Canon Professional Network - Elizabeth Kreutz

One day in July 1995, Elizabeth Kreutz was watching TV in New York and stumbled across coverage of the Tour de France. The tragic death that day of an Italian cyclist, and the moving reaction of the other competitors, made her want to watch the next day. By the end of the week she was hooked. Here she talks to John McDermott about her friendship with cycling’s most famous star, Lance Armstrong, and how she has become a respected sports photographer in a male-dominated field.

One of the very few female photographers covering the Tour, Elizabeth Kreutz, a 33-year-old from Austin, Texas, is currently shooting her fourth Tour de France. She not only works for various cycling publications and sponsors, including Nike, but is also the official photographer of the Discovery Channel team, home to some of the sport’s top competitors. The team’s most illustrious member, until his retirement, was another Austin resident, seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong.

Lance Armstrong out of the saddle

Elizabeth’s path to the Tour de France, and to professional photography, has been somewhat unusual. Had the Austin native settled anywhere else after completing her studies in Communications at the University of Texas in 1996, she might never have come to know Armstrong as a friend. That friendship was to become an important factor in her professional development. “Following my junior year at the University of Texas,” Kreutz explains, “I found a summer internship in New York at the NBC television network, in their Olympics division. Someone at NBC, realising I was from Austin, asked me if I knew Lance Armstrong. I didn’t know much about cycling at that point, and had no idea who he was. Later that day, I was channel-surfing at home and came across the Tour de France coverage on [sports channel] ESPN. It was Stage 15, the day Lance’s teammate, the Italian Fabio Casartelli, was killed in a violent crash. I continued to watch the next day when the peloton rode as one, with Casartelli’s Motorola teammates at the front, not racing, just crossing the line together in honour of Fabio. Then, Stage 18 was one of the most moving things I’ve ever witnessed in sports. Lance seemed to be riding with the strength of two that day and as he approached the finish line to win the stage he pointed with both index fingers to the sky as if to say that he had won it for Fabio. It was incredibly emotional. I was hooked.”

Peloton goes slow

Later that year, back home in Austin and now working as a fitness trainer, Elizabeth finally met Armstrong for the first time. When he was diagnosed with cancer she volunteered for the newly-formed Lance Armstrong Foundation eventually becoming the organisation’s second full-time employee, with primary responsibility for public relations. In 1999, with Armstrong recovered and competing again, she went to France as a fan, to follow the last week of the Tour and to celebrate Armstrong’s likely victory. “I fell in love with the race and greatly admired the love affair the French have with cycling,” Elizabeth explains. “I had never experienced anything else like it; thousands of fans standing on the side of a mountain road for hours just to catch a glimpse of their heroes as they rode by for a few seconds.”

Elizabeth’s earliest attempts at photography were strictly for personal pleasure. “Growing up, I was always the girl with the camera who brought family and friends together to make photos,” she says. “Years ago my mom had given my dad an EOS 650 camera after seeing some incredible prints made by a friend who had one. In high school I began borrowing it. I appreciated how easy it was to use, especially because I had no working knowledge of shutter speeds and f-stops. That little green ‘automatic’ setting was a dream.”

It wasn’t until the end of Elizabeth’s penultimate year at the University of Texas that she even took a basic photography course. “I needed to fill my schedule and a class called Photojournalism 101 caught my eye,” she recalls. “I didn’t think it would be anything serious, just a fun way to fulfill a requirement for graduation.” As the class progressed she realised she had found something special and by the end of the term her professor, strongly encouraged her to further her photographic education by taking the Photojournalism department head JB Colson’s class.
“JB recognised my passion to learn and was willing to teach me,” she explains. “He understood my outgoing personality and ability to quickly connect with my subjects and predicted that one day I would combine those qualities with my photographic eye to have a successful career. I knew nothing about the technical side of photography but I spent hours in the darkroom and totally immersed myself in the classes, finishing with top marks. Years later, when I actually did start my own photography business, I went back to the University to thank JB and tell him what a huge impact he had made on my life.”

