The first installment of our new Viewfinder series featuring @rossbellphoto from Inverness, Scotland. The Viewfinder is our new highlight series that broadcasts stories of photographers & filmmakers from our global community 🌍
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We recently hooked up with Ross to chat about his background and what brought him into the world of photography.
So what's your story?
I grew up on the Isle of Arran on the west coast of Scotland, playing around with bikes and cameras in high school and it didn't take too long before the two hobbies merged into one. I started shooting with my mates and trying to emulate images and techniques I was seeing in magazines. At that moment in time, a career in photography wasn't remotely on my radar, I was just enjoying the learning process more than anything.
Following a photography course at Edinburgh College I got offered a place on the degree course. It didn't sit right with me and I opted to move to Germany and take up an internship at a mountain bike magazine. I joined my friend James Shirley who was already out there living in his van, driving to races and riding in the Alps in between. I booked a dirty one‑way flight out there with what little money I had and joined him for some bike racing and riding antics.
At an Enduro World Series race in Italy a couple of photographers from Pink Bike spoke to me and said there might be a spot opening up for the following year. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and suddenly found myself shooting the World Cup events which was a dream come true.
What's your gear of choice right now?
I still shoot on a Canon DSLR despite the mirrorless uprising! My primary body is a 1DX II with a 5D IV as a backup. A 70-200 lens is the main workhorse, and a 16-35, a Sigma 50mm, and a 15mm fisheye make up the rest of my bag. I see no reason to change for now.
Sure the more compact mirrorless bodies look nice and have great specs but I think people get caught up in all that too much, it's still the photographer that's creating the image, the camera merely captures it. Perhaps the mirrorless Sony's might be a little more efficient but I need reliability and trust in my kit more than anything else and I've had very few problems so far.
Good weather sealing is also a godsend for shooting action sports and that's something Canon does well! I've also recently invested in some lights which I really need to get out and use more...
What about a film shooter? What’s your favourite stock or format?
I've only ever shot a couple of rolls of Ilford HP5+. Definitely something I need to play with more!
You must have seen some pretty amazing places. What's the best place you've shot?
Yeah, I've been pretty lucky over the last couple of years to go to some rather ridiculous places. From a purely photographic and visual perspective, I'd say Namibia last year is hard to beat. The light, the colours, the textures, the vistas, the animals, a real feast for the senses.
As for my favourite all-round mountain bike trip, I'd have to say Ecuador is top. The crew I was with were all good friends and easy and fun to work with. The trails were some of the best I've ever ridden and the diversity of the terrain we travelled through was next level.
Those are some incredible experiences! What about future dream places?
I was pretty gutted to have my trip to Japan in May cancelled [read: Covid]. Obviously a pretty trivial problem in the grand scheme of things right now, but I was particularly excited by that trip and the potential imagery I'd get. Hopefully we can rearrange that at some point as I'd still love to go!
There must be some long days when you're out shooting on bike trails. What's your must-have item you can’t live without when you're shooting?
Honestly it might be a cliche but you are the most important piece of kit you have. My shooting situations can quite often be physically demanding, whether it be long days in the saddle with a heavy camera pack or sat at the side of a race track severely lacking in sleep and decent food. I can get burnt out towards the end of the summer with lots of travel, lack of sleep, lack of exercise, lack of nutrition.
Over the last couple of seasons I've tried to take better care of myself and tried to fuel myself better particularly on those big days out on the bike. There's nothing worse than feeling like you're up against it to even make it to/through/from a location... How can you expect to take the best images you can if you're hanging out your a***?!
That sounds like someone with some experiences! What about the wildest situation you’ve found yourself in shooting?
Yeah, I've experienced my fair share of wild weather. A particular thunderstorm in the high alpine in Crested Butte, Colorado a few summers back springs to mind... But I'd have to say shooting in the Yukon at sunset on the longest day of the year before riding back to the van on the most insane loam trail ever lit only by twilight at 1am was pretty surreal.
I think I might be able to guess this one but what about your favourite thing that's nothing to do with photography?
Riding my bike! I don't actually get to ride it that much these days, particularly through the race season, so anytime I get to ditch the camera bag and ride with the boys is greatly appreciated.
What about a dream client or project you'd love to work on?
I'm about to head to Wales to shoot with Kade Edwards for Trek and I'm struggling to think of anything much better than that. The dude is insanely talented and it's my first chance to shoot with him outside of the race tape. I would like to explore more possibilities outside of cycling though, I've always loved any chances I get to shoot other sports whether it be rugby, sailing or moto.
And finally... one piece of advice you'd offer to others following you?
In the early days particularly I'd say watch what other photographers are doing, both within and outside of your sphere. Try to emulate what they are doing, learn the techniques and experiment before developing your own style over time.
You can check out more of Ross' work at the links below
Photos by @rossbellphoto