RUNNING PHOTOS

When I started running at an event in August 2015, I did not care much about my running photos by running photographers at all. During my first run at my first event, I had my photos taken used my smart phone and by own DLSR camera and taken by my son who was with me at the event.

I saw them at earlier events after that which I joined but I had never given any attention to them because my focus was more about to finish my run.

However, it changed until I found my photo when someone tagged it to me at Shah Alam Night Run in January 2016. The photo was taken when I was running to the finish line for my third 10km run. It was a special photo as well because at that event, I did my first sub 1 timing for my 10km event as well. It was taken by Action Pix Malaysia and published via the FB page. The photo was a very nice one to me because it captured that special moments of me running with my natural expression.

However, I thought I might be just lucky and had my photo taken and it may not be the case all the time. So, I did not care much to look for more photos of mine after that. I thought photos to be taken would be only for top runners and during the prize giving ceremony.

My first ever running photo taken by Action Pix Malaysia at Shah Alam Night Run in January 2016.

Then, I had two more photos taken at the next event, Natura Run for Hope, Water Sports Complex, Putrajaya. That photos were tagged again by a friend and this time it both photos were taken by Running Magazine Malaysia.

After that, started to realize that there will always be photographers to photos of runners at events and later will be uploaded at FB pages. Then I started to browse through photos of runners taken at events.

The next event was at Road to Marathon Series, Race number 1 at KL where I saw myself captured again in photos taken by Rany Tan and the event organizer’s photographer.  The following day, I had photos captured again by few photographers at the Bukit Jalil Half Marathon when tagged by friends and I searched for my photos.

By Rany Tan at Road to Marathon Series No. 1, KL in March 2016.

At Bukit Jalil Half Marathon in March 2016.

As I joined more events after that, I started to know some regular photographers through FB and sometimes I saw them at the event venues. In same time, I also understood some photographers are engaged as the official photographer and some are freelance photographers. Among the names that became familiar to me during my early stage of running at events are Action Pix Malaysia, Running Magazine Malaysia, Duta Photos and My Runners when I browsed through searching for my photos at their FB pages which often after my photos tagged by my friends.

Then, I started to recognize some of the photographers such as Rozmi Yunus, the founder of Action Pix Malaysia, Ariffin from Duta Photo and other regular and freelance photographers such as Rany Tan, KU Wong, Seven Chiam Hooi See, ET Tey, Jeffery Teo, Lim CH,Victor, Chan WK and Wendy Soo.

With Rany Tan in May 2016 at Green Warrior Run, 
Taman Botani Shah Alam.

With Rany again at YAMM Nite Run, UiTM in April 2017.

As I continued running at more events, I started to know more of them such as Jamal Zabari at MHWHNR, from My Buddies Run 2017, Fizz Said and En. Arnab and Cik Kura-Kura at Newton Challenge. There are more of them who I could not recall their namees but often seen them at events and from their online photos sharing although sometime my photos were not captured by them.

What is more interesting is some of them are avid runners too such as KU Wong, Jeffery Teo, ET Tey and Jamal Zabari. KU Wong has run several HMs and Jeffery Teo, ET and Jamal Zabari are all marathoners.

With KU Wong at The Compressports Road Challenge 
at Cyberjaya on September 2016.

With Jamal Zabari after he finished his HM Run at PJHM on July 2017.

With Jamal at MPKj HM in Oct 2017.

As recreational runner like me, I don’t really concern who are taking my photos because what matters the most is I could get myself captured at all events if possible while I am running. 

Running photographers

The typical times and location where I have noticed running photographers to shoot photos are as follows:

i) Just before the FO when runners gathered at the FO line. Although top/elite runners are often occupied the front rows but some ordinary runners are just excited to be there and get themselves captured in the photos as well.

ii) During the FO. Photographers are often seen being at higher position on the platform and etc for them to get higher views of runners passing them. This is often the time when runners could see them and smiling, cheering and screaming at them happily with various types of hand gestures normally.

iii) Not far from the FO line when runners started to run. At this stage, we still could see plenty of smiles and cheerful faces waving and looking at the camera. From what I can see at this stage, some photographers are often taking photos of the faster runners who reach there earlier from the FO line.

iv)   Along the route. Photographers often seen at different spots along the route. This is often the individual preference of each of them to take photos of runners from different angle and with different background and views. Depending at what stage/km of the spot, runners are often no longer seen running in big groups. The further the spot from the FO line or often starting from the second half of the overall distance of the run, runners started to be seen running individually. This is also the time runners will get the chance for their individual photos taken by the photographers.

v)  The last few km to the FL. The time when runners are pushing their very best to finish the run. Most of them are already exhausted and some have started to just walk and run slowly. This is often the time when some runners are no longer able to smile and some are not even looking at the camera. If they do smile, it would a very different kind of smile with their face are already truly struggling to smile.

vi) The last few hundred metres to the FL. This is often at the final turn or the long straight line where runners could see the FL arch. Often the time runners are seen pushing themselves and giving their best to continue running to the FL.

vii)At the FL arch and facing the runners. Photos here often taken by the official photographers.

