cycling and photography

Hoopdriver

Some of you may know that I write a cycling blog called My Bicycle and I - and by way of introduction for those who don't I am a magazine writer and photographer who happens to love cycling and bicycles, and in order to give myself an outlet for cycling inspired writings and photographs I started this blog some months ago. Now, I have been shooting photos for many years - travel stuff mainly, but journalistic stuff as well when I was with Time Magazine - but it wasn't until I began shooting for the blog that I realized how tricky it can be tying to get decent shots of yourself on a bicycle. Over the past few months I have shot many thousands of frames using self timers, remote shutter releases and learned a fair few tricks on how to compose a shot when you're not yet in it - stuff that I really wish I had known when I was doing a lot of touring on my own. And so I am starting a series of posts about travel photography and cycling, and how to take on-the-road photos of yourself when you're traveling on your own - or in a group, for that matter, when you want everybody in the shot and up and moving.

The first post - today's, on cameras - is here:

http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2012/phot ... -the-road/

I hope you'll find it useful.

Gizmo_

Nicely written, will look forward to more.

My OH bought me a Gorillapod for my birthday recently and I really should start using it...

Hoopdriver

Gizmo_ wrote:

Nicely written, will look forward to more.

My OH bought me a Gorillapod for my birthday recently and I really should start using it...

Ah, the Joby Gorilla - subject of my next post!

natrix

Nice blog, thanks for sharing

Giraffoto

In my limited experience of trying this, it's so much hassle to arrange a solo self-portrait while you're riding a bike that 99 times out of 100 you're better off getting someone else to do it for you.

Hoopdriver

Giraffoto wrote:

In my limited experience of trying this, it's so much hassle to arrange a solo self-portrait while you're riding a bike that 99 times out of 100 you're better off getting someone else to do it for you.

It's not really. There are a few tricks to figure out, that's all. I've shot thousands of frames and learned a lot by doing it, in addition to the fact that I've been a professional photo-journalist for over twenty five years. That's why I am running the series of blog posts - to share what I've learned.

Kendal Black Drop

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I look forward to putting some of your advice into action.

MichaelW

I think my canon A230 self timer is buried deep in the menu structure and takes a while to find. I really prefer ST to be a physical button.
The flip screen is really useful in framing yourself in self timer shots. Tilt screens are OK for high and low shots but you cant see the screen from the front.
I prefer to use the widest possible angle for ST shots, I can stay close to the camera and get in lots of background.
Getting the focus right in ST shots is tricky. My camera does autofocus as I press the shutter release, but I am not yet in the photo, so the pics are blurred. I usually resort to manual focus (more faffing with menus). Worst of all, many setting revert to their default once you take the shot, so you need to faff all over again to repeat the shot.
The difference between a camera and a gadget is not in the feature list, but in how easy it is to use them.
I notice that in your ST shots, you are mainly cycling away from the camera, personally I prefer head-on shots, facing the camera.
There used to be some models with a small IR remote control, a feature that has been dropped.

Hoopdriver

MichaelW wrote:

I think my canon A230 self timer is buried deep in the menu structure and takes a while to find. I really prefer ST to be a physical button.
The flip screen is really useful in framing yourself in self timer shots. Tilt screens are OK for high and low shots but you cant see the screen from the front.
I prefer to use the widest possible angle for ST shots, I can stay close to the camera and get in lots of background.
Getting the focus right in ST shots is tricky. My camera does autofocus as I press the shutter release, but I am not yet in the photo, so the pics are blurred. I usually resort to manual focus (more faffing with menus). Worst of all, many setting revert to their default once you take the shot, so you need to faff all over again to repeat the shot.
The difference between a camera and a gadget is not in the feature list, but in how easy it is to use them.
I notice that in your ST shots, you are mainly cycling away from the camera, personally I prefer head-on shots, facing the camera.
There used to be some models with a small IR remote control, a feature that has been dropped.

The shots you see in that particular post just happened to be with me heading away from the camera - if you look through other blog posts you'll see plenty of head-on shots. (I'll admit to a bias for over the shoulder or angling-away photos is because, well, I reckon I've a great face for radio! :-)) I can and do shoot head-on shots all the time.

