished by the rate at which the chicks grew and started sprouting feather splines which quickly turned into proper feathers. Their wings seemed to take shape at an incredible rate of knots.

Each week for three weeks I filmed the chicks, until they were so big that there was no room left for them in the nest. Then something surprising happened. As I was filming them fighting for real estate in their cramped environment, one of them stood up and launched itself up and out of the nest and landed in the foliage below. Our Golden Retriever, Storm, darted into the undergrowth and gently picked up the half grown chick in his mouth and brought it to me. It was amazing to see his natural instincts kick in, handing me the little chick as gently as he had plucked it from the undergrowth.

I tried putting the chick back into the nest a couple of times, to no avail, before both chicks decided they had had enough and jumped out of the nest onto the nearest part of the tree fork, clinging on with their well developed, clawed feet. That’s when I learned something fascinating. This is the typical way that Olive Thrush chicks behave. Even though they have wing feathers and short tail feathers, they remain perched on the available branches in a tree for a month or so, while the mother continues to feed them until they are big enough to fly and start feeding themselves. It was the first time I had observed this behaviour in any bird.

Here’s the short video that I created so you can see some of this action for yourself:

All ended well as we now have four resident Olive Thrushes in our garden. Another interesting thing is the similarity of species such as the Olive, Karoo and Kurrichane Thrush. It was an enlightening experience right here at home as opposed to the many dramatic sightings we have enjoyed in the South African bushveld, as well as the Central Kalahari desert, Okavango Delta and the Masai Mara in Kenya. Enjoy the video and please share a comment below to let us know if you’ve seen something fascinating in your garden!