Photos from the official FB of the organiser 
at Fit Malaysia Run, Masjid Tanah Melaka in April 2016.

All photos taken by photographers are often available online after the event for free through FB pages. Some photographers have their own personal FB page and some photographers published it through their official FB page. Some photos published via the event’s page itself by the organiser or shared by the photographer. Some photos will be available few hours after the event or in the same day and some will be online later.

Some photographers do put the watermark at all their photos and some don’t. Some of them are also provide printing service for photos taken upon request and some aren’t. For some events like SCKLM, the official photographers will publish photos taken and notify on now to purchase it online.

From the photos that were tagged by FB friends after several events, I started to like FB pages of photographers and requested to become their FB friend for those who have their own personal FB account. As I joined, more events, I also had the chance to see some photographers personally at the event venue and along the running route.

Some photographers do notify the events that they will be available and some I just seeing them at the event itself. 

By KU Wong at Compressports Road Challenge, 
Cyberjaya  in April  2016.

By Jeffery Teo

For a runner like me, those photos give something more to remember about my runs especially when it was nicely and clearly captured by the photographers at every event.

Initially, I thought photos from the official photographer of the event would always give the best photos for runners to see but after I have seen more and more photos captured at events, it is not case all the time.

To be honest, I don't much about how many of them are truly full-time photographers and how many are doing it just as their hobby and passion. Whoever they are, as I have been seen more often of the outputs of their works at running events, running photography is not an easy job and not just any photographer could do this kind of work which will produce great photos.

The feeling when I saw my running photos taken by professional photographers is always an awesome feeling. I feel it is very special and more memorable when moments while I was running captured visually in the form of photos. 

Another main factor that will make each photo looks better or more special is the way it was taken. This depends on the skills possessed by the photographer and what kind of camera and accessories that they are using.

Below are photos by Running Malaysia Magazine and KU Wong at My10km Go Green Run UKM in May 2016.

By Running Malaysia Magazine

By KU Wong

From what I can observe, each photographer has their own style and quality of works from photos that they produced. Some are good in capturing the close-up visual expressions of a runner, some produced photos of runners with amazing background views, some took shots from unique angles and many more. Some do amaze me with their much higher quality of photos than the official photographer of the event itself. To me, that is their trademark or own personal signature for their works.

I have been seen some photographers are very well and fully equipped while they were taking photos and some are just with simple cameras. Some go to the great length to prepare themselves by studying the route to find the best spots to take the shots and the best time for them to capture runners with their camera.

I often admirer their commitment and their dedication while performing their works at running events. For official photographers, surely, they have the responsibilities to fulfil with their appointment but for those who are not, I don’t see that much difference when it comes to commitment to get the best shots for runners.

For example, for FM and HM runs, all photographers need to be at the event venue as early as runners if they want to capture photos of runners from the beginning before the FO time until the FO moments.

With a typical COT time for HM runs up to 4 hours with the FO as early as 3 a.m.  and up to 7 hours for FM runs with the FO as early as 1 a.m., I assumed the photographers need be there earlier and will spend as much as time as runners must or longer at each event.

For official photographers, they often come in a team of photographers although some are just alone. With the team, they could place each photographer at different spots but for solo photographers especially unofficial/freelance/voluntary photographers, they need to move from one spot to another spot for them to shoot other stages the run itself.

Moving from one spot to other spot with most of the normal running route are controlled and with limited access of normal vehicles, photographers must find their own ways and make the necessary logistics plan and arrangement for their mobility purposes at every event. I saw some of them are using motorcycles to take photos of runners while they are running along the route (I believe this one need the consent of the organiser) and some of them are moving from one spot to one spot with bicycles. Some I just able to see them at one spot and later at another spot and I am not so sure how they moved exactly.

The longer and more complicated the route for each event, the much challenges are waiting for photographers too for them to perform their job to get the best shots.

In the same time, there are things that faced by runners also faced by them too such as the changes in whether during every event. What makes it more challenging for photographers is, they have their camera and the accessories to protect in the unexpected rain or extreme hot weather.

