Mike Hoff Photo

I’m a college student and like most college students I don’t have a lot of money to spend, so it sucks that I chose an expensive hobby like photography. One thing that I really want right now are some quality off camera flashes and some soft boxes. These things are expensive so I have to improvise. I have taken several self portraits that have been lit only by lamps that I have in my apartment. The lighting is not as nice or as versatile but it does the job when you cant afford the fancy gear. I mostly use a multi bulb lamp such as THIS one. These work great because they provide a lot of light and the individual bulbs are moveable. You also need to dial in your white balance and you should be good to go. The following images are examples of what can be done with a simple setup like this.

Feel free to add your own cheap lighting tips and tricks in the comments!

The most basic tip that I would give anybody wanting to get better at photography? Just shoot. Get off you ass, go somewhere and shoot. Take your camera everywhere and shoot, shoot, shoot. The more you take pictures the better they will become. You start to learn what works, what doesn’t, and how to best use your camera.

When I first got my first DSLR I was nervous about two things, taking it everywhere and what people would think as I took seemingly “random” pictures. You adjust though the more you do it, but you must first break the barrier. Even if you don’t use it, take the camera. Always. And who cares what the people around you are thinking. If they ask you questions, simply answer them. Just say that you are a photographer trying to get better at your craft. Also know your photography rights should you ever be stopped by a rent-a-cop or police officer (basically public area = fair game).

Once you start consistently shooting every day remember to share your photos. Your work needs to be critiqued. With this adopt a “take it or leave it” attitude with the comments you receive. Personally I would rather have somebody tear my image a new one rather than have somebody say “good picture” and leave it at that. So post your images in a photography forum or on Flickr.

I hope this advice proves useful, now get off your butt, grab that camera, and SHOOT!

So far I have only photographed two bike races, one mountain and one road, but I have still picked up a few tricks during that short time. Hopefully these will help you get better pictures next time you are out taking pictures of cyclists doing their thing.

1. Pan

No not Peter Pan, pan your shots. Cyclists are in motion, panning helps portray this motion. Keep your subject in the same place inside the frame and move the camera as they move. Using full manual mode works best for this. Most of my panning shots when racers are moving fast are taken at 1/125. It is also a good idea to use burst mode for these types of shots.

2. Monopod

Using a monopod helps a lot when doing panning shots, it allows you to keep the camera steady and smoothly and easily pan along with your subject. Monopods are also good because holding your camera all day in 90 degree heat can get tiring.

3. Group shots

Cycling is a team sport, believe it or not, so take more than individual rider shots. A good group show will show the tightness and organized chaos of the the peloton. Also try group shots from different angles, not just from the side.

4. Pick a subject

If you want to get a shot of one rider in a group, pick them out early. It is hard to stay on a subject as a group of 150 riders goes past you at 25mph. Pick them out early and track them before taking your shots.

5. Lenses

To do a bike race properly you need at least a 70-200mm lens. This lens will allow you to get in close for good individual racer shots, as well as far enough out so you can get group shots. A decent wide angle lens would also help for when you are right on the edge of the street and the riders are just a few feet from you.

6. Faces

Cyclists get tired and it shows on their face. If you want to capture this you need to get riders faces intoyour shots. To get good intensity shots try shooting where the riders will be coming down a hill, for exhausted/struggling shots try being on a climb.

7. Victory

Always try to get a podium shot. This is the reason the riders do what they do, be sure to get it.

8. Terrain

Getting the terrain into a shot can really bring another element to an image. This especially applies to mountain bike racing where the terrain is as much of a participant in the race as the cyclists. Also incorporate things like splashing mud or broken logs and so on.

Hopefully these tips help you next time you are at a bike race. There are many more tips and tricks, most of which I have yet to lear, but this is a start.

Pictures from the races that I have shot so far can be seen HERE and HERE.