August 8, 2015 – 11:25am

Much has been written about Valentino Rossi and his many rituals, perhaps most notably the crouching and holding of the right foot peg just prior to getting on his motorcycle. It’s popular with photographers, too, as there is no shortage of images portraying the routine. As often as it happens, however, capturing a clean photo of his famous crouch is deceivingly difficult. First off, it occurs remarkably quickly and while Valentino’s movements are more or less predictable, the activity of others around him are not. There is always a flurry of people around doing their jobs: a mechanic making last-minute adjustments, a TV cameraman shifting positions, other photographers ducking in for a better angle. I have previously had this shot thwarted by all of the above, which is why I tried something different this particular time around. I situated myself across pit lane with my long lens ready, well aware that I was actually opening myself up to even more opportunities for obstructions than usual. However, on that day, no one stepped into the frame. Just a surprisingly clean view of The Doctor and his bike from afar.