Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoAwesome Belgian GuysLook ProNostalgia

Anatomy of a Photo: Casually Deliberate Masterclass

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I’d need a thousand just to describe the carefully disheveled cap placement. I’d need another grand just to describe the positioning of the cranks or front skewer or downtube shifters. I’d be another mille mot in the hole to discuss the fit of the jersey or the white socks and black shoes.

All those words and still I wouldn’t have touched the way he’s holding his bike with his forearm. This is the Casually Deliberate masterclass. Full stop.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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936adl says:

Nov 9 2012 at 9:47 am

A-Merckx
Tuvelo says:

Nov 9 2012 at 9:50 am

And, oh yes, the race number.
Dan_R says:

Nov 9 2012 at 10:01 am

word
mcsqueak says:

Nov 9 2012 at 10:22 am

And a bike that has your name on it, which isn't just a decal.
Nate says:

Nov 9 2012 at 10:22 am

Taking the piss out of casually deliberate
Gianni says:

Nov 9 2012 at 10:58 am

Rule 52 in it's original form. And why have a second cage when riding a Tour stage? No need. And look, his socks aren't black. This photo is more than a study in casually deliberate, it's a Rules master class. It would have to be. He is the Rules.
Roadslave525 says:

Nov 9 2012 at 11:04 am

This is my favourite photo of 'The Prophet, at repose, with bike' ever. I'd like to think that heard the photographer spent hours on the set up, making sure everything was just so, and perfect, before shooting two or three rolls of film (for you kids out there, about a 4GB memory card of RAW shots... 72 or so photos)... But I know that everything he did was always perfect, and this was an opportunistic snap.

This photo was the inspiration for my Ti bike, I literally thrust it in front of the guy at my LBS and went "like this!"

After a tough day at the office, or a particularly hard ride, the perfect position of the down tube shifters in this photo actually make me weep
VeloVita says:

Nov 9 2012 at 11:33 am

The only thing this photo doesn't have are the valve stems in the same position, but since its a CASUALLY deliberate photo rather than a deliberate photo of the bike, this can easily be forgiven. And just look at those sideburns - proof it can be pulled off, but certainly not by Wiggins.
Souleur says:

Nov 9 2012 at 12:46 pm

absolute word: race number, the bike named 'for you', the whole repose', is as Gianni said 'masterful'

I have long gazed at this photo and thought, considered and reconsidered

what was the prophet thinking about, how many hours did he prep his ride, did he change anything the day of the race...and it just goes on and on

most likely, he's not thinking of a thing, like most us guys, just casually looking and being the Prophet
Dan_R says:

Nov 9 2012 at 1:25 pm

@Souleur

he's not thinking of a thing, like most us guys, just casually looking and being The Prophet

+1!