2011 Sum up

I stopped making blogs half way through the year. Been busy, It just dropped to the back of my mind. So heres 2011 for me, to start off I was still off work and riding from a broken wrist in may 2010. One day in January I thought I might as well buy a camera, just to take some photo's of my brothers and friends riding. Then on I just loved it. I went from taking still to filming which I found harder but more interesting. I did a couple local meetings filming. I can remember I was really excited because one of my videos got over 400 views. When the BYMX headed to brampton which is 20mins away from my house I new I had to put some effort in. As it was the BYMX I new it would get a lot more publicity. The result, I ended up with a job with MOTO mag uk's biggest MX website and Magazine. The video it's self was ok but I was stil very new to filming so I was doing a lot of things wrong. After a quick call with Chussy from moto I was going to be covering the full BYMX. I was fairly excited about it all, it was the best thing that happened to me in a while with my wrist still broken after nearly a year and due my 3rd operation I was pretty down at the time. Having a year off work isn't good for the bank balance any money I made I would buy better equipment and paying for travel to the next event, So i was basically skint. Thanks to the Braithwaite family as they took me to most of the bymx's. Now looking back I think its funny when I was excited about 400 views, My most viewed video to date is Hawkstone Redbull pro national at 34,000 a bit of a difference in just 6 months of filming. 


 I'm going to jump forward to 4 months ago. I was in a bit of a dilemma, my wrist was getting strong enough to go back to my HGV mechanics job that I was on the sick from or try carry on filming for a living. I had to go back to been a mechanic, the money was just too good. I could still film just it took alot longer to get the edits online I have been working in the garage though the day and editing through the night It's draining. At the same time now have a steady income allowed me to buy some of the best equipment, so if in the future if I decide to go full time I've already got everything. I also started up riding again, I missed it soo much. So that why lately I haven't been filming much, I soon found out that after riding for a while It was just hurting my wrist loads, so now I've deicide that I'm going to take a step back from riding, just ride now and again as I love it too much to completely give up even if it hurts. The last couple weekends I've just been going out partying and thats the plan for over christmas as well. 


Now on to 2012, well I have no real plans for 2012 to be honst. I'm going for a meeting with MOTO soon to sort things with them, I hope I can still work for them as they are the best in the UK at what they do, which help's improve my work, working with and getting advise off the best. I have also just ordered a new camera, it will be turning up in the next week. So I'm eager to start using it in the new year. I do have a few shoots planned for the start of the year. Nothing set in stone yet but I think I'm going to dunkirk with Matt Moffat for a bit winter training, Also Micky Eccles and got some really cool stuff planned with quad rider Mark Watson. So keep a look out for them in January sometime. I would just like to thank a few people that have helped me out through the year,The Bank of Dad, MOTO Mag, Braithwaite Family, The Callaghan's, Todd family. I have met alot of cool people this year and traveled the UK (isnt as good as traveling the world but still been places I've never been before) Roll on 2012 


The Last round of the BYMX, got to be the best video I've made this year. 



More Motocross Videos








Thanks Darren      


   

Duns BYMX

I haven't posted anything in awhile, so quick update of what's been going on, that's if anyone is interested. 


I got my new camera which is great, I feel its a lot better than my last one hopefully it shows in my video's. 


2 weekends ago was Wooley Grange a nice local hardpack track. That was the first test with the new camera, It took a while to get used to it as I switched from a Nikon to a Canon, by the end of the weekend it was all sorted and set up how I like it. Also it was nice to be home before 4:30 from the motocross which doesn't happen very much these days, So here's the video 



More Motocross Videos


Last weekend we all had off, Actually had Sunday dinner with the family, it was strange but nice.


With Having a weekend off just made me more excited for the Duns BYMX. The Braithwaite's offered me a lift and a bed for the weekend, thanks alot! Most of the Forcast rain stayed away which was good, it was still mega windy and cold but you cant have everything. The Motorhome was alot better than my tent, I think it was comfier than my bed at home. 
The Video from Duns BYMX  


More Motocross Videos

The man from MOTO mag, chussy is trying to sort out sending me to a few Red Bull Pro Nationals, which would be sweet. So keep a look out I might kicking about the redbull's.


I'm at the Hospital this Friday, so I'll see what that brings hopefully no more operations and this Sunday is 1 year since I broke my wrist and since I've been at work.... 


so that's it really 


ta Darren 

Long Time No Camera

A couple of weeks ago, all my Nikon's got sent away. So I've been left without a camera, which has felt like months not weeks. Then Finally this week the new Canon 7D come through the door. Happy with it so far, but going to a local track this weekend, where my bro's are racing to give it a real test.

The reason I made the switch is because canon is way better on the video side, which is what I'm mainly doing, so before I invested in really expensive nikon lenses I thought I'd which over to canon.

So look out the Video from Wooley Grange   

That's the 7D, running the Chris Shallcross support sticker. He was at Preston Docks a month or so ago, had a big crash and ended up in a coma. So Jack Drogan from Merge decals is selling hub stickers, all money goes to him and his family. Get Well Soon Chris. 

