Hi, Duncan Elliott here (@duncanelliott), Domestique have very kindly asked me to do today's #tuesdaytakeover.
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As a documentary portrait photographer, I'm always looking for interesting people to photograph and I'm fascinated by subcultures. As a keen cyclist, I was already aware of hill climbs – taking place at the end of the season, they are a time trial sprint up a steep hill with gradients averaging 10% or more.
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It takes a certain type of person to put themselves through a grueling charge up a hill, turning themselves inside out in a battle against gravity and the clock. These images were taken just as the cyclists crossed the line, their tanks empty, gasping for air.
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This is "Rapid Rich", who's a bit of a legend in the hill climbing circles. Not only had he organised the event with @3rtcycling but he jumped on his bike and attacked the course.
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The hill club events are organised by local clubs and can take place on public roads or closed roads raced largely by amateurs and are cheered on by cowbell-ringing, loudly cheering, locals.
The hill club events are organised by local clubs and can take place on public roads or closed roads raced largely by amateurs and are cheered on by cowbell-ringing, loudly cheering, locals.
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I wanted to capture the endeavour that the cyclists put themselves through. I used additional lighting to create a more dramatic scene and cropped the images tightly to really focus on the expressions of the cyclists. A race such as this is as much a battle against yourself as it is your body battling up the hill.
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Follow more of Duncan Elliot’s work here.