Cycling Photography

Dan & Janine Patitucci cycling on the Dolomites Passo delle Erbe

Last year Janine made a statement that made me very, very happy, “Let’s make 2012 the year of the bike”. Here we are, summer 2012, and it has truly become just that. Typically our summer is full of hiking, climbing and trail running trips. While we have all that on the schedule, the big projects involve pedaling. The Swiss CrissCross, which I just wrote about here, is the biggest trip on our books this summer.

Maybe it’s time for a confession. Those that know me are very familiar with my obsession to spend time each day on the bike. I don’t love tinkering on them and care little about the tech. I just want the best bike and components available, and then I want to go use it as much as possible.

Dan doing his thing, Südtirol

When I was about 12 years old, I was introduced to road riding by an Italian who lived on the street where I grew up. Every day I’d see him come and go on his beautiful blue Gios Torino wearing wool kit and a hairnet. Somehow this was all hugely appealing. My fate was sealed in the form of a Motobecane Grand Tour which my parents gave me to ride to school. While most of my friends were jumping BMX bikes, playing with firecrackers and shooting hoops, I was charging around as fast as I could trying to get on wheels on the Sacramento Bike Trail. While Euro racing news was almost impossible to come by in the US, I still knew the names Bernard Hinault and Joop Zoetemelk. Every now and then I saw an Italian BiciSport Magazine which allowed me to dream of what it must be like riding and racing a bike in Europe. Breaking Away could have been me about me. Forty years later, little has changed. I always look forward to getting on the bike and am in no hurry to get off. I fell in love with the motion and the feelings it gave me, but perhaps most of all, I love the freedom that comes from seeing the world from a bike.

The other office

Road riding has influenced my life in countless ways. It’s where I process, develop ideas and dream. It is likely the reason for our move to Europe, a life changing decision, because I wanted to be immersed in cycling on the world’s best roads and passes. I raced for many years in both the US and Europe, I have seen the landscape and felt the intensity, I am lucky enough to know how it feels to cross a finish line with my arms held high. And, I see the bike as the reason I have been so lucky to remain healthy my entire life.

Most importantly, the bike has given me time to think, or maybe even better, to not think, which has made me who I am and given me the life I am so fortunate to have.

For the last 14 years I tried to keep cycling separate from what I do for work, I didn’t want to share, or shoot it. Until now. Now I want to see what I can do in the cycling world with my images, I want to see if I can make an image of what I feel, and I want to see what images I make given the opportunity to photograph the thing I love most. It is as much a personal challenge as it is a new business direction, and together with Janine, we’re equally excited to do both.

We’ve added a Cycling Portfolio to our website, we hope you’ll have a look : PatitucciPhoto Cycling

Are you a cyclist? Love to hear your thoughts. As always, comments are welcome.

Thanks for reading!

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