The Artwork of MTB Photography with Lear Miller

Lear Miller is likely one of the prime photographers in mountain biking. He shoots pictures for a number of the prime firms in mountain biking, capturing each stunning and awe-inspiring pictures of a sport that he’s been doing himself ever since he was a child.
Lear’s shoppers have included Ford Motor Company, Harley-Davidson, Ibis Cycles, Kona Bikes, Red Bull Media House, Shimano, Specialized, Yeti Coolers, YT Industries, Visit Oregon and plenty of extra.

 

MBA: How did you get into mountain biking?
Lear Miller: My obsession with bikes began early. I started racing BMX after I was about 7 years outdated after recognizing a newspaper clipping a few new observe that had simply opened close by. Around that very same time, my mother was into endurance horse driving and would at all times speak in regards to the limitless trails I may trip a motorbike on.

By the time I used to be 9, I had saved up for my first mountain bike, a Raleigh M800 Disc. The plan was to cross-train for BMX on these trails my mother talked about. In actuality, that meant chasing her by way of deep, sandy cinder trails in Flagstaff, Arizona, whereas she was on horseback. Naturally, I hated it.

A couple of years later, after I was about 13, I used to be buying and selling little one labor for bike elements at an area bike store in Sedona. Some of the native guys would take me out on early-morning rides, 6 a.m. missions earlier than work. They’d freeride washes and do wheelie drops off the slickrock. I fell in love with the liberty of it. Out there I used to be handled like an equal with these 30-year-old males.

 

MBA: How did you get into images?
LM: Well, my mother would movie residence movies of all the things, together with my BMX and moto races, as early as 6 years outdated. I might at all times replay these residence movies on the TV, try to analyze my very own driving and the way I might be higher. Then I received some publicity to excessive sports activities movies likes “Children of a Metal God,” “Mini Warriors” and “New World Disorder.” It was a way of life I had by no means seen. I used to be hooked.

I began utilizing that very same Mini DV digicam to simply movie my associates, and by the point I used to be 14 years outdated, I might trip round all summer season with a digicam bag. The second I had a driver’s license, I used to be taking movie/darkroom night time courses at my area people faculty.

 

MBA: What are a few of your favourite issues about taking pictures mountain bike pictures?
LM: Honestly, simply hanging out with like-minded cool folks. It by no means seems like work in the event you’re collaborating with your mates, and the MTB neighborhood is continually rising that good friend circle.

Taking a artistic imaginative and prescient after which executing it’s a very satisfying feeling. It’s like studying a brand new trick or hitting a brand new bounce. Capturing a scene and the riders’ type in a means that provides even the smallest quantity of justice to the way it felt to the rider is my final purpose.

 

MBA: What are your favourite areas, occasions and riders to shoot?
LM: I’m not an enormous “event guy”—simply working round different photographers, spectators and branding in a race to seek out an angle with mid-day gentle. I might a lot want to work with an idea on a selected imaginative and prescient/vibe with an athlete or model out in a well-scouted location.

That being stated, taking pictures with “T-Mac” [Tyler McCaul] for Rampage in ’24 was a tremendous expertise. He has an important imaginative and prescient for the builds, which might be half the battle to creating one thing {photograph} properly.

To simply be out with my associates with that hype power going, making artwork collectively, is the final word expertise for me. Just striving to convey that feeling that the earth is simply right here as a fantastic playground for us.

 

MBA: How do you make a residing together with your images?
LM: That’s at all times altering, as I’ve been freelancing for about 13 years. Started with photographing something anybody was prepared to pay me for—seniors at my highschool to weddings. By 2018 I used to be getting burnt out after taking pictures nearly 250 weddings and doing work for shoppers I wasn’t captivated with.

Just earlier than Covid, I made a decision to make a transfer to try to get again to my roots within the bike trade. I constructed out a Sprinter van and hit the street.

These days, I primarily work with out of doors manufacturers for advertising and marketing and product content material, working with advert businesses, advertising and marketing peeps at manufacturers, and small enterprise homeowners.

It ebbs and flows. You must anticipate gradual years after the busy ones and discover artistic methods to maintain promoting your artistic craft.

 

MBA: What are a few of your favourite mountain bike pictures that you simply’ve taken?
LM: I’ve loads of pictures I’m pleased with, principally due to the trouble that went into creating them. Some took months of planning, like monitoring the place of the solar or stars, constructing a lip or berm, then returning to line up the shot precisely how I envisioned it. That sort of dedication makes the ultimate picture a lot extra significant.

But, T-Mac leaping the canyon at Rampage, I believe that’s the primary time I’ve ever had these sort of nerves earlier than taking an image. We spent days taking a look at it, attempting to check the place he could be positioned within the sky. I simply knew I would solely have just one likelihood to shoot it, and I might haven’t any management over when that was going to occur.

It’s palms down probably the most insane hole I’ve ever seen accomplished on a motorbike. I simply knew I couldn’t screw it up. When he landed it, there was such an enormous sense of reduction. Obviously for him, but in addition for me. With all of the planning on the planet, moments like which are inconceivable to recreate. That one sticks with me.

 

MBA: What other forms of pictures do you prefer to take?
LM: The apparent ones are browsing, climbing, BMX, skate and moto. Combining panorama compositions with athletes in them is my favourite. I simply love taking pictures folks within the outdoor doing their passions. Photography has allowed me to see a lot extra magnificence on the planet, so simply attempting to share that with others is fulfilling.

MBA: Do you might have any recommendation for different photographers who need to take good mountain bike pictures?
LM: Ride your bike extra, soak up different out of doors/excessive sports activities content material and exit when the circumstances are lower than favorable.

So many professional riders are nice photographers as a result of they perceive the game totally and have the health. The higher rider you change into, the higher you’ll be capable to seize it.

MBA: Your web site mentions that you simply’re an athlete. Did you compete as a professional in any sports activities?
LM: Yeah, I used to race professionally in downhill, twin slalom and 4X. Back in 2011, I competed on the UCI World Champs for 4X racing and received to witness Danny Hart’s legendary downhill run in particular person.

I’ve additionally labored with loads of main MTB publications with testing and reviewing bikes, similar to PB, Vital and Bike Mag. Mostly, I declare athlete as a result of I actually consider you possibly can’t actually doc a sport to the fullest that you simply haven’t participated in. Whether in climbing, browsing, skating or snow, you need to perceive the game and have the fundamental expertise to maintain up with the athletes that you simply’re taking pictures.

Photography and filmmaking are big passions for me, however they’ve at all times been a strategy to share the power and tradition of driving, not simply to make cool content material. Most of my private objectives nonetheless revolve round private athletic challenges. The previous six months I’ve been engaged on flat spins on the massive bike. So whereas I work as a photographer and filmmaker, it by no means seems like the complete title. I nonetheless see myself as a rider or athlete first.