Motorcycle lighting...

I have an upcoming photo shoot of a motorcycle.
It will most likely be at night.
I have two Einsteins and an AB400...so I think I have enough light.

Anyone have any links, tips, diagrams, on lighting a Harley at night?

The bike is one of them award winning show bikes and I want to capture that in my photo!

Look at the automotive strobist setup picture thread. Same idea for bikes as cars.

You'd be better off to use natural light right around sunset though. Make sure the reflections are clean and you can't see people/buildings/other vehicles in the paint. All that chrome is going to be a pain in the butt with reflections.

The power of your lights aren't the biggest factor when it comes to lighting cars and bikes.

rikaro wrote in post #12246797
The power of your lights aren't the biggest factor when it comes to lighting cars and bikes.

Agreed. To really get the contour of the bike, as well as its color/details/etc, it's much more about the size of the lightsource. If you can, hang a white sheet over the bike horizontally (parallel to ground), just out of frame, and fire the Einsteins through umbrellas from over the top of the sheet down toward the bike. You'll get soft, diffuse light that wraps around the bike and it just looks killer.
(You avoid a lot of the specular highlights too)

Hope this helps!

anlenke wrote in post #12247011
Agreed. To really get the contour of the bike, as well as its color/details/etc, it's much more about the size of the lightsource. If you can, hang a white sheet over the bike horizontally (parallel to ground), just out of frame, and fire the Einsteins through umbrellas from over the top of the sheet down toward the bike. You'll get soft, diffuse light that wraps around the bike and it just looks killer.
(You avoid a lot of the specular highlights too)

Hope this helps!

That's sort of how the Valvoline bike by Orange County Choppers was shot. See the original image in post #18.

rikaro wrote in post #12246797
The power of your lights aren't the biggest factor when it comes to lighting cars and bikes.

Motorcycles no but cars 3/4 yes. You need some power to get a good DOF at ISO 100

I have a friend who shoots cars. I don't know if I should be divulging this information, but the trick he uses is to pop a few strong strobes and then trace it with a light bulb in a softbox.

You let the secret out on how to get long highlights with out a big flat! jk

Indoors ?
Outdoors ?
What will the setting be ?
How much time do you have ?
What is the end use of the files ( print, web, magazine ? )
Are you going to have one or more assistants to help set up and control the lighting ?

All of these things would change what kind of "good advice" you will get.

anlenke wrote in post #12247011
Agreed. To really get the contour of the bike, as well as its color/details/etc, it's much more about the size of the lightsource. If you can, hang a white sheet over the bike horizontally (parallel to ground), just out of frame, and fire the Einsteins through umbrellas from over the top of the sheet down toward the bike. You'll get soft, diffuse light that wraps around the bike and it just looks killer.
(You avoid a lot of the specular highlights too)

Hope this helps!

And if you don't have the material to hold a sheet up like this, a whiteboard or reflector with a light bounced off it will have a similar effect. I can see a sheet needing people/stands to hold it taught along with tall enough stands holding the lights above the sheet, where as you can fire the light below the board without needing the heighth, or as many people/stands to hold the sheet up. You'll just have more weight to contend with.

Just an idea based on using reflectors to light with instead of diffusers.

Also, I like bikes when they're stood up straight, so if you have a stand you or the client can use and then you can PS out, that may be a good idea. There are motorcycle jacks with two arms that slide under a bike and lift it up by the bottom of the frame. You could put just enough pressure on it to keep it upright.

Just another idea.

I was looking at my bike today thinking "I really should try to shoot this"... then I thought "nah, then I'd have to clean it!" LOL!

Great idea with the white sheet.

That's a good idea for when you can't hang a sheet above. I'll have to try that next.

I still stand by the natural light being the best with a strobe for fill though.

What type of look are you going for?

You have all you need IMO....2 Einsteins if front of the bike and the Ab400 behind the bike for accent lighting

Woah...thanx for all the advice!!!

I don't know if indoor or out or time of day or anything else at this point. I imagine whatever I say will look best.
I have a 10'x20' white muslin and backdrop stands. I bet I could hang it somewhere if I needed to. With a little baling wire and duct-tape anything is possible! LOVE that white sheet idea! Almost thinking the white sheet with the Es behind AND then pop the AB400 wide straight at it from the front to put some bling in the chrome?

Time wise i'll probably have a long as I want/need.
The owner of the bike has stands to put the bike upright if needed.

Thanx for the advice all!!!

Unless you are good with photoshop and don't mind spending the time to clean them up on the computer, I would zoom in to get a good look at all the reflections of the light source/s before you pack it up.