Your Next Best Profile Photo

A lot of us in the riding community love having our photo taken, anyone who’ll tell you otherwise is lying to you. Especially when the photo makes us look cooler than we actually are, that’s an automatic post, trust that: automatic.

And when Isa Halamani takes your photo? That’s your Profile Photo right there.

SENDR: Did the fact that you’re active yourself play a role, if at all, in your getting into action photography?Does the sport you’re shooting HAVE to be something you’re also into, does it make it easier, knowing the sport and what to expect?

ISA: It doesn’t always *have* to be something you actively engage in, but at the very least you need an understanding and appreciation of the sport to take meaningful photos. And when you’re out there all day in adverse weather conditions, carrying your heavy-ass equipment, it helps to have a deep “why” and passion for doing it, especially if we’re talking about shooting on the trails. Or maybe you just like self-inflicted punishment. I won’t judge.

Also: being active, having a baseline of fitness, and not caring about skincare definitely helps.

Were you always a photographer? Did it come BEFORE you got into bikes, or the other way around? Do they get in the way of each other? For example there’s a race you want to join but then you’re hired as a photographer, or do they complement each other well? Has there been a time you were covering and thought to yourself: I should be part of this?

I have no delusions: I might be hired to photograph a race, but I’ll never be paid to race professionally!

Kidding aside, every gig is an adventure, and it’s always an honor to shoot athletes at their best. So I’ve never felt any FOMO when shooting instead of racing. But there are days when I leave being a photographer behind, just ride, and let all the awesomeness of the experience wash over me.

I was a painter some years ago (not a very good one, I’m afraid). So when my husband and friends wanted photos of them racing, it was an easy transition into photography — mountain biking is a beautiful sport, and I want to be able to capture the epic-ness, energy, and the adventure that comes with it.

When she’s not busy covering enduro races or world-class obstacle courses, Isa rides too, plus she’s also part of the team that brought us Rurok and to this day builds the awesome Kilo bikes and Loki E-bikes! Luckily, we got to sit down with Isa and pick her brain, whilst asking her to pick some of her favorite photos that she’s taken.

The Flow, Benguet

Who’s in the shot?
Kmaxx Fagyan, Dennis Lee, Walrus Halamani, Chino Mendoza, Jet Mendoza

Talk about the situation in the photo a bit, how it got to that.
Us Lowlanders (Walrus, Chino, Jet) were given the privilege to visit The Flow, a playground in Benguet. After a crazy rooty steep hike-a-bike section that left us all gasping for air, we reached the playground. There were massive gap jumps and insane features. But before the guys could set out riding, it started raining reaaaally heavily and a fog rolled in. I was resigned to not being able to shoot at all. When the rain let up slightly, I managed to take this photo before the guys left for what they called the “Turista Line”.

Why is this photo part of your “chosen” ones?
Since we don’t get much fog in the lowlands, this felt like such a novelty to me at the time. I’ve since then discovered that I love shooting in fog and rain, it gives the photos a much more painterly look. I’d fog the whole La Mesa Eco Reserve for shoots if I could!

3Skulls, Tagaytay

Who’s in the shot?
Gabriel Paredes (upside down)

Talk about the situation in the photo a bit, how it got to that.
This was the wildest accident I’d ever seen! I was shooting at a really steep S-curve at 3Skulls (aka the Carnage Corner). Gab overshot the turn, and fell from about twenty feet up — literally somersaulting in mid-air, grasping at the vines until he hit the ground below! We were all so shocked and expected the worst. But then he stood up, dusted himself off, and tried to get his bike down — with a smile on his face! You can still see his bike’s rear wheel at the top left of the photo. I don’t normally like sharing photos of accidents, but I was amazed and so relieved he got out of that injury-free. He still rides to this day.

Why is this photo part of your “chosen” ones?
I’ve never felt so mortified and relieved within such a short period of time. This feels like such a lucky charm, no joke. I should probably print it and keep it in my wallet or something.

Patiis, San Mateo

Who’s in the shot?
Boyet Caliguiran

Talk about the situation in the photo a bit, how it got to that.
Rurok Bikes was in its infancy back then, and we had literally ONE bike in existence: the Rurok Cordillera! We asked several riders around the Philippines to ride that bike as part of Edrie Ocampo’s video, “Road to Cordillera”. We wanted to showcase our local riders on different local trails, on the first local performance bike brand. So that one single demo Rurok Bike was passed on from rider to rider until the video was done. Boyet was the rider for this segment in Patiis. I can still hear the videoke singing in the distance as he rode down this trail.

Why is this photo part of your “chosen” ones?
Seeing Metro Manila looming against the backdrop of the mountains is pretty much what life is like for weekend warriors like us. We escape from the chaos of the city and find peace and happiness on the trail.

DRT, Bulacan

Who’s in the shot?
Volt Bool, in more than just his underwear this time

Talk about the situation in the photo a bit, how it got to that.
This was shot during the Papaya Cup 7. The start of this stage was super steep and the soil was loose, so I was lying down on the side of the mountain, holding on to some grass with my left hand and shooting with my right. 

Why is this photo part of your “chosen” ones?
You don’t always get to show how steep or how high the elevation of a trail is, since a lot of our trails are canopied. Plus you get to see the gorgeous DRT mountains in the distance. This’ll sound weird, but I don’t often get to show a lot of “mountain” when I’m shooting mountain biking, thanks to the way our local plant life grows. I also love how parallel to the horizon Volt’s riding stance is as he’s dropping in.

Learn more about Isa on her Facebook Page and read more about Loki E-cycles right here on Sendr!