Bike photography - tips and tricks?

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Permalink Reply by mindfrieze on October 25, 2010 at 12:38pm

Total amateur here, but I'll share my limited experience.

A better camera would probably help. That is, you could get better low light shots, a more artistic depth of field, etc., but there is still a lot you can do with a decent point and shoot. Here's what's helped me.

1. Light makes a big difference. Early morning / late afternoon, even overcast help. Blue skies and bright sun make for clear shots, but often aren't very interesting.

2. Think about where your light source is coming from. It might help to keep the sun to your back to light your subject. Or you could use the flash in daylight to fill in dark, silhouetted subjects.

3. Try turning down your shutter speed and panning along with the cyclist as they pass to get that blurry, motion-inducing background.

4. Don't always put your subject dead center. It's often more interesting to offset them to one side.

5. Try different angles - low to the ground or from a high vantage point. It's a little different than our normal human-height point of view.

6. Be ready to catch any action. Try pre-focusing with a half-press of the shutter so you're able to catch a jump or dismount at the exact right moment.

It's really a continual learning process. Just keep shooting and see what works for you.

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Permalink Reply by Brian on October 25, 2010 at 3:00pm

I like to use a flash even when in sunlight. It helps to light all parts of the subject that may otherwise be in shadows. You should also try something better than a "point-n-shoot". Something that allows you to have a little more control over the settings. The possibilities are endless (just like the dollars!). Look at something DSLR if you want digital. I still grab my Nikon F3 - 35mm - once in a while.. gives me that old school nostalgic feeling.

Maybe take a class or two as well.

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Permalink Reply by Vondo on October 25, 2010 at 3:35pm

I just got a new camera for my Puerto Rico trip since my last one died. I didn't spend a ton of money and it is a point-and-shoot, but I like it. It is a Lumix Z57, with super zoom and modes like aperture or shutter speed priority modes and a manual mode that lets you have a little more control.

For me, photography is more of a hobby than a passion, so this camera is a good step before I shell out for a nice DSLR. I like being free from the total auto mode that most other cameras in this class. One tip that helps is to use the rule of thirds, where you imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over the view finder and place your subject where two of the lines intersect.

Just my totally amateur $0.02...

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Permalink Reply by Davo on October 25, 2010 at 6:58pm

Think about framing a little more and play with all the features on your camera so you know how they work. Think about the composition of what you are shooting. Generally speaking triangles and S curves are pleasing to the eye. Also if you don't like the pictures that you took, just take more and try as many angles as you can no matter how silly you might look taking them. The more pictures you take the better the chance that one is going to be amazing. IMO most great shots are taken accidentally when you are trying something new. Preview each shot and learn what you like and dislike and go from there.

I liked how some of the turning shots turned out. They worked for me because of the angles that the riders had in relation to the signs in the background.

Also IMO you can do great things with inexpensive cameras.

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Permalink Reply by Joel on October 25, 2010 at 7:42pm

Read, look, and take! Google for basic photography tips, look at good photographs, and practice.

You want to know some of the technical stuff: aperture size, shutter peed, how depth of field works, etc. You don't need to know everything, but a basic understanding of how picture taking works will let you gauge what you can and can't do. There are websites that have general tips for photography in different settings. Action isn't the same as still life.

Look at good photographs -- especially on the subject you are interested. What do they have in common? How are they different from your pictures?

Practice: digital pictures are free. The more you take the more you learn. You don't have to show people the losers. Most people aren't Ansel Adams -- they take more than the one picture that gets published. I would be shocked if even 1 in 20 sports photos made it to the public.



I won't tell you to get a new camera. Yours isn't the greatest for high speed photography, especially in low light (I base this on the camera information on the Flickr photos). The best camera won't make someone a better photographer, and the best photographers can kick your ass with a disposable film camera. Brush up on your artistic technique, and then decide if you are limited by the camera.

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Permalink Reply by Digital Dario on October 25, 2010 at 11:37pm

A lot of great advice has been given. Photography has been a hobby of mine for the past 10 years. I'm no pro but I have learned from my mistakes and continue to do so. best of luck, maybe one of these days ill see you out at a race doing the same thing.

