Post Your Best Motorcycle Shot

BlueTraveler wrote in post #19275134
Yamaha R1M. Meant for the track, but this was shot on the street. Did you notice that he's keeping an eye on me?

Perfect timing and placement for a great shot. He was looking at you to see that you had a camera and not a radar gun.

SynJohn wrote in post #19275904
Perfect timing and placement for a great shot. He was looking at you to see that you had a camera and not a radar gun.

Thanks John. He's very lucky it wasn't a radar gun!

BlueTraveler wrote in post #19276166
Thanks John. He's very lucky it wasn't a radar gun!

He may well have had that in mind. I gather he wasn't dawdling and to see something pointed at him probably was a bit of a gulp moment.
When I'm setup on side of road looking down the road towards incoming traffic it has an effect on many to instantly slow down as they think I've a speed camera.

avondale87 wrote in post #19276181
He may well have had that in mind. I gather he wasn't dawdling and to see something pointed at him probably was a bit of a gulp moment.
When I'm setup on side of road looking down the road towards incoming traffic it has an effect on many to instantly slow down as they think I've a speed camera.

When you set up for a session on the twisties, do you put a caution sign a few turns ahead of where you shoot? Here in the Texas Hill Country, there is a photographer who does that ("Photographer Ahead") in both directions. On the flipside of his sign, he also advertises his website, where you can order photos of you 'shredding' the turn. It give the riders a 'heads up' of a guy with camera ahead (and for some to wick it up for that 'knee on the ground' pix.) My avatar was cropped from that guys photo. (No knee down.)

Again, that image is m.c. magazine cover, or factory brochure quality, Mike!

avondale87 wrote in post #19276181
He may well have had that in mind. I gather he wasn't dawdling and to see something pointed at him probably was a bit of a gulp moment.
When I'm setup on side of road looking down the road towards incoming traffic it has an effect on many to instantly slow down as they think I've a speed camera.

Far from dawdling. I've been a little disingenuous here...he'd already been by me 3 or 4 times before this shot. He knew I was a photographer.

dougsmithsatx wrote in post #19276389
When you set up for a session on the twisties, do you put a caution sign a few turns ahead of where you shoot? Here in the Texas Hill Country, there is a photographer who does that ("Photographer Ahead") in both directions. On the flipside of his sign, he also advertises his website, where you can order photos of you 'shredding' the turn. It give the riders a 'heads up' of a guy with camera ahead (and for some to wick it up for that 'knee on the ground' pix.) My avatar was cropped from that guys photo. (No knee down.)

Again, that image is m.c. magazine cover, or factory brochure quality, Mike!

Thanks Doug! I tried the sign thing, and two hours later when I went to pick them up, they were gone. I checked with the Sheriff's Dept. and they didn't have them but steered me to the person who did...a Tonto National Forest cop. It's illegal to put up signs of any sort in a national forest. I got my signs back with a written warning. It's also illegal to take a photo in any of our national forests with the purpose of selling it...unless you have a permit. I applied for a permit, and 8 weeks later, my request was denied.

U.S. Forest Service website:

Still Photography
National Forest visitors and professional or amateur photographers do not need a permit to take still photographs unless the still photography will:

- Use models, sets or props that are not part of the site’s natural or cultural resource or
administrative facilities.

I guess they rejected your permit request 'cause they consider rider & bike a model/prop and not a natural or cultural resource.

dougsmithsatx wrote in post #19276453
U.S. Forest Service website:

Still Photography
National Forest visitors and professional or amateur photographers do not need a permit to take still photographs unless the still photography will:

- Use models, sets or props that are not part of the site’s natural or cultural resource or
administrative facilities.

I guess they rejected your permit request 'cause they consider rider & bike a model/prop and not a natural or cultural resource.

I argued with them for 2 months, including quoting their own website. I even had a Zoom call with a top level NFS exec in DC! They ignored what was on their website and quoted the original statute. So, i tried to get a license and went through the first 5 steps of their 7-level license approval process and was shot down for two reasons: I didn't prove that I couldn't get similar shots outside of the National Forest system, and my presence near the road would be a safety hazard...causing inattentive driving, extra traffic, people stopping to talk to me with no place to park, illegal u-turns etc. I still go out there on occasion and take pics for fun.

dougsmithsatx wrote in post #19276389
When you set up for a session on the twisties, do you put a caution sign a few turns ahead of where you shoot? Here in the Texas Hill Country, there is a photographer who does that ("Photographer Ahead") in both directions. On the flipside of his sign, he also advertises his website, where you can order photos of you 'shredding' the turn. It give the riders a 'heads up' of a guy with camera ahead (and for some to wick it up for that 'knee on the ground' pix.) My avatar was cropped from that guys photo. (No knee down.)

Again, that image is m.c. magazine cover, or factory brochure quality, Mike!

Doug I'm surveying not taking photographs.
We often survey along road corridors, but not near the actual pavement.
Up on tops of banks etc. It's fascinating to see the obvious slowing down of some speedsters who think I'm there with either radar or speed camera.
It's commonplace here to see police setup on sides of roads away from formation, under trees or just out in the open, and take on the speedsters.

We don't need signs for such activity, but I can see the day coming when any activity inside road corridors will even need written approval etc etc.

avondale87 wrote in post #19276524
Doug I'm surveying not taking photographs.
We often survey along road corridors, but not near the actual pavement.
Up on tops of banks etc. It's fascinating to see the obvious slowing down of some speedsters who think I'm there with either radar or speed camera.
It's commonplace here to see police setup on sides of roads away from formation, under trees or just out in the open, and take on the speedsters.

We don't need signs for such activity, but I can see the day coming when any activity inside road corridors will even need written approval etc etc.

Richard - I see survey crews along roadways here, and if they are anywhere near the right-of-way, they either put out a portable, orange CAUTION sign (Survey Crew) or a vehicle with a sign & flashing strobe lights, making drivers aware of work being done nearby. It may be state regulations to do so.

Of course, the law enforcement here will also set up for radar speed traps in areas motorists don't expect. And they neglect to place any advance signage, darn it!

Back to bike pix - early Hardley - Davidson

One to many miles on her...

I've been wanting to do "bike portraits" for a while now. I had a cool location picked out, but syncing up schedules with bikers can be challenging. They work during the week and, on the weekends, they just wanna' ride.

Today I successfully got two friends to come out with their bikes:

Excellent compositions
I like them.
They show the environs which is very much part of bike riding so it's a complete picture.
I don't find any of the surroundings distractive. The photos are ALL bike.

avondale87 wrote in post #19282904
Excellent compositions
I like them.
They show the environs which is very much part of bike riding so it's a complete picture.
I don't find any of the surroundings distractive. The photos are ALL bike.

Thanks! I appreciate that!