The 2011 i5k photoshoot, poster vote, and death-defying stunts
SLANT | Wednesday, January 26, 2011 
When SLANT branded the i5k (short for the Innovator's 5K Run/Walk/Shuffle) for the Charleston Digital Corridor five years ago, we also created a signature style for the i5k's brand photography so each annual event's shots would retain a consistent look.
This year we narrowed the dusk shots from our early November shoot to five and had the i5k twitter and facebook communities vote on their favorite for use on the i5k poster. The winning photo, shown below, made us glad because it has a good story.
;)
2011 i5k Signature PhotoScene: The i5k race route down Concord Street
Talent: CDC and SLANT peeps all decked out in running gear
Crew: Will (photographer, stuntman), Christopher (LR3 owner, stunt driver)
Object: Action shot with the runners as the focal point and a "zoom" motion effect around them
Plan: Have Will hang low out the back of the LR3 cargo area as Christopher floors it
Results: The unexpected torque of the LR3 sent Will lurching over the back bumper, hanging on to camera and a grab-bar for dear life. He kept his finger on the shutter release the whole time and managed to not hit the pavement. (In several shots you can see the horror on the runners' faces as they reached forward to save him.) After stopping the car, gathering his gear, and changing his shorts, we were all pleasantly surprised to find this image amidst the sequence of frantic stop-action shots.
Don't fret – the other photos from the contest aren't going to waste. We redesigned the www.ifivek.com website for 2011 and the new photos are now integrated into the design - check it out! Props to all of the 2011 sponsors, especially the Terrabyte sponsor: Comcast Business Class. And mark your calendar for the April 11, 2011 i5k. It's a beautiful downtown evening race, and across the finish line there's beer, pizza, smart people networking and sunset on the water at the Maritime Center.
Oh yeah, Will’s ok too. We think he just added "Stunt Photographer" to his resume.
Reader Comments (2)
Love the motion blur on the signature photo. It looks like it was caught on camera rather than added in photoshop- Grant
Thanks for noticing — we embellished the contrast a bit, but tried 2 keep the sense of motion pure. I think next year we'll try a different way of capturing that so as NOT to have another near-death existence.