By Lim CH of Running Kaki Malaysia at Watermelon Relay Challenge, 
Taman Metropolitan Kepong in May 2016.

By Running Malaysia Magazine at Asics Relay the night run KL in May 2016.

How do photographers affect runners?

I don’t know about others but personally I am always excited whenever I notice the presence of photographers. At any stage of the run, I always feel their presence will somehow cheer me up.  So, when I see more of them, it does make me more cheerful and excited to keep running especially towards the end of the run.

Sometime, when I feel about to walk to the FL, their presence will trigger me mentally and started running again. Whenever I feel so little gas left in my tank especially in the last few km few hundred metres to the FL, knowing or noticing their presence will suddenly boost my energy level to make my final push or sprint until I cross the FL.

So, I must confess that after every event, I do search for my photos online and in the same time I do hope to be tagged by my FB friends as well. To me, the compilation of photos from each event won’t feel complete without photos while I was running.

I did purchase some of the printed photos from some photographers when I feel the photo is special for me to document my running adventure although most of my photos are kept at my FB page.

By Rany Tan at Green Warrior Run, Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam, April 2016.

At the Scout Day Run, Kuching in August 2016.

Running photos 

Photos while we are running are very different to me compare to static photos that we can capture before the FO and after we have finished our runs. Number one is because we could not take that photos ourselves and only running photographers would be able to do that. Secondly, running photos will show different expressions of ourselves where we don’t see it that often from our normal photos taken at events.

From what I could see, not all may look excited while their running photos were captured but I have never seen any of them were not excited when they see their own photos after that.

To me whether my photos that taken by any photographer were at the pleasant moments or bad moments during my runs, I would still be looking for my photos after every single event. It is because in whatever look that I was captured, it will show the real expressions of me during my runs which can reflect so many stories behind that personally.

It is also very interesting to see so many variations in looks and styles of runners that we can see from those photos. Some are looking very exhausted or tired while some are looking very happy with their own way of face expressions and physical gesture in front of the camera. Some are just not looking at the camera at all and just continuing with their run or walk while some are enjoying their run with different or weird outfits sometime. 

Below are some of my photos taken by different photographers at Newton Challenge, Bandar Kinrara, July 2016.

By Victor Chong

By KU Wong

By Lim CH of Running Kaki Malaysia

By Leong Siew Shen

Photos while I was running at all these events were often very candid because I did not really know where and when my photos would be taken. Therefore, I had no idea on how I would look in the photo until I see it after that. After that, while seeing more and more photos of runners at events, then I started to think on how should I look in front of the camera if I see them during my runs at events.

However, I started to have my natural reaction whenever I saw photographers during runs which I did not notice it at the beginning. It was one photographer, KU Wong told me that is my trademark pose in front of the camera. He mentioned that to me in one of his comments at my FB page after we connected as friend and after he captured my photos at Compressports Road Run Challenge at Cyberjaya in April 2016.

I did not realise that but when I looked back at my photos taken before that, I acknowledged that because I had the similar pose at my runs in March and one more after that in early April in Melaka.

KU Wong also said that I look like a very happy runner with my smile in that pose as well and that is also a reason he like to capture my photos while I am running whenever he sees me at events.

I think KU Wong was right. That could be the pose that represents me because I am happy when I run and every finish of a run is a to me personally. So, when it was captured several times and it happened naturally where both of my arms raised and I am smiling to the camera in the same time, it does reflect my true feeling during every run.

It was not something I have figured out or planned on the way I will react whenever I see the camera while running but somehow it just happened spontaneously. So, more of my photos captured by photographers at events after that were all with almost the same pose and posture. The best thing I have been enjoying it more and getting more comfortable with it too.

Whenever I notice the presence of any photographer along the route, it has become my natural habit to react with the same all the time with my big smile straight to the camera.

By KU Wong, MHWHNR, Putrajaya, July 2016

By KU Wong,SCKLM , August 2016.

By Rany Tan, SCKLM, August 2016

Photos purchased online from the official photographer at SCKLM 2016.

By Running Malaysia Magazine, Semenyih Eco Trail Run 2.0, August 2016.

By Action Pix Malaysia at PJHM, August 2016.
Purchased the printed photo.

By the official photographer, Fit Malaysia Run Selangor, August 2016.

By KU Wong at Compressport Run, Cyberjaya, September 2016.

How to get nice running photos?

