HELP...X Bicycles

[Dale Miller]

I got to shoot a practice session with these guys last night, and was asked to shoot their show on Sat. I wondered if any of you shoot them often and might share what the prefered shots are?

[DonE]

Looks like you have the timing down. That's a must for this type of sport. Try and follow from the take off to the end result. Have fun and add a little blur by changing your settings. Get in nice and tight if you can and get some close ups of the action. Intense face shots if you can look great as well. Also behind the scene shots. Them having fun, working on the bikes. Try to cover every angle of the event if you can.

Your second shot is an awesome angle. Well done with that shot!

[namasste]

Dale, i've done quite a bit of this and echo Don's comments that your timing looks very nice. Off camera flash can be very nice for giving some real zing to these shots so don't rule that out.

If you aren't that familiar with the trick lists, ask the guys. They are generally very cool and down to earth. Knowing what they are about to throw on a run will greatly help you capture peak action.

Don also make a great suggestion about behind the scenes action. BMX'rs are a goofy lot for sure and they will clown around more than their fair share. Its all part of the culture so capturing that will really tell a story. If you ar shooting at trails, make sure you get some of the bbq (every trail has to have one!).

Enjoy and have fun. Feel free to email me or pm if you want to discuss in mor detail. I hang and ride with some of these guys from time to time and might be able to get more specific.

[Dale Miller]

Thanks.
As you all might know, rodeo is what we shoot. I'm fortunate to live across the street from Cory and get invited to shoot him and his buddys. I'm sure there are prefered shots, not knowing the sport I dont know what they are. I guess if I watch and listen I will learn. I shot about 200 frames last night in about an hour, so maybe if I shoot enough I will get somthing they like. Thanks Dale

[convergent]

I've never shot BMX, but have done a little motocross. The action in your images looks great. Looks like you are exposing the rider well but the skys look a little blown. It appears you are using flash, so I'd crank down the ambient exposure a little keep the skys looking good and let the flash take care of the rider.

[Dale Miller]

I was useing a Quantum T5D and we had overcast skys. I will try kicking the fill adjustment down on my next try.

[convergent]

I was useing a Quantum T5D and we had overcast skys. I will try kicking the fill adjustment down on my next try.

Actually, I think you want to crank your ambient exposure down, and therefore your fill would be going up, right?

The T5D should be plenty up for the task. I've been toying with getting a couple of those. How do you like it?

[Dale Miller]

I use it as a back up most of the time. I prefere strobes when I can. The 5D with the big reflector seems to have plenty of reach and cycles fast enough with the Turbo batteries. I is rather large and cumbersom though for the rodeo arena as you must move fast sometimes.

[stephen_g]

Looks like you have the timing down. That's a must for this type of sport. Try and follow from the take off to the end result. Have fun and add a little blur by changing your settings. Get in nice and tight if you can and get some close ups of the action. Intense face shots if you can look great as well. Also behind the scene shots. Them having fun, working on the bikes. Try to cover every angle of the event if you can.

Your second shot is an awesome angle. Well done with that shot!


I'm gonna have to dissagree with you on that one, that is usually a total givaway that the photographer has no idea about bmx, you need to include where the rider is coming from and going to.

The shots are nice though, perhaps if they were a bit wider they'd be ace, you really need to see the jumps/whatever the riders riding in bmx photography.

[namasste]

I'm gonna have to dissagree with you on that one, that is usually a total givaway that the photographer has no idea about bmx, you need to include where the rider is coming from and going to.

The shots are nice though, perhaps if they were a bit wider they'd be ace, you really need to see the jumps/whatever the riders riding in bmx photography. stephen, I have to disagree. Best is to mix it up but I have seen so many shots where the jumps look great but the rider is just lost in the shuffle. Both tight crops and loose have their place just get both. This is not just my advice either. I have actually discussed this with some pretty respected names in bmx. The problem is that bmx (and skate) photography gets very boring at times since it seems to always follow "unbreakble" rules such as this. Use of fisheyes falls into this category as well. If its been done 10,000,0000 times already, go for something different. The irony is that those sports are supposed to be all about creativity and self expression yet we, as photographers, often try our darndest to amke everything look exactly the same.

Take it fwiw, I'm just saying that the only rules to be followed religiously at the trails are no dig, no ride. You break it, you fix it.

[Dale Miller]

Just a couple more to see if I'm in the ball park . I just liked the face on the second one.