The compact camera I use - the Canon G11 does not return to default mode after you take the shot, although the self-timer will shut down once you shut the camera down. As long as I am working a scene, with the camera on and operational, it maintains whatever self-timer settings I give it. No faff at all.

I use a wide range of focal lengths. Experience has taught me how to get in and out of a scene - something else I will go over in another post.

The menus on the camera I use are extremely simple and intuitive and after you've done it a couple of times you can set up anything you like in seconds.

You can use remotes with a lot of cameras - including mine (and I think perhaps even yours, but I am not sure on that) - and that is a topic I will cover in a future post. Stay tuned!

Giraffoto

Hoopdriver wrote:

Giraffoto wrote:

In my limited experience of trying this, it's so much hassle to arrange a solo self-portrait while you're riding a bike that 99 times out of 100 you're better off getting someone else to do it for you.

It's not really. There are a few tricks to figure out, that's all. I've shot thousands of frames and learned a lot by doing it, in addition to the fact that I've been a professional photo-journalist for over twenty five years. That's why I am running the series of blog posts - to share what I've learned.

Now I come to re-read this, I may have come across as being dismissive of the whole idea, which wasn't the impression I intended, so I'll start out by apologizing for that. Also thank you for sharing tips - if money makes the world go round, helpful hints keep the bearings smooth

I ride around a fair bit with my camera, I like to take pictures but I'm not by any means a professional. My experience (limited, as admitted above) of cycling self-portraits has nearly always been in places where I could reasonably come back the next day or next week and get someone to do it for me - hence my assertion. On the other hand, in the context of a travelling PJ who may not be passing this way again for many years I agree that it's worth perfecting your technique if you want photographs of yourself cycling, and this can be extended to anyone who's off on an extended tour on their own

Hoopdriver

Giraffoto wrote:

Hoopdriver wrote:

Giraffoto wrote:

In my limited experience of trying this, it's so much hassle to arrange a solo self-portrait while you're riding a bike that 99 times out of 100 you're better off getting someone else to do it for you.

It's not really. There are a few tricks to figure out, that's all. I've shot thousands of frames and learned a lot by doing it, in addition to the fact that I've been a professional photo-journalist for over twenty five years. That's why I am running the series of blog posts - to share what I've learned.

Now I come to re-read this, I may have come across as being dismissive of the whole idea, which wasn't the impression I intended, so I'll start out by apologizing for that. Also thank you for sharing tips - if money makes the world go round, helpful hints keep the bearings smooth

I ride around a fair bit with my camera, I like to take pictures but I'm not by any means a professional. My experience (limited, as admitted above) of cycling self-portraits has nearly always been in places where I could reasonably come back the next day or next week and get someone to do it for me - hence my assertion. On the other hand, in the context of a travelling PJ who may not be passing this way again for many years I agree that it's worth perfecting your technique if you want photographs of yourself cycling, and this can be extended to anyone who's off on an extended tour on their own

No worries - I understood what you meant. The truth is though that with a little understanding you can take far better pictures than the 'someone' you dragoon into service to snap your photo. Even if you are going to get someone else to do the actual shooting, remember, you're still the director of the shot. It pays to know where in the frame you want to be, how you want the shot composed and what settings you want to use on the camera. I am talking about getting memorable photos here, not snapshots.

This stuff really isn't hard and while in the old days of film it could cost an arm and a leg to learn the craft of taking good photos - film and developing weren't cheap - now anybody who wants to can go fire off the equivalent of a hundred rolls, learn what they can from it, gain from the experience, and it won't cost them a dime.

By the way - I've posted the next installment this morning, on carry-along tripods.

http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/

meursault

This is a really nice blog, by someone with a passion for cycling and photography, well worth a bump.

kleinstroker

get a remote radio shutter release from fleabay about £20 for most brands, mark out your frame and bingo your good to go. On most SLR's you can also set up focus tracking soit will track you as you move through the frame. Mine does anyway Nikon D700.

Hoopdriver

kleinstroker wrote:

get a remote radio shutter release from fleabay about £20 for most brands, mark out your frame and bingo your good to go. On most SLR's you can also set up focus tracking soit will track you as you move through the frame. Mine does anyway Nikon D700.

