First Time Shooting Bikes!

[JohnStewart]

I was at Croft on Sunday, and as well as the car racing, there were were a few bike and sidecar races on the programme. I've never shot bikes before, so it was a steep learning curve.

These ones turned out "OK" to my eye, but I'm not sure if I should have used a faster or slower shutter speed for some of these, and whether I've cropped too tightly (not enough room for the bike to move into), or not cropped tightly enough etc.

I would appreciate any feedback and constructive criticism from anyone who covers bikes more frequently.

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Thanks in advance for any feedback and suggestions for improvements next time

 

[kae1]

Don't know whether any of this is any help as I only take images for my own benefit but I would be happy with these. You've used a wide range of shutter speeds and got some nice images. It may be worth editing a few with some Dutch tilt to see what you think - as IMO it also exaggerates the lean angles and speed and seems to work well with bikes . If there is some interesting background it may be worth including that too. However, this is only my personal preference.

Looking at your website I see that you sell your images. The only suggestion I can give is that, whilst talking to another photographer, she said that some riders also like to see who they were battling with. Consequently pictures with other bikes (more like your #5), or overtaking shots, may be an idea. Bikers are usually a friendly lot and a walk around the paddock may also give you ideas of what they would be looking for including how "arty" (#2) they like to go.

 

[Mikesphotaes]

Good first attempt but you used too high a shutter speed and didn't get any blur on the wheels.

Better to leave room for the bike to move into as well.

 

[JohnStewart]

Don't know whether any of this is any help as I only take images for my own benefit but I would be happy with these. You've used a wide range of shutter speeds and got some nice images. It may be worth editing a few with some Dutch tilt to see what you think - as IMO it also exaggerates the lean angles and speed and seems to work well with bikes . If there is some interesting background it may be worth including that too. However, this is only my personal preference.

Looking at your website I see that you sell your images. The only suggestion I can give is that, whilst talking to another photographer, she said that some riders also like to see who they were battling with. Consequently pictures with other bikes (more like your #5), or overtaking shots, may be an idea. Bikers are usually a friendly lot and a walk around the paddock may also give you ideas of what they would be looking for including how "arty" (#2) they like to go.

Many thanks. I do have some with more riders in them, but as it was a mixed field of riders, after the first corner of the first lap they were pretty much spaced out.

I’ll have a go at trying to exaggerate the lean angles as well

 

[JohnStewart]

Good first attempt but you used too high a shutter speed and didn't get any blur on the wheels.

Better to leave room for the bike to move into as well.

Thanks Mike, agreed there’s not much wheel blur on the straight on shots, but the side on shots use a lower shutter speed and looked blurred enough to me Bikes accelerate towards you much more quickly than most cars, so used a higher shutter speed to get some keepers as it was only an 8 lap race.

I have cropped these quite tight so I could see more detail on the bikes and riders, but do have more space on the originals.