Meet Willie Reichenstein
Willie will be joining me as a member of the media at the 2012 Amgen Tour of California offering his sports photographic talents to the Pedal Dancer® guide for professional cycling fans. You will see his work posted over the coming weeks on the website marked as ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein for PedalDancer.com . Willie has attended the Tour de France as a fan, has ridden l'Etape du California, and spends several evenings a week photographing local sporting events near his home in Costa Mesa, California. What is most notable about Willie's photography is that he is in motion almost as much as the athletes he captures. I look forward to seeing his images.
In addition to myself, Pedal Dancer has a number of traveling photographers who have contributed images to this site in the past years, including photographs marked with SyS (my brother Mike "Straw" and his wife Suz), and Kenny Rakestraw (my nephew and professional triathlete), and Ron Long. You will see more of their work in the future, for now I am very pleased to be traveling along with Willie to Stages 5, 6, 7, and 8 next week to bring you more images of being a fan of professional cycling.
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| Willie at the Tour de France |
Images by Willie Reichenstein click any image to enlarge
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| The many colors of the Tour de France ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Vive le Tour ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| You can never have too many jerseys! ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Mark Cavendish and Bernhard Eisel ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| The mighty Jens Voigt ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Thomas Voeckler ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Sylvain Chavanel in the yellow jersey ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Armstrong and Horner at the TDF ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Willie's son Will showing his Scotland pride at the Tour de France ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Fans: Good friends and family (son Will and wife Liz) together at the Tour de France ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
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| Capturing the feeling of being a fan at the TDF ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
Two photos Willie took 2 nights ago of Newport HS fast action volleyball
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| This happens to be my awesome nephew Kevin ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein |
An introduction to Willie Reichenstein
As an athlete and Coach originally from Scotland, Willie is a California transplant with a passion for most things competitive. As a long time avid bike rider and with a history of canoeing at the highest level, he stays active in these endeavors. For the last several years he has embraced photography, be it birds, landscapes or sports.
At the local high school where his son had attended, he is a constant figure capturing athletic events.
Volunteering his time to create a website so that the school and parents can view and use his photos has introduced him to many new friends.
Volunteering his time to create a website so that the school and parents can view and use his photos has introduced him to many new friends.
Able to ride one amateur stage of The Tour of California last year, his interest was peaked. He is attending with a camera this year but will certainly understand the grimace of these amazing competitors.
Welcome Willie!Other contributing Photographers
Ryan Wallace, contributing Photographer at USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2013
About Ryan:
Ryan is a student of photojournalism and photographer at Revline Photo. About to complete his studies, Ryan is an excellent action photographer of motocycles, cars, and bikes. One single photo of Ryan's is like gold. You can see some of his images at www.RevlinePhoto.com. See Ryan's work: Ryan Wallace Photography of the USA Pro Challenge.
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| Ryan Wallace shooting Cyclocross in Colorado, 2012. Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer® |
Laurie Valaer, contributing Photographer at USA Pro Cycling Challenge
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| Laurie photographing cyclocross in Colorado Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer® |
Over the years, cycling has meant a variety of things to me. It’s been a means of exercise, a way to challenge myself to be better, a chance to socialize with friends and connect more deeply with my husband, and, perhaps most importantly to me, an opportunity to look within and learn more about myself and what I’m capable of – a mediation of sorts. That is the beauty of cycling….it can mean so many different things to different people.
And, that is also why I love to photograph the sport. As with all my photography, I try to capture my impressions of the world and give you a glimpse into it from a new perspective. When I capture the joy, pain, and determination of the riders; the encouragement, support, and revelry of the fans; and the overall passion, competition, and camaraderie of the events …. then I can give you that glimpse into the world of cycling and, perhaps, show you the possibilities of what cycling can mean to you.
Ron Long, contributing Photographer at USA Pro Cycling Challenge, 2012, and many photographs from France.
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| Ron, Photographer, Colorado ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer® |
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| Chuck Parson, Photographer, Colorado ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer® |
Ryan Muncy, contributing Photographer at USA Pro Cycling Challenge 2013
About Ryan:
I am a freelance photographer who had an early start in the pursuit of the photojournalism field. After letting it go for some time, I've brought photography back into the thick of it to see where it now may lead.
Growing up with artist parents in Upstate New York, having a life long passion for cycling and photography, has taught me to see the world in a different light. I enjoy showing the way I see the world around me captured in images that are only a fraction of a second frozen in time ... people, music, sports, events, editorial, unique portraits, and even emotion through photography.
I've been with a camera in hand for most of my life in one way or another, and try to capture images with a documentary, yet artistic with a photojournalistic sense. As my quest continues to evolve, I like to stick with a style that looks as if were taken out of the news pages from years ago -- often gritty, and just shooting from the hip.
I grew up in Syracuse, NY and received my BA at State University of New York College at Buffalo in 1994 studying Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising.
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| Ryan Muncy |
More Contributing Photographers (and people who inspire):
Mike Rakestraw, Susan Benner, Kenny Rakestraw, Jason Maxwell, Brian Graves, Monica B., Duke Mike N., Katie Strausser. Pedal Dancer Photographers