rich cruse interview July 8th, 2009 by Nikola
Why triathlon?
I have been shooting sports since high school. I first started participating in sports as a runner, then in 1984 I saw the Olympic Road Race and I became very interested in cycling. In 1986, the Orange County Performing Arts Center Triathlon came to town. I photographed the race and I was hooked on triathlon. I first met Scott Tinley there. I was amazed how approachable the pros were at these events. There are very few sports that allow so much access to the pro athletes. I did my first race in San Diego in 1986. I photographed my first Ironman World Championship in Hawaii in 1988 and have returned to Kona 15 times since. Triathletes are the best athletes in the world. It is a high action sport that provides plenty of opportunities for great images. I am dedicated to the sport because I love it. I was never more than a middle of the pack triathlete, so I thought I could use my photography to help further the sport. The last race I did was in 1990 or 1991 if I recall.
You have defined triathlon aesthetics - how would you describe triathlon aesthetics?
That is quite a compliment! Although I think there are many others who do amazing work like Delly Carr and Jero Honda, my mentor was David Epperson. He was “the Man” as far as triathlon photography in the 80’s was concerned. He continues to do amazing work, but more stock photography at the moment. I digress. What David showed me was to “look for the light” and to anticipate action and to be flexible. I try to convey reality and emotion - to make the viewer of the photograph feel what it was like to be there. I try not to inject myself into the image by adding un-natural lighting or making a nuisance of myself. I am a true photojournalist. I record what I see. I also avoid using PhotoShop to alter my images beyond what is known as color correcting and light sharpening if needed. PhotoShop skills are important, but the image that comes from the camera should stand on its own without the need for PhotoShop. People constantly comment that my images don’t “need” any tweaking in PS. That is because I shot slide film for so many years and the margin for error was next to nothing.
What is the perfect triathlon photo?
I will know it when it when I see it! The problem is that you cannot fit all three sports into a single image. That is the challenge when shooting triathlon; it is three sports in one! It is also what makes triathlon so much fun to shoot. I think the ultimate photo of triathlon shows the intensity and athleticism of the athlete. I have been lucky enough to photograph triathlons in: Guam, Saipan, Japan, Bermuda and St. Croix as well as races across the US. I always try to incorporate the location and local people into my images whenever possible.
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2 Responses to “rich cruse interview”
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July 9th, 2009 at 4:30 PM
I met Rich at my 1st XTERRA in 2001 and we have become great friends over the years. Interestingly we accidentally build up quite a good business rapport. Journalists and sponsors always ask me for good action pics and I always refer them to Rich who always has “fresh” pics of me on file. That works out well for Rich, me and the sponsors. Rich also keeps encouraging my photography passion.
July 16th, 2009 at 9:33 AM
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