Most top photographers know this and none more so than the likes of Sven Martin, Gary Perkin and Duncan Philpott; all f-stop Staff Pros working on the pro MTB circuit, they’ve made careers providing top quality imagery to the best mountain bike magazines you’ll find on newsagent shelves. But just like the athletes they photograph, they realise that to stay at the top of their game they need to train their eye and challenge themselves technically, we reached out to Sven Martin to learn more:

We have been challenging each other for a few years now. Some of the challenges are quirky and fun, others force us to do something different and think outside the box.”

“It started some years ago when a core of us Gary, myself, Duncan and an Aussie based photographer Damien Breach @damianbreach were travelling to the same events a lot. Some have been slowest pan, reflections, silhouettes, sillhouettes with colour, best light flare (#lightbro) best shot of winning rider in finals run etc… Sometimes they get bizzarre with combinations of the above.”

“These self chosen and self imposed challenges are a way to keep it fresh and fun and photo geek out a bit.”

Here at f-stop it was #PanShotFriday that first caught our attention one Friday a few weeks ago; one, after another, after another... the best mountain bike photographers from all over the world showing parading their finest pan shots, all trying to out-do one another: