Cycling photography

[jonathans9]

This spring I will have the opportunity to photograph again a apro road race where I will have the option of hanging on the back of a motorcycle snd photograph the leaders of the peleton. Any suggestions for holding the camera,IS lenses or not. I will be wearing body armour on the bike as it is dangerous,
Ideas are welcome,
JS

[Jon]

Yes, IS.There'll be all kinds of vibrations from the bke and the road. IS will help damp them out. Note: I said help!

Do you know if the bike you'll be back-seating on has anything you can use to keep you secure? The easier it is to keep you on, the better you'll be able to hold the camera. But I don't think you'll need to hold it much differently from normal - just keep your torso and arms reasonably free to help in absorbing that vibration. I might be inclined to use a P&S/EVF camera, so you can use the LCD for composition, since holding a DSLR up to a helmet may pass on some unwanted vibration. Or put some sponge rubber between the camera and helmet.

[primoz]

Forget IS. It won't help at all with times you will be shooting. I usually use motorbike mostly to get ride from one point to other and only few photos are shoot while driving. When shooting while being on motorcycle I usually use 28-70 or 70-200 lens, since you are really close to peloton, and bigger lens is to big to feel comfortable on back of bike.
Another suggestion is to plan what you are doing, what will you take with you, and most important plan stops ahead. If you have chance, drive through stage before, to get idea where to stop and be sure to tell your driver about this. He (at least if he's any good) will know how long before to go so you will be there before peloton. Even though you are on motorbike it's not so easy to pass peloton so forget about driving back and front all the time.
And if you need some more info just ask :)

[J Rabin]

Joanthan:
You really need to get maps, terrain, sun angle at time of day race passes, pre-scout good shooting points along the course, etc. It's my favorite sport.

Is this a Criterium or Road Race? Makes a big difference on shooting locations.

1. Don't listen to people. IS helps more than you can imagine, even at short focal lengths. Even when you're shooting off the cycle your respiration rate is high from exertion holding the cycle, excitment. Hand holding is challenging. You can't imagine. Wind. And wind from the peloton screeming by. IS raises keepers by an order of magnitude.

2. Shoot low f/stops to blur backgrounds, like this:
http://postit.rutgers.edu/uploads/Tour%5Fde%5FVille%5F01%2Ejpg
3. Shoot slow shutters to have fun blurring photos, like this:
http://postit.rutgers.edu/uploads/SlowBlur%5F02%2Ejpg
4. Get down for low viewpoint, with wide angle, especially if mountains and snow scenes behind riders. This was in cold rain:
http://postit.rutgers.edu/uploads/Low%5FAngle%5FInRain%2Ejpg
Or find roads offering high viewpoint switch back shots.
5. Go for the money shots lining up for sprints:
http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~rabin/T-Town%20Lehigh%20Velo/Charles_C/slides/Charles%20C%20at%20T-Town%2001.htm
6. Try and find angles to catch riders' eyes in the frame. Here is Marty Nothstein (Silver Atlanta 96, Gold Sydney 00) in Madison Race, and Sarah Uhl former US Junior Nat'l track Champion.
http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~rabin/T-Town%20Lehigh%20Velo/Marty%20and%20Sara/index.htm
6. Go look at some of Graham Watson's photos from Tour de France for ideas. "He be da Man."
7. Borrow a second body if you can, keeping WA on one and tele or tele zoom on another. STRONG camera straps, with hand straps (I use Domke/Zing SLR Sport Strap because it has a safety strap with the grip). Rain cover.
8. Try not to use tele converters to extend focal length. They slow focus to gain accuracy. You'll lose shots when the peleton flies by.
9. Use daylight high speed fill flash when appropriate to light faces.

Above all, stay safe, and enjoy.
We're all jealous on the Forum when people get these wonderful opportunities.
Jack

[jonathans9]

Thanks for all the great tips. The motorcycle thing may not happen. Seems there are teams of drivers and video and or still photographers who work together all the time. I do have a day job although I go to as many races as I can.I will shoot the Tour of Connecticut in May again from the sidelines. Last year was my first time at this and I had no idea what I was doing. I met Graham Watson at the T deF last summer who offered a lot of advice.GW uses fill flash almost all the time he told me. It is amazing that the UCI allows this;the riders in the peloton are inches from each other's wheel and I would think the flash would be distracting and cause accidents.
JS

[primoz]

Flash doesn't do any problem at all. If rider see your flash then he's definitely looking wrong direction :) Even though this might sound funny but it's really true. Personally I use flash all the time (including times when shooting from motorbike) since it's pretty much only way to get riders face under that helmet lit right.

[transcend]

Thanks for all the great tips. The motorcycle thing may not happen. Seems there are teams of drivers and video and or still photographers who work together all the time. I do have a day job although I go to as many races as I can.I will shoot the Tour of Connecticut in May again from the sidelines. Last year was my first time at this and I had no idea what I was doing. I met Graham Watson at the T deF last summer who offered a lot of advice.GW uses fill flash almost all the time he told me. It is amazing that the UCI allows this;the riders in the peloton are inches from each other's wheel and I would think the flash would be distracting and cause accidents.
JS

If they notice the flash, they are not paying attention to their race. Ie: no pro will notice it.

At MTB events we shoot in way worse conditions, dark woods etc - and we routinely use multiple fill flashes in the woods. The only riders who ever complain are sport level guys, who are paying more attention to the people in the woods then their racing lines.

BTw i knwo this from both ends of the lens..as a photographer and as a pro cyclist.

[jonathans9]

Ok, Transcend,
Now I am interested. How do you set up multiple fills in the woods? Do you have light stands or assistant(s) hold them? Do you use radio triggers? I would personally be worried about a racer doing an endo and landing on me. But unlike us recreational riders, the pros never crash :-)
JS