  

Finningley BYMX

Well this weekend was the 2nd round of the BYMX and was my first video for MOTO Mag, all in all I was pretty excited for it. So with the weather similar to California, me and the trusty old fiesta with a full tank of fuel set off. It was a nice journey down, 2 1/2 hours with some good tunes on and windows down made it feel half that. Once I got there the pimp tent was set up, air bed was blown up, the on suite shower, full kitchen with soft closing doors, leather recliner and massage bench was all fixed up, I was ready to go. 

There's my 5 star luxury for the weekend.  


Saturday morning, got up at a descent time a nice redbull for breaky. Filmed most of the day. One thing pissed me off alot that really should of even been happening, other photographers walking straight past my camera when I was filming, it just so happen to be when the leaders of the race when coming around, there where 3-4 clips that probably would made the video if someone hadn't walk in front of my camera, I mean fair enough if it was first aid or marshalls that didnt really know or had to get somewhere quick, but other media? They should know. So instead of packing a tripod I think I will take a baseball bat next time. Thats my rant over. Later on after my lobster for tea I was chilling, I Interviewed Brad Todd (the real Ronny Mac) then we did some gooning in forest on BMX's, it was pritty funny. Thinking of whipping up a little video of it. Once we where all gooned out we borrowed a dodgy DVD called the mechanic, was a good film. 

Carlton Husband sending it over the first table top  


Thats saturday over, Sunday was much the same really. Just filming and watching some sweet racing. My dad and bother come down to do the 2 stroke races. With the day over, got plenty of footage and even got sunburnt wowww. It was time to head home and start editting. 


I've had some good feedback and some tips for when I'm next filming and editting, so here it is the video from the weekend. I cant wait for the next round in Duns. 


More Motocross Videos

     

The Round 2 Weekend.

Busy weekend for me, Great Salkeld Saturday then Brampton Sunday both days Filming. I'm trying to get in as much practice as I can and trying out a few new things in my editing. The weather was fairly nice for a change, so I thought I get the GoPro out and tested. I asked Carlton Husband to pilot it for a couple of laps in practice for me. Once I got back on the Saturday Night, started watching it, I had it set too low which I was annoyed about. So on Sunday at Brampton we did it again I set it abit higher, still a little low but passable I think, so here it is 2 laps around Brampton with Carlton Husband.
  



More Motocross Videos


So this week I had 2 Video's to make, I started with Brampton First Because it was fresh in my head and I did a funny interview with my brother which I couldn't wait to start editing, also the footage I got of Carlton's whips, it just had to be first. So here it is. 



More Motocross Videos


Then I got the Salkeld video to do, got it finished Wednesday night, I had more of a chilled out day Tuesday because I at hospital most of the morning so in the afternoon just got all the notes written out and sorted for starting Wednesday morning. Enjoy. 



More Motocross Videos


This Weekend I'd love to go to the redbull at Armthorpe but cant afford to go. So going to try and get out with my brothers some where.  

Hawkstone International

This last week has been pretty dam awesome for me, firstly after my Brampton BYMX video went on-line, I was getting really good feedback from it, so I decided to email some websites and magazines, I thought I'd started off with the biggest one first, MOTO mag. After 1 email 1 phone call all in the space of 1 hour I was going to the rest BYMX rounds, so pleased to be working for such a big magazine in the motocross industry, I'm sure I will learn lots from them and hope everyone enjoy's my video's to come. 


I'm going to jump forward to Saturday. It was another lovely day so John and Scott got out on there bikes on our little track again, I was there to take some photo's, mainly of John goon riding :D I look around, theres my dad all kitted out walking towards a bike. So he got a good bit of riding in too. After sorting all the bikes out and having a bite to eat, me and Scott set off for hawkstone park at 7pm, we had a travel lodge booked for the night near the track. A nice 3 hours journey down, got booked in, got the DVD's out of my bag looked up and there wasn't a DVD player in our room, so that didn't work out, match of the day had to do.  

We were only 10 mins from the track. So we got up at a descent time to have a good look around the pits before the racing started. The amount of talent that was there was unreal, I've been to a GP before but I think its just hawkstone, there's just something special about it. The scrubs and whips where also getting lay'd down in large quantity's which was good to watch. Having Englishman ride in England and win boosted the atmosphere alot too. I'm sure most people have seen the results and read the race reports. I really wished I'd filmed there, but I didnt so no video from me. Here are some photo's from the day I've kept most of the good ones back for the minute.       

     

I'm working on some new idea's, so keep an eye out for some more video's to come in the next couple of months 

Brampton BYMX

This weekend Brampton was host to the BYMX. Which was handy because I had nothing planned and the track is only 20 mins away from my house. So I went along, filmed for 2 days and took a couple of photo's. There was alot of rain and snow the week coming up to the event. which made rumours spread that it was cancelled, which where not true. The diggers got on the track and made it happen. It was ruff, rutty and very hard going, which created some awesome racing. The photo's I took where nothing special just getting my camera set up (I was to busy talking). I started straight away Monday morning editing finally got it done about 1 o'clock Tuesday morning, by that time my eyes were hanging out. It took 12 hours to up load, which was annoying because I just wanted to show people it, but anyway here are some photo's and the video.

More Motocross Videos