Eyes on the World

Long after the dust has settled on the epic battles that define cycling’s history and mould its champions lie the photographs which restore the memories and stoke the imagination of generations of cycling fans.

The photographers behind the thousands of images that grace the pages of the publications of today and yesteryear are as much a part of cycling as the protagonists whose triumphs, rivalries and adversities constitute all that is beautiful about the sport.

Each image is a stamp in time with the power to portray the very essence of the sport and to convey and cultivate a more intense understanding and appreciation of the extraordinary limits of physical endurance to which professional cyclists subject themselves.

Photographing cycling is much more an art than a profession and only a handful of photographers embody the talent and qualities which have made London-born Graham Watson one of the most internationally recognised cycling photographers of the past three decades.

He has produced some of the cycling’s most powerful and enduring images, many of which he has now put together in a unique photographic exhibition which is set to take place in Geelong, Australia during next weekend’s 2010 World Cycling Championships.

Finding the perfect office and that work life balance can be a struggle for Graham. 

Watson’s ‘Eyes on the World’ showcases his work from the time that he visited his first Tour de France in 1977 to produce the photograph which won a small competition organised by British Cycling Weekly magazine to kick-start his career.

The 1977 Tour was the last in which the legendary Eddy Merckx competed but it opened the door for the British photographer who has since documented the careers of a succession of champions including Bernard Hinault, Greg Lemond, Miguel Indurain, Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador.

His new exhibition is adapted from the ‘Eyes on the Tour de France’ exhibit which was first unveiled at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Dublin in 1988 and subsequently in London in 2007 and features some fascinating photographs from the Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche era.

The exhibition, it could be argued, has taken three decades to complete but Watson’s meticulous attention to detail and unrelenting quest for perfection reveals some of what it takes to produce such an outstanding body of work.

For a photographer who runs off a maximum of 600 shots during a Tour de France stage and about 500 for a one day classic like Paris Roubaix editing is something which he has also reduced to a fine art with just 120 of those Tour photos or 150 classic photos saved to his database.

Watson has been around long enough to have witnessed the evolution from shooting and processing film to the digital age and is the first to admit that modern technology has had as much an effect on making his life easier as it has had on challenging him to stay at the top of his game.

“Modern technology had changed my job completely. I think keeping ahead of your rivals is one of the biggest challenges of the job. That is more difficult now with modern cameras but still fun,” he told Irish Pro Cycling.

“Digital cameras take the thinking out of the job, so it’s less stressful but slightly less satisfying. Because anyone can use a digital camera the job has become more competitive but less profitable.

“I work harder with more clients to make less than before but that’s the great challenge, which I like very much. Because digital photography and the Internet have changed the way I work I take more of an interest in everything around me including food, wine, culture, travel and people,” he continued.

Watson spends about 185 days each season at races, excluding travel, and a typical working day lasts 14 hours. That involves checking the start list, studying the race route, familiaring himself with the race and who is likely to do well, finding and shooting scenic shots.

“Then I tuck in behind the race until an escape gets going, at which point I move ahead and shoot the escape, scenery and peloton chasing. I have to guess when to be ahead for scenery or behind for crashes.

“I get to the finish with minutes to spare, shoot the finish and podium, send shots from my iPad, if need be, head to the press room for a two to three hour working period, and then head to the hotel for a shower and dinner,”  he explained.

A perfectionist he may be but Watson makes the point that he has no magic formula for taking the perfect photo. 

“That’s in the eye of beholder. A perfect photo in my mind is one that captures the moment or that shows the beauty of the sport,” he explains.

It is no surprise then that he rates his photograph of Bernard Hinault leading Greg Lemond up Alpe d’Huez during the 1986 Tour de France as the favourite among the countless photogaphs he has taken during his career.

Lemond was leading the Frenchman on his way to overall victory amid an intense battle within the La Via Claire team after Hinault was famously alleged to have reneged on a promise to help the young American to win his first Tour having mounted a failed bid to become the first six time winner of the race.

“Hinault and Lemond at Alpe d’Huez in ’86 is the one. I love the gladiatorial look on their faces, the Alpine scenery, the moment in history, the fans. The Tour de France has to be my favourite race because it’s the best. It makes us play above ourselves, the racing is the best and the eyes of the world are upon us,” Watson revealed.

It is not surprising that he considers Lance Armstrong to be the greatest champion of his generation but he also has fond memories of the Kelly and Roche era. 

Although he confesses that he is hard pressed to pick a favourite photo from the hundreds of contenders featuring Kelly he concedes that the ‘grimace and grunt’ expression in his shot of the Carrick-on-Suir man on St. Patrick’s Hill in Cork during the 1991 Nissan Classic is his best.

A number of those photographs are included in the ‘Eyes on the World’ exhibition which is being promoted by Dubliner Darach McQuaid of Shadetree Sports. The exhibit also spans the careers of Hinault, Indurain, Armstrong and Contador and features some prints which have never been seen before.

A special section is devoted to the careers of the pioneering Australian riders Phil Anderson and Allan Peiper with the fantastic breadth of images also including beautiful shots of World Champion Cadel Evans, Robbie McEwen and Richie Porte, among others.

A limited number of prints will be available for sale at the exhibition which takes place at the National Wool Museum at Moorabool Street on the World Championships finishing straight in Geelong from September 28th to October 4th

Watson himself will be on hand to sign prints and to take questions from aspiring photographers for whom Irish Pro Cycling has already sought his expert advice.

“Put your heart and soul into it as quickly as you can. It is a very competitive business. Keep the photography simple at first and buy better equipment as and when you make some progress in sales or gain recognition.

“Look at other photographers’ work and tell yourself you can do it too. You need to be passionate about the subject you have chosen. Be your own biggest critic and be hard on yourself when appraising how good or bad an image is,” he advises those wishing to follow in his footsteps.

Irish cycling fans interested in seeing more of Watson’s  work or in purchasing  prints of any of the photographs of the Irish riders published on the Irish Pro Cycling website should visit www.grahamwatson.com.

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