Manual Focus; Portraits Between Races…

This series was born in the heart of La Guayaba cycling competitions, a setting where my usual goal is to freeze speed and action. However, this time I made a deliberate and distinct decision: to set aside the pursuit of the race and confront a personal technical challenge.

The gear: a Nikkor 80-200 mm f/2.8, mounted on a Canon 5D Mark III via an adapter, operated entirely in manual mode. The difficulty is evident: no autofocus, no automatic stabilization, just the eye, intuition, and the millimetric precision of my hands.

Rather than documenting the competition itself, I set out to capture the pause, the focus, and the essence of the cyclists outside of motion. The accompanying image reflects that approach: a serene portrait, with a steady gaze and a composed expression, where determination is measured not by speed but by attitude.

About the lens: character and optical aesthetics
The Nikkor 80-200 mm f/2.8 is a lens with a soul of its own. When paired with a fullframe sensor like that of the Canon 5D Mark III, it delivers a bokeh that is smooth and creamy, yet not overly sanitized like modern lenses. There’s a subtle texture in the blur that adds depth and character to portraits, naturally separating the subject from the background without losing context.

In terms of color, the Nikon-Canon combination creates a distinctive chromatic profile: well defined warm tones, rich greens, and skin tones that, although not as neutral as Canon’s L lenses, offer an organic nuance that enhances the atmosphere of the image. It’s a look that doesn’t come straight out of the factory, it emerges from the interaction between different technologies.

The feeling of cycling races
Cycling competitions are more than a sport. They are a stage of everyday epic battles, where effort, endurance, and discipline blend with camaraderie, rivalry, and personal achievement. With every lap, cyclists are not only competing against others but also against their own limits.

The atmosphere vibrates with a mix of tension, focus, and passion that few sports convey so clearly. There are intense gazes, controlled breaths, and gestures that shift between fatigue and determination. It’s a non verbal language that speaks volumes without a single word. This is what I aimed to capture: the humanity behind the athlete, the moment when the cyclist stops being just a moving body and becomes a symbol of perseverance and struggle.

This project is not just an exercise in mastering a demanding lens. It is also a visual reflection on control, patience, and the ability to find power in stillness. Amid the rush of the races, I chose to focus on the static to learn how to handle, with mastery, a tool that does not forgive mistakes but rewards with a unique aesthetic when properly dominated.

Series objective: To demonstrate that in sports photography, it is not always action that tells the strongest story. Sometimes, it is the pause between pedal strokes that reveals the true character of the athlete; and the photographer.