Back in Austin and working for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Elizabeth had begun dating the man who is now her husband, James Bonney, a professional triathlete. She began photographing James and other athletes at triathlon events. Soon magazines began to buy pictures from her and send her on assignments to cover races. James encouraged her to start an event photography business so she could combine her love of sports and photography.

Austin is a big university town and a hub for amateur athletics of all kinds and the event photography business was quickly successful. James eventually built an e-commerce website so people could purchase pictures online. Elizabeth got more and more work covering triathlons and running events and formed another company, Documentary Life, to cover weddings, do portraiture and travel photography. “I’m thankful,” she says, “that I am able to expand into other areas of photography. I only do half a dozen weddings a year but I really look forward to them because of the amount of creative control I have. I approach the weddings and travel photography as I do sporting events. So much happens at once and you have to be ready to capture special moments.”

Elizabeth’s interest in cycling, and fascination with the Tour de France, remained strong. But it was 2004 before she began shooting the Tour and even then it was not as a credentialed member of the media, but rather as a well-equipped spectator trying to take pictures from positions along the racecourse. She explains: “I wanted to put my time in on the ground and create a portfolio and then, hopefully get a credential the following year. My husband and I rented an RV with another photographer from Austin and we followed the Tour for three weeks. Not having access to the start and finish was difficult, but the route is completely open so I would stake out my spot early in the day, just like the spectators, and wait for hours. When I got home I showed my work to Newsport, an agency here in the USA, and later they arranged credentials for me through Newsweek magazine for the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Tour de France.”

Crowd closes in on a racer at the finish

Elizabeth’s experience at the 2005 Tour was decidedly mixed. “It was difficult because some of the American press just saw me as ‘Lance’s friend’,” she says in retrospect. “And I was one of only four women photographers working the event. But I slaved away in the press room every day, often the last person to leave, and I let my work speak for itself. Things gradually got better. Most of the journalists are now very friendly and I find that among the photographers the ‘best of the best’ – people like Graham Watson, for example – are the ones who are the most friendly and willing to help you. It’s actually the ones further down the ladder who might feel threatened by a newcomer and who can sometimes be a challenge to deal with. And perhaps my being a woman and a friend of Lance provides them with easy ammunition. Fortunately, there are only a couple of people who are like that now. I guess it’s just part of the business. The European press seems less concerned about what you are doing and whom you’re working for and everyone is very professional, respectful of each other and willing to help you. The 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino was my first and I met a lot of amazing photographers there as well.”

An Olympic giant slalom skier at the Torino Games

When asked about the advantages and disadvantages of being a woman working in what has traditionally been very much a man’s world, Elizabeth doesn’t hold back: “Four weeks of covering a race all across France is exhausting. I’m only 5’3” and the physical aspect of this job is very demanding, the equipment is heavy and the travel can be taxing. Also, there have been times when male photographers have talked to me in a way that they would never speak to another man. I know this is something women sometimes have to deal with in every profession so I just try to handle it calmly and professionally and move on. On the other hand, I think people are usually more willing to help out a woman when she is in a bind and needs help, though I like to think it has more to do with just being nice to people and treating them with respect. In the predominantly male cycling world I find I get a different reaction from a lot of the racers who seem happy to see a smiling face and may open up a bit more with me.”

Looking at Elizabeth’s cycling photographs it’s apparent she has a special feeling for the sport. It’s not uncommon to find sports photographers who have a strong personal athletic background. It can give them an edge when shooting action. Elizabeth is no exception.
“I come from an athletic family and I grew up playing soccer and basketball, and swimming and diving, competitively and also doing horseback riding and jumping. These days I run or box 4 or 5 days a week and play indoor soccer regularly. I know this, together with knowledge of things like tactics, has helped me to have a better sense of anticipation when I’m shooting action or setting myself up to get a specific kind of shot. In cycling, for example, if you want to capture an intense face shot during a time trial the best place to be is close to the finish, just after the last turn. The racer usually brakes during a turn, seated in the saddle, but as soon as they come out of that turn they are up out of the saddle pulling hard to get back up to speed. The facial expressions at that point can be extremely intense as they give all they’ve got for the last 100m or so.”

