BMX Bike, NEED HELP!

[throwtheanchor]

Well my brother was out riding his bike, so i decided i would take some pictures, but about all of the pictures turned out bad, always blurry or way out of foucs. i used my 17-40L, most of the time it was on AV mode, set to f/4 while using Al Servo. I used Automatic AF point selection sometimes, and also center point.

Any help/pointers/ telling me what i did wrong, will be appreciated.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/2841775186_5f52a10d7c_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/2841775158_a71092b54a_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2841775182_eef1f35292_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3243/2841775154_be90b2fd03_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2841775172_46d563ff00_b.jpg

[manutd101]

Tell him to take the damn hat off! Focus wise, those seem fine to me.

[hockeyplaya13]

Yea. I would recommend not using Automatic AF point feature though. I recently shot BMX and I tried Auto AF point, and it would occasionally select the trees in the background, so they would be in focus but the biker would not be. So stick to center point focus. Also, I shoot in manual, but if I didn't I'd shoot in Tv because you want to make sure you have a fast shutter speed. The aperture is secondary to the shutter speed for fast moving sports like BMX.

[throwtheanchor]

Tell him to take the damn hat off! Focus wise, those seem fine to me.
thank you

Yea. I would recommend not using Automatic AF point feature though. I recently shot BMX and I tried Auto AF point, and it would occasionally select the trees in the background, so they would be in focus but the biker would not be. So stick to center point focus. Also, I shoot in manual, but if I didn't I'd shoot in Tv because you want to make sure you have a fast shutter speed. The aperture is secondary to the shutter speed for fast moving sports like BMX.

ok thankyou, i will try that next time

[thisisastickup]

1/250-1/500 works good for bmx most of the time.

[roaming oregon]

Looks like you were just randomly pointing and shooting. or the classic spray and pray.

I actually like the first shot.

You gotta plan when you shoot BMX. I use AI Servo and Multi-Shot- I don't spray and pray- I'm quick with the shutter and fire when I want. Depending on your camera switch to the * for focus.

Figure out what the rider is going to do. Check your composition. Adjust your focal point. I try to always have my focal point on the riders face.

Check your exposure. Look at the histogram. Adjust to your liking.

If you shot at F4 the whole time and missed your focal point then that's why some are a little soft. I couldn't read your exif- so not sure what you are shooting with other then your lens. On my 17-40 I don't leave it wide open much. F5.6-F10 or so.

I use flash 85% of the time when shooting BMX- some to fill the right spots (face,) stop the rider, maybe add motion and still keep the sky from getting blown out.

Depending on the speed of the rider 250 could be too slow (without flash) but 500 and up will be fine.

Keep at it!

[JSkinner]

Be aware of what is going on in the background. For example, in the second shot the background is somewhat distracting.

[throwtheanchor]

1/250-1/500 works good for bmx most of the time.
thank you, i will try that out
Looks like you were just randomly pointing and shooting. or the classic spray and pray.

I actually like the first shot.

You gotta plan when you shoot BMX. I use AI Servo and Multi-Shot- I don't spray and pray- I'm quick with the shutter and fire when I want. Depending on your camera switch to the * for focus.

Figure out what the rider is going to do. Check your composition. Adjust your focal point. I try to always have my focal point on the riders face.

Check your exposure. Look at the histogram. Adjust to your liking.

If you shot at F4 the whole time and missed your focal point then that's why some are a little soft. I couldn't read your exif- so not sure what you are shooting with other then your lens. On my 17-40 I don't leave it wide open much. F5.6-F10 or so.

I use flash 85% of the time when shooting BMX- some to fill the right spots (face,) stop the rider, maybe add motion and still keep the sky from getting blown out.

Depending on the speed of the rider 250 could be too slow (without flash) but 500 and up will be fine.

Keep at it!

yeah, i had it on continuous shot and bsicly just held down the shutter as soon as he hit the ramp, until he landed/wrecked. i will try using a flash next time and trying different apertures. thanks for all the help

Be aware of what is going on in the background. For example, in the second shot the background is somewhat distracting.
yeah i knew they were going to be amazing shots to begin so i didnt make him move down the drive way to where the background would be less busy.