Yes. That is true. My reason though for not going into the remote shutter release thing (I have a Hahney Giga Pro for Canon, myself) is that not everyone will have or want to buy one, but self-timers are fairly ubiquitous on cameras, especially the compacts most people are going to be willing to tuck in their panniers or handlebar bags. It didn't seem worthwhile, for starters, to discuss things most people wont use. I plan to discuss remote sensors and other more gear oriented ways of photographing yourself on tour in a future post.

Hoopdriver

For what it's worth, I have added a post with tips and suggestions for photographing your bike

You can see it here:

http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2012/phot ... r-bicycle/

Pross

Any plans for tips on how to reflect the gradient of a slope in future blogs? I'm no photographer but when I take shots of races like the ToB going up Constitution Hill I get frustrated that my pictures make the hill look far flatter than it is. Also, what is the best way to reflect the speed of travel? Is it best to just track the subject as you shoot which is what I did on a few rallies I took photos at in the past?

Hoopdriver

Pross wrote:

Any plans for tips on how to reflect the gradient of a slope in future blogs? I'm no photographer but when I take shots of races like the ToB going up Constitution Hill I get frustrated that my pictures make the hill look far flatter than it is. Also, what is the best way to reflect the speed of travel? Is it best to just track the subject as you shoot which is what I did on a few rallies I took photos at in the past?

That's a good idea for a post - I'll do it. Hills, and big waves at sea, are always tough to render.

Smooth panning, having a fast and accurate AF (and speedy frame rate) is probably the best way for capturing motion. Something I like to play with though sometimes is using a neutral density filter to lengthen the exposure time and blur the rider against a pin sharp background. This is no good for race stuff as the riders are moving too fast, but if you are taking shots of yourself and want to capture a sense of motion through the landscape, this can work pretty well. You have to remember not to move too quickly though or you'll just disappear off the frame.

Hoopdriver

Pross wrote:

Any plans for tips on how to reflect the gradient of a slope in future blogs? I'm no photographer but when I take shots of races like the ToB going up Constitution Hill I get frustrated that my pictures make the hill look far flatter than it is. Also, what is the best way to reflect the speed of travel? Is it best to just track the subject as you shoot which is what I did on a few rallies I took photos at in the past?

Because I am both model and photographer in my shots, it is hard for me to illustrate a post on panning to capture a sense of motion. I need to wait until I have found a willing subject for me to photograph - not easy since I tend to ride between 4:30am and 6:30am!

What I have done though is write and photograph a post illustrating how you can create a sense of motion while photographing yourself - something that might be useful for solo riders taking pictures of themselves on tour or groups for that matter with everyone wanting to be in-frame.

you can read it here. I hope it will be helpful:

http://my-bicycle-and-i.co.uk/2012/phot ... ng-motion/

meursault

Very nice article and tips thank you!

All excellent pics, my fav

Hoopdriver

meursault wrote:

Very nice article and tips thank you!

All excellent pics, my fav

Thanks for that. I had a lot of fun doing that one, although it took quite a few takes to get the placement right!

kleinstroker

I think you're blog is really good and I hope you don't mind some constructive criticism. Your content is really good, the writing and photography are top notch, but I have to say the layout and design of the blog is not allowing them to shine. It seems a shame to not show your photography better and improve the overall layout of the blog so it is a bit more modern. It really wouldn't take much effort to improve the look of sight by leaps and bounds, and there are plenty of free templates that will do the job admirably. PM me if you need any help sourcing one as I have a few I could send you if you wanted.

a few links anyway...

http://www.spiceupyourblog.com/2012/07/30-best-free-wordpress-themes-of-2012.html

http://lovelydsgn.com/20-best-free-wordpress-themes-of-2012/

Hoopdriver

I disagree.

The layout and design I am using is not a free one, or bog standard template, but a theme called Magazine Premium which was created especially for the delivery of web based news and magazine content. As a magazine writer of a good many years standing i know what I like and what I want and while I am always open to new design ideas, I have not found any yet that improves enough on what I have for me to want to change. But thank you anyway for your comments and critique.

kleinstroker

Fairplay, if you like it. But at the very least download the yslow addon for firefox or chrome and analyse your webpages as they could and should be a lot faster loading. It would give your readership a more consistent experience. I consult on web dev and I'm honestly just trying to be helpful.

Hoopdriver

I thought you might be some kind of consultant.