Covering a multi-stage cycling event like the Tour de France presents a number of technical and logistical challenges to which Elizabeth has found her own solutions. While working she always wears a chest vest to help evenly distribute the weight of her gear, something that is especially important when covering the race from the back seat of one of the official press motorcycles. She usually shoots with three principal Canon L zoom lenses in most situations. She always carries two EOS-1D Mark II N bodies, and now an EOS-1D Mark III, plus several lenses. The EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, the EF 1.4x II extender and the EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye all go in the pockets of her vest, along with a battery pack for her Canon flash guns. She says: “This year I plan to use a Canon Compact Battery Pack CP-E3 to reduce weight compared to the larger and heavier Quantum Turbo battery I’ve carried in the past. When I’m shooting from the motorcycle I alternate between three zooms. I keep an EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM in the side suitcase to have for roadside and finish line shots. Fill-flash is essential shooting cycling, given that you’re almost always working in the middle of the day under bright sunlight. I’m thinking about shooting from the motorcycle this year with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM to lighten my load a bit.”

Fill-flash used on bright, sunny days

It’s a common misconception that photographers working from the Tour motorcycles sit backwards to face the racers. Elizabeth dispels that idea. “It’s absolutely not allowed at the Tour,” she says, “though I do it when I shoot triathlons. On the Tour the routes are too dangerous and the riders are taking the shortest lines on either side of the road. So you have to have your head up and be aware of what’s in front of you. I also like to see where I’m going in case there’s a nice shot coming up and I can tell the driver to pull over.”

But a place on the motorcycle is a privilege that is not available every day at the Tour. According to Elizabeth, when working without it, it’s necessary to do some serious planning the night before the stage in order to be in position at the right time to get the shots you want. “Each night I get together with my driver – usually one of my two brothers – to map out the route and our plan of action. If the stage is flat I can usually take an off-course route and try to overlap the peloton to intersect the race two or three times before heading for the finish. You can never overtake the peloton on the course during a race. When it’s a mountain finish there is only one option: get to the top! That is where all the drama unfolds anyway and you can sometimes tell the whole story of the day in one shot. For example, in 2005 during Stage 15 I was listening to the race radio and knew that Discovery Channel rider George Hincapie was in the break and had a good chance to win. Instead of lining up at the finish with 30 other photographers I opted to walk down a couple hundred meters, hoping to capture an exciting moment, and something different. Just as I saw George appear, he made his breakaway move to win the stage. It’s a special image to me, and it’s one of George’s favorite shots too.”

George Hincapie’s Tour stage win in 2005

Elizabeth is quick to acknowledge a debt to her friend and hero Lance Armstrong. She also offers special insight into the man who holds the record for the most Tour de France victories. “The Lance I know is driven and fiercely competitive, even if he’s just playing dominos,” she confides. “He is worldly, committed, smart and a great father to his kids.

On the other hand he himself is a big kid at heart; sarcastic and funny, but also thoughtful and loyal. Our friendship grew out of my work with the Foundation which he started to help fight cancer and since I left to start my photography business he has always been supportive and one of my biggest fans. It means a lot to me. I still photograph all the events and fundraisers for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
He likes to give me a hard time. Sometimes when he sees a photo of mine that he likes he’ll say ‘Wow! That photo is fantastic. Is that a Graham Watson picture?’. The joke never gets old because I know it’s done with affection. When a magazine is doing an article on Lance and needs a photographer he sometimes recommends me for the job, because he is comfortable with me and the client will be happy with the product. I’m close to his children, as well as his former wife Kristen, and we try to all get together at least once a year to do some casual family portraits. Something else about Lance – he loves photography and has a great eye. He loves to art direct and set up shots.”