[AB8ND]

First, that ball cap is no protection for his noggin, wear a helmet. Sorry had to do it. Besides it would be nice to see is eyes and face.
Anyway, when shooting action use manual or shutter priority, you need to shoot at least 1/250th to stop action. You may not be out of focus so much as have motion blur. I find shooting cycling it is best to move the AF point off center to one that will stay with you subjects face (or what ever you want sharp). With AL Servo you are supposed to be able to use AF Automatic, focus with the center point then keeping any other point on the subject the camera will track it. In reality this doesn't work all the time, the camera really wants you to "hand off" one AF point to another or it will try to refocus on what ever the center point is on. If you can get a 430 or 580 Canon flash, it is amazing what a strobe, with it balanced to the ambient, will do with for shots like this.

Jack

[roaming oregon]

Thread derailment start:

AB8ND- The helmet police always kills me on the intrawebs.

I've been in the cycling industry in some capacity for 15 years. I know people that have died on bikes while wearing helmets and while not wearing helmets. I have seen some traumatic life changing crashes and suffered heinous injuries myself.

There was a time when I hammered on guys for no helmet. Sometimes I refused to ride with them, others I would take on the most dangerous trails I could in attempt to knock some sense into them.

I've learned a few things in my years:

1. I always wear a helmet. I feel better that way.
2. Bringing it up or making it a topic only makes the no helmet crew more adamant about not wearing a helmet.
3. If I made a scene about no helmets I wouldn't get to shoot some of the best BMX riders around.

Thread derailment end.

Good tips otherwise AB8ND

[stephen_g]

Heh, I've almost died riding, whilst wearing a helmet, even though it sat low on my head, it wasn't quite low enough, ended up putting a hole in my forehead, but I've healed. It's very rare that you'll ever hit your head when you crash on a bmx anyway, I've had uncountable numbers of crashes, and i've only hit my head two or three times in the last few months, and even then, not hard.
Helmets are more of a personal preferance than a necessity, unless in competition (must have).

For the second, it looks like he's doing a 360, in which case the photo was timed way early, he should be around the 180 degree mark of the rotation for a shot like that.
Timing is everything in BMX photography.

[Layyz]

gotta say that image 1# works for me, captures the action and expression of your bro. In terms of sharpness #2 is spot on but im distracted by the apparent loss of head. It made me spend too much time looking for his missing head. Trees swallow up the image to i think if u repositioned for a blank background on sky it might have helped the composition. nice pics tho.

[cr44]

In my bmx days I would stand where I was going to be on the jump, the photog would get a meter and a focus locked in (manual) then I would go. This way you have no af issues. Just hope that your subject can hit his/her mark, or at least somewhere close to it.

[Ridebmx]

the way i do it, is use center focus point, and depnding on whats going to happen, ill shoot wide open, or stop down if theres a good background thats worth keeping focused in too.

i use * for focus so that it doesnt try and refocus while taking the shot and its seperate from the shutter. I am at the spot where the rider will be and focus there, if using wide open, then ill turn to where the rider will be when the picture is taken.

so if a rider is doing a 360 off a ledge, ill focus a little bit past the edge of the ledge and lock it.

try and stick with a shutter speed of 1/500 if you can to stop motion. OR use flash, you can use flash even during the daytime.


the main thing, is talking to the rider/s before the pictures to understand what they are going to pull off, where they will do it, and so on.

since i also ride bmx (nickname on here) and im the one everyone wants to be, i know the tricks and what to do for them.

i taught my 16 year old friend (bday just recently) how to take picture with my camera and they came out good, of course i set up the flash and everything, he just focused and clicked the shutter, but hes got good composition so far.
heres a shot he did of me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/BeanieBMX/IMG_3681gcopy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/BeanieBMX/082.jpg

^^430ex on camera jsut for fun real quick (tripod in hand)