Outdoors I recommend no flash, it just throws your camera off making it think something is immediately in front of it that wants to be flush with light and with dull colors. Usually you want to go with a faster shutter speed for any sports to freeze the action....most cameras have this option, but it can make for a pretty boring shot usually since you can't always get the type of action you are hoping for in frame and close up. however i would experiment with following someone with the camera. this technique keeps the object in focus and blurs/streaks the background. I highly recommend trying this out. I use it for a lot of low-light photography that I do. so standing in position you follow them down while the camera is taking the picture and you can get this effect. And of course, some of the best photos i have seen have been taken at the strangest angles. experiment a bit and just think of it as practice for technique.

The second thing is to get closer especially if you are using a more basic point and shoot. Digital zooms should be avoided whenever possible. and dont trust your lcd screen as much as you think you should.

on your camera's note; canon's powershots are impressive, but if you were ever in the market for a more suitable and excellent point and shoot, i recommend the canon powershot s90. it does great in low light, i use it for concerts, its not a dslr but it allows for control of aperture, shutter speed, film speed and most other things that photographers hate being without. plus you will already be familiar with some of the control scheme. its pocket-able unlike many others like it. more than likely you can get it for 300 if you're are looking hard. that being said, learning to work with what you have and experimenting with different modes and shooting, shooting, shooting, will prove more valuable to you in the long run than buying a new camera ever could.

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Permalink Reply by Leah Jone on October 26, 2010 at 10:37am

Thanks everyone! It was my first race as a spectator, so I was a little nervous about being too close (obviously). I'll move around the course more and frame better shots if I get another day off on a race day.

The Canon I have has pretty fast recovery between shots, but I think next time I'll turn off the preview so I can just keep my finger on the shutter.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on October 26, 2010 at 11:24am

Leah, if you want to test out your skills a group of us from here will be at the Sunday Halloween cyclocross race.

Leah Jone said:

Thanks everyone! It was my first race as a spectator, so I was a little nervous about being too close (obviously). I'll move around the course more and frame better shots if I get another day off on a race day.

The Canon I have has pretty fast recovery between shots, but I think next time I'll turn off the preview so I can just keep my finger on the shutter.

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Permalink Reply by Leah Jone on October 26, 2010 at 11:26am

I usually work on Sundays, so it might be another season before I get to go to another race. :(



Julie Hochstadter said:

Leah, if you want to test out your skills a group of us from here will be at the Sunday Halloween cyclocross race.

Leah Jone said:

Thanks everyone! It was my first race as a spectator, so I was a little nervous about being too close (obviously). I'll move around the course more and frame better shots if I get another day off on a race day.

The Canon I have has pretty fast recovery between shots, but I think next time I'll turn off the preview so I can just keep my finger on the shutter.

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Permalink Reply by Don Sorsa on October 26, 2010 at 7:21pm

Lots of very good tips regarding depth of field, framing, panning, direction of light and shadows, fill flash, etc. I would add that you should look everywhere online for photos you like and think about why they work for you. I personally like a shallow DOF but your camera won't get one. I recently bought the Canon S95 because I get tired of carrying a big dSLR camera and lenses when I travel - it's a good camera, so far, but not a dSLR. If you get into photography and decide to spend a lot of money, the dSLR camera gets ya started and then you shell out money for lenses, the 85/1,8 and 70-200/F4, etc., etc.

The comment about mastering your current camera and taking lots of photos is right on. And then edit, edit, edit. These aren't very good pics but I'm posting them as examples to think about light, composition, and DOF - and sometimes looking at just a detail instead of the bigger pic

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Permalink Reply by John Sirovatka on October 26, 2010 at 11:57pm

First things first, skill with the tools at hand always beat great tools and unskilled hands. A friend of mine made his living off a point and shoot until the buttons had no printing on them and fell off before he got his DSLR.

The first thing I noticed is what has always bugged me about my point n shoot. The delay between pushing the shutter and when the exposure happens. Try to look for a sport setting on your camera which will improve that situation.

The thing to remember about auto metering is that the camera is metering for a middle grey. So, if you point at a rider in a white kit, your exposure will be too short and those white shorts will look greyish.

Take a trip to the book store and really study the bike zines. Learn to pick out what appeals to your eye in each shot and then the next time your stalking a bike, try to recreate the same element. This will force you to manipulate your location and camera to arrive at a predetermined photo rather than the fire for effect method that we all are guilty of.

Cheers -

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