Rock/Creek’s Upchuck 50K Trail Race in Black and White
In the latest trail race video I shot for Chattanooga outdoor retailer Rock/Creek, I decided to do something a little different.
Deep Creek
The Upchuck 50K is one of the toughest trail races in the country, and in just a few years has become a cult-classic, and a sought-after hardman notch in the belt. It tackles some of the most wild and technical terrain in the Cumberlands. The race entires are limited, with an admission process. and race day is bare bones, no sponsors, minimal aid stations, just “you, alone in the woods.”
As with most things, its best to spend some time with a subject which in this case was both the trail runners and the woods itself. Rather than shoot any race footage at all, I gathered some stories and shot some interviews with some of the racers and founders of the Upchuck, then spent a few days along the trail with friend and photography student Jake Wheeler shooting black and white photography and some video of the course. It’s a different kind of race that attracts a wild and quirky crowd. Let me know what you think.
Some tech details: Interviews, which I set up at The Crashpad in Chattanooga, TN were shot on the Panasonic AF-100 with Nikon 24mm f/1.4G lens. A Westcott TD6 lit the interviews. This has become my light of choice for nearly everything.
Jake Wheeler joined me on the course and took some of the stills in the video
Upchuck Course
Here are some more of my stills from this beautiful and remote trail:
Near the start of the Upchuck 50K trail near Soddy Daisy, which follows the Cumberland Trail for most of the way
Rock Creek Gorge
Rock Creek
One of the many waterfalls along the trail
Rock overhang. Tons of climbing in this area, including the newly-developed Deep Creek