The word nice may subjective from one to another. To, it is nice when I like it when I see it. Then I can’t wait to share it with my family and friends. Some of my friends did ask me how I managed to get my photos nicely captured at many events. Honestly, I don’t have definite answers for that.

I learned it just from my experiences in running events myself. With my natural reaction that I have been used whenever I see photographers, then I have something that I personally wanted to see in my running photos.

I just wanted to have photos that truly reflect my feeling about running and while I am running at every event. I wanted to be seen happy and truly enjoying my runs in all my photos. My photos also should reflect on how healthy and fit I am as the main goals for me to run in my life.

By KU Wong at Hearts in Action Run, Cyberjaya, September 2016.

HSN 21km Run, KL in October 2016

Until now, I feel very lucky and grateful because I was captured in many nice photos(in my own nice definition) at many running events. What made more special so far is I had quite a lot of photos taken by the photographers when I achieved some of the key milestones in my running adventure.

For example, other than the photo when I made my first sub 1 for 10km, below are photos of me by KU Wong and Action Pix Malaysia while I was running and achieved my first ever sub 2 for half marathon run at MPKj HM in October 2016.

By KU Wong.To the finish line.

BY Action Pix Malaysia.About 3km to the finish line. Purchased the printed photo.

My celebration of reaching my first ever sub 2 for a HM run 
was nicely captured by the photographer in this photo '
by Action Pix Malaysia.

By the official photographer at Beestorm Trail Run, Kepong, November 2016.

By Rany Tan at Penang Bridge Internation Marathon, November 2016

By KU Wong at Ice Watch Light Up the Night Run, Shah Alam, '
December 2016. At the finish line.

By My Runners at KL International New Year Run, KL, January  2017.

By KU Wong at MPI Generali Run,KL, January 2017.

Another amazing moments that were captured beautifully by different photographers at Twincity Marathon  in January 2016 when I finished my first ever full marathon run as shown below.

By My Runners

By Action Pix Malaysia.Purchased the printed photo.

By Rany Tan

                                                                                  
                      By Seven Chiam Hooi See at Kiara Conquer The Train Run, January 2017.

By Action Pix Malaysia at Pahang International Marathon, Kuantan, March 2017.

By Action Pix Malaysia at Alor Setar Half Marathon, March 2017. 

Purchased the printed photo with the tower background.

By the official photographer at EE Run, Putrajaya, April 2017.

By Running Malaysia Magazine at YAMM  Nite Run, UiTM Shah Alam, April 2017

By Rany Tan at the same above event.

Below are photos from different photographers at SCKLM 2017 in May.

Three photos by the official photographer and purchased online at SCKLM, May 2017.

Another thing is about the positioning of myself whenever I notice the present of photographers. This will depend on what where are they and at what stage of the run. I don’t know most of the photographers in person for them to notice my present but at least whenever I see the camera, I will position myself for them to have a very clear and good view of me for their shots.

Then, I will show the expressions and gestures from my face and body movements that I do appreciate their presence and I am there for them to capture in their shots.  To me, this is a polite and indirect way of requesting for my photos to be taken….he he he.

However, the rest is totally their choice and I could only be thankful to them if one or many of my photos available in their photos later. So far, I am quite happy with quite a lot of my running photos that have been captured nicely by different photographers at almost all events that I have participated.

I often feel something is deeply missed when I am not able to have any running photo at an event that I was one of the runners who finished the run. 

Below are photos by different photographers at Eventbiz Charity Run, Padang Merbok KL in July 2017.

By Seven Chiam Hooi See

By Wendy Soo

By Duta Foto

By Chan WK 

By Action Pix Malaysia at Hulu Langat Trail Run, April 2017.

Three photos by Action Pix Malaysia at PJHM, July 2017.

By Lim CH at MHWHNR, July 2017

By Jamal Zabari at the same event but at the finish line.

The personal experience in taking running photos 

Running has brought so many good and positive things in my life so far.It has also brought me to different, challenges and interesting places with different routes and obstacles tu. To get those  running moments in photos is another way that have made the journey and experiences nicely captured and documented for me  to look back as I move forward to cherish the memories.

After over two years of compiling all my running photos for my personal albums, one day I had the thought of experiencing the photo taking itself. With my basic Canon DLSR camera, I finally gave a try look at runners from the eyes of the photographer at the B2E ultramarathon in September 2017 at Taman Botani Perdana KL.

After the B2E event, I uploaded all the photos at the FB page and shared in all other running FB pages that I am connected. To some point initially, it made me slight worry about the quality of photos that I took that may be not good enough to satisfy them. However, I did declare in my post in the publicly shared album that I am not a professional running photographer and I took those photos just have the experience taking.

