Inaugural Arizona Monster 300
Client: Destination Trail Races
Brief: Create images to cover the story of their inaugural 300-mile race, the Arizona Monster 300. We would need to cover the race through marketing and social media, and ensure that every runner’s story is covered as thoroughly as possible. Minimum deliverables - 2000 images (each photographer) within 9 days of the races ending.
Thoughts: What’s the old saying? How do you eat an elephant? Well in this case, you work with a team of bad ass creatives to make a plan you know will go up in flames, and trusty them to adapt. Photographing a 200-mile-plus race has its own set of complications, as we need to capture all the hero images for the race. As well as every runner's journey must be documented, from pre-race portraits to the finish line and dozens of on-trail photos in between. All while making sure you’re taking care of yourself along the way. Sound complicated? Add 100 extra miles and three more days of shooting. We will need a robust plan to ensure we have all our ducks in a row.
Anastasia Wilde, Sarah Attar, and I were hired to cover all still photos for this monster of an event, with over thirty-five 200-mile races covered between the three of us, we knew he had the experience to make this happen. So, we started to tuck into the metaphorical elephant six months before the event. Spread sheets, weekly meetings, and dozens of pages of notes later, we were ready to see how this one went. We hired an additional photographer to help us manage the finish line for 2 days, which would allow us extra time on the course. Thank you, Kristen Nelson, for stepping up to the plate and making incredible images at the finish line.
