Shooting a bike race at a particular spot.

[TooManyShots]

I am about to shoot a bike (cycling) race in NYC, The Grant's Tomb Circuit race on March 15th. There is a sweeping turn (180 degree) before the final stretch to the start/finish line. I want to take shots at that turn at an angle, looking up at the riders' faces. These guys would be going 35 mph taking this turn. I would be taking the shots inside the turn. So, I am expecting to take the shots very close. Given with the angle and speed of the riders, there is no way I can auto focus on the spot and metering the exposure at the same time.

I am not sure if this is the right approach to it. I am thinking that I would prefocus at the spot I am expecting the riders to pass through. Lock the focus. What about metering the exposure? Do I metering off the exposure from the ground??? And then lock the exposure by using the M mode? In front of me is a building complex, expecting a darkish background. So, I shouldn't meter off the exposure on the fly as the riders passing through???

[PhotosGuy]

Do you think it wouldn't help to tell us WHAT CAMERA you're using? I am thinking that I would prefocus at the spot I am expecting the riders to pass through. RTFM. Got AI Servo? Do I metering off the exposure from the ground Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)

[Dream Merchant]

The advantage you have is that you're shooting from a fixed point, and into a relatively fixed arc or zone where the cyclists would pass.

I would take a couple test shots on the day itself, and adjust compensation for the darkish BG. Check WB if necessary. Once that is nailed, I'll just leave the cam on shutter speed priority, unless apeture control is important.

If you're going to constantly shoot riders as they pass a certain and restricted point, you could easily pre-focus and shoot just as they pass that point. Make sure to choose an apeture that gives you some margin of error. Use Apeture priority in this case, a high enough ISO and let the camera take care of the rest.

As mentioned earlier, if DOF control is important, assuming you're going for shallow DOF, then I would use AI Servo, but make sure to half-press and lock onto the subject before they get into the turn, then track and fire at the right moment.

I guess how effective AI Servo is for you would depend on lighting conditions on race day, as well as what bod and lense you're using. If AF proves un-reliable for whatever reason, see #3.

When it comes to big races, I always call ahead to check security arrangements/restrictions, and go one day before to check actual conditions/shoot angles etc.

Hope this helps some.

[tdodd]

If you are photographing a whole cyclist, or group of cyclists, then I guess you'll be going fairly wide with your lens and should get a pretty decent DOF. If that's the case you ought to be able to prefocus and leave it there. If the lighting is good you will probably be able to use f/8 without problems. If, for example, you were at 35mm and f/8 on a 40D, and pre-focused at 10' your DOF would be good between 7'-16'. Juggle some numbers here - http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html - to see what you can get away with.

If you'll be at longer focal lengths, maybe zooming in on individual faces, you may have a tougher time but you could still pre-focus or try AI Servo.

As for metering, if the light isn't changing constantly, then your best bet will be to shoot manual. That way your metering won't be thrown off if your composition has a little bit more or less sky in each shot, or a team of riders in white passing through, followed by a team or riders in black. Meter off the ground, try a shot, check your histogram, adjust as necessary and then you can get on with concentrating on composing your shots and not worry about metering all the time.

I don't have any cycling examples but here are a couple of recent shots from ski jumping. I shot over 200 frames, all with manual exposure and manual pre-focus. I tweaked focus occasionally but exposure stayed fixed for all 200 shots. These were shot at 100mm, f/8, 1/640, 200 ISO.
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[TooManyShots]

30D. 20-700 F4 IS and 300L F4 IS.

Do you think it wouldn't help to tell us WHAT CAMERA you're using? RTFM. Got AI Servo? Need an exposure crutch? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=89123)