Below are some of the photos that I took when I experienced the feeling as a photographer.

I was a little bit surprised too when responses that I received from those who had their photos in the album were very nice. I felt touched will all the compliments and thank you from them for photos that I took.

It the same time, I did feel how much runners appreciated the presence running photographers at events.That could be one of the sources of the motivation that keeping professional running photographers to continue taking and producing amazing photos from their works.

This first-hand experience taking photos was a very amazing one. For the first time, I could see from the lens of my camera about how runners were responding while I was taking their photos and the moments they realized the presence of a photographer while they were running. You will be surprised on how very tired/struggled/almost dying looking faces suddenly can give a very big smile and much happier faces when they saw someone is about to capture or taking their photos.

Some runners can suddenly be starting to run again with various types of gestures with their hands, expressions from their face and all sorts of weird/funny movements in front of the camera.  Some did request for the photographer to snap their photos with their special pose as well. It was a very enlightening experience for me. 

Ipoh 7 Bridges Run, July 2017.

By Seven Chiam Hooi See at Mybuddies Run MAEPS in August 2017

At BHP Orange Run, The Curve in October 2017

From top left: By Fiz Said, Hussien Mullar and KU Wong at Asics Relay KL , 

Putrajaya in October 2017.

Below are photos at HSN Launch Fit Malaysia Run at KL Sports City, Bukit Jalil  in October 2017

By Duta Foto

By Jamal Zabari

The following photos are my run at Newton Challenge 2017  captured nicely by different photographers at different spots along the and moments until I crossed the finish line.

By KU Wong

By Fiz Said

By ET Tey

By Running Malaysia Magazine

By En. Arnab and Cik Kura-Kura

By Seven Chiam Hooi See

Below some amazing shots by  Fiz Said at MPKj Half Marathon in October 2017 during my return to half marathon run after I have recovered from my ankle injury in August-September.

My happy face to the finish line captured by Victor at Allianz Pacer Run, NU Sentral KL in October 2017.

Below are photos taken by three photographers at Putrajaya Night Marathon in November 2017

By My Runners

By Fiz Said

By KU Wong.Few hundred metres from the finish line.

At Larian Hari Keputeraan Sultan Nazrin Shah, Kuala Kangsar in November 2017.

By Action Pix Malaysia

By Fiz Said at KUL Marathon, KLIA in November 2017.

By Empty Kotak

Final notes

Runners often gained their satisfaction from being finishers, achieved the new PB and many other reasons at every run. I guess it is like these running photographers. I believe they are also getting the satisfaction from the photos that they are taking.

From what I can observe, they are not just go out there and take photos but they have something that I called it passion to give the best in what they do. Their commitment, dedication and discipline to get the best outputs from taking photos are as much as how runners want to have the best performance in the run. So, when runners and photographers meet at an event especially while runners are running to have their best run and photographers are there to have their best shots, naturally it will result in amazing photos to be captured.

'

By My Runners at Maritime Run, Putrajaya for my last run at events of 2017.

I do love my photos to be taken but in the same time I must let the photographers do their job comfortably. Therefore, I have the respect to them as much as I have the respect to anyone who are involved a running event is a successful event because without photos, who will remember much about the event after that.  At the end, nice photos will always make anything seen and felt more special for anyone.

On other hand, although all photos taken by these photographers are available online for free and most of photographers that I know off are mainly freelance type. Therefore, I am not the one who will ask them questions such as when they will upload it online or why my photos are not taken by them.

To me as a regular runner at running events for over two years, other than good organisers, the presence of running photographers are also significant to any event. It will give more values to organisers and runners in many and different ways.

Great photos which are published online and have plenty of likes and shared and circulated around especially in the age of social media now will give wide and free publicity for the events and organisers to attract more to apart of the event in the future.

As a runner, nice running photos will always make me remember about special memories in all my runs. It is the type of moments that I love to see it again and again and to share it with people around me in the real life and online friends.

For top runners, they had the placing and prizes to make their runs special and memorable to remember but for an ordinary runner like me, photos while I was running are always something that will make the run at an event felt special and turned my runs into amazing memories in my running adventure.

To end this post, I would like to take this opportunity to record and express my appreciation to all photographers out there who have been consistently making my runs much more fun, enjoyable and special with your presence and all your amazing shots.

Millions of thanks for all your commitment and dedication to deliver the ‘magics’ with your camera and skills every time I see you at running events.

"Things will obsolete or damage but 

great memories will stay"