[namasste]

looks good. I would mention that if you are going to shoot without the lips (jumps) in sight, get things tight or show height perspective. The second is a great expression but lack a little impact. Crop that tighter and see what you think.

[Dale Miller]

I'm starting to think this sport is more about the jumps than the jumping. I understand haveing the ground in the picture for perspective but why so much emphasis on the jumps.

[namasste]

I'm starting to think this sport is more about the jumps than the jumping. I understand haveing the ground in the picture for perspective but why so much emphasis on the jumps.
Dale, yer killin me man. I have been saying all along that its not just the jumps that matter, shoot both ways (tight and loose) so that you get something a little less routine...Sheesh, and ya think trying to help is a good thing.

[khall]

I like the pictures very much, In fact they all look great. With the last shot its really no contest just how high he is.
A lot of the shots posted on POTN of BMX is big picture...small rider, this post beats that style hands down.

[namasste]

not all of the shots...just a few examples of what I was talking about but must not have conveyed clearly.

1.
http://www.sephotos.net/img/v1/p446734845-5.jpg

2.
http://www.sephotos.net/img/v1/p440477609-5.jpg

3.
http://www.sephotos.net/img/v1/p47234430-5.jpg

[khall]

Excellent pictures Scott.

[namasste]

Excellent pictures Scott.
thanks. just hoping to illustrate what I was getting at.

[DonE]

Right on Scott!! I agree 100%. I've actually at times layed down off to the side of a ramp as skateboaders jumped very close to me. Shooting from that angle gives you a whole new perspective. I am not saying shoot everything from a tight crop, but mix it up and have fun with it. Your 2nd series of shots are awesome Dale. Like Scott said show a tighter crop of the expressions of the rider. You can still get some of the background and foreground in like Scott did with his shots and show amazing detail and expressions. Great series as well Scott!

[Dale Miller]

Scott, I'm not trying to debate it at all. If it looks that way I apologize. I greatly apreciate everyones input. This is a new deal for me and I guess it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I did not learn to shoot rodeo over night and I"m sometimes not sure I know it at all. Hang in there with me folks I"m pretty thick headed most of the time, but I dont like doing things wrong either. Once agin thanks ....Dale

[namasste]

Scott, I'm not trying to debate it at all. If it looks that way I apologize. I greatly apreciate everyones input. This is a new deal for me and I guess it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. I did not learn to shoot rodeo over night and I"m sometimes not sure I know it at all. Hang in there with me folks I"m pretty thick headed most of the time, but I dont like doing things wrong either. Once agin thanks ....Dalemaybe that's just one of those internet things. No worries Dale. Don and I are saying the same thing...mix it up. Heck, this applies to most things photographically if you ask me. Shoot tight, loose, from your belly, in a tree (I've done this several times and it makes for some really cool stuff). Point is experiment. Guys at the level of the ones you are shooting have seen just about everything. If you can show them something unique, you might find yourself really doing something with it. You're almost there already shooting rodeo since bmx is pretty much the same thing...just using a different kind of horse!:lol::lol:

[convergent]

Scott, those are dang impressive.... what did you use for flash?

[namasste]

Scott, those are dang impressive.... what did you use for flash?thanks Mike. Believe it or not, those were all a single Viv 285HV fired with Elinchrom Skyports. Had my 13 year old son (also a rider which helped since he understood the angles well) hold the flash gun while I fired away from further back. Call him a mobile light stand!

[Banno]

Dale, with shots like you've posted you'll be fine mate. A good mate of mine is in the Aussie BMX crew for the Olympic team and he saw those shots and reckoned that they are on the money.
But as has been debated (both from the same side mind you!) above mix it up, have fun and dont be afraid to stir the boys up and get them fired up. A few little diggs and you'll get them to do some stupid **** pretty quickly :)

Good luck dude, and dont forget to share when you get home!

[Dale Miller]

Thanks for all of your help and comments. The event I'm to shoot is scheduled for late afternoon today, and the forecast is for rain and high winds. Hope I can shoot at all.

[namasste]

Thanks for all of your help and comments. The event I'm to shoot is scheduled for late afternoon today, and the forecast is for rain and high winds. Hope I can shoot at all.
if its raining or high winds its' not likely they'll run the contest so you'll probably get some more time to practice. if they run it, don't sweat things. go and have fun and post up some results for us to oggle afterwards.

[HammerCope]

Good luck Dale. Cant wait to see how it come out.