Lance relaxing with his children

Being a team photographer gives Elizabeth privileged insider access. But with it comes additional responsibility. When she began working with the Discovery Channel team she had to quickly adapt. “I was asked to do all the photography for the 2006 media guide and team PR materials, at a training camp in Solvang, California, near Santa Barbara. There were 29 riders plus all the staff-directors, trainers, doctors, masseurs. I wanted them to be comfortable with me so I could get the best shots. I started introducing myself to everyone day-by-day and soon I could see them opening up. Later, the team director, Johan Bryuneel, pulled me aside and told me how everyone seemed so relaxed with me, that it was all painless and that the photos were turning out better than they had gotten in previous years. “There are hundreds of race photographers. I want to honour the special access I have and show the fans not only the passion and beauty of the sport, but also a little bit of the racers’ personality and their world from the inside,” she says.

Behind the scenes with the racers

Elizabeth is not unmindful of the controversy over performance-enhancing drug use that has surrounded cycling in recent years. This year it hit close to home. New Discovery Channel rider, and 2006 Giro d’Italia champion, Ivan Basso admitted having sought help from a Spanish doctor who was found to be providing banned substances to athletes. Basso was let go and ultimately received a two-year suspension. In his brief time with the team, Elizabeth had come to know and like Basso.
“Ivan is a wonderful person who treated everybody with respect. Everyone liked him very much and that made his departure tough. When you know someone personally who is banned due to alleged drug use it tends to alter your feelings about the situation. I’m not so quick to judge Ivan because I know how much he loves the sport. He made a bad decision – he’s human. The drug problem in cycling is a lot bigger than Ivan or other individual riders. And there are drugs in every sport, even triathlon where there is hardly any money to be made.”

While Elizabeth is best known for her work in cycling, she continues to enjoy photographing triathlons. “An Ironman Triathlon lasts at least eight hours. There is so much you can shoot and be creative within an event that consists of three different disciplines – a 2.3-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and a marathon run. I would love to see Lance compete in the Hawaii Ironman. He began his career competing successfully in major triathlons as a teenager. But after years of hard work on the bike I think he’s enjoying retirement too much now to return to competition and he is very focused on the fight against cancer.”

Dusk at the Torino Winter Olympics bobsled

With Tour de France and the Torino Olympics behind her, Elizabeth Kreutz has aspirations to one day photograph another even bigger event. “I love soccer, and I’ve set a goal to shoot my first FIFA World Cup in 2010, in South Africa. I’ll be there.” Don’t bet against it.

Inspirations: “Graham Watson, because he is not only a world-class photographer but also a great person. He’s been shooting cycling for more than 20 years and was a competitive cyclist ’back in the day’. He has a great sense of humor and is always available to give advice on photographing cycling and the ups and downs of covering the Tour. He’s covered Lance’s entire career and is respected by everyone. “Annie Liebovitz is someone I admire for how she relates to her subjects. Lance really likes to work with her and I would love to be a fly on the wall during their next shoot together. “Doug Mills of the New York Times was especially kind and helped me a lot during my first Olympics in Torino. California freelancer Rick Rickman has also been a great mentor on both photography and business side of photography.”

TECH INFO

Elizabeth Kreutz’s Tour de France equipment:

Bodies:

2x EOS-1D Mark II N
EOS-1D Mark III

Lenses:

EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye

Accessories

Canon extender EF 1.4x II
Canon Speedlite 550EX
Canon Speedlite 580EX
Compact battery pack CP-E3
Quantum Turbo battery
Chest vest
Think Tank Airport Security roller case
Crumpler backpack
Gateway PC
ACDSee editing software
Portable external hard drive
Lots of sunscreen

Elizabeth Kreutz: Rolling with the Boys

Elizabeth Kreutz

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Elizabeth Kreutz: Rolling with the Boys

Elizabeth Kreutz

Road test

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