The number one question I'm asked is “What kind of camera do you use?” I’d like to start by saying that it’s absolutely nothing special (well, to me it is, it’s like a third limb). I’ll start with a rundown of my equipment. Pretty basic stuff really.
Camera: Nikon D40x
Lenses: Nikon DX AF-S 18-55mm; Nikon DX AF-S 55-200mm with vibration reduction
Software: Photoshop CS (run on a PC with Windows Vista, no kidding!)
Camera Settings
I usually leave the camera on full auto when shooting sports because I don’t have time to mess around with settings. Anybody who has ever tried to photograph sports knows that the action doesn't wait for you to be ready. My shutter is set to continuous. In addition, I have my camera set at the finest image quality and the largest size. Always. Without fail. I don’t care how much space it takes on the memory card (always have more than one). I personally shoot in jpg, however, I’ve heard many people swear by using RAW. For some reason I can’t get RAW to open on my computer. Try it, you may like it.
Setting Up for a Shot
One of the most beautiful things about photographing cycling is that you can move around and plan for shots. Well, most of the time. When photographing the 2009 Tour of California, I actually went out the day before and scoped out the perfect spot, only to not be able to get to that location due to road closures. I then had only a few seconds to get pictures. Didn’t work.
1. Take the time to find places where you may anticipate attacks, sharp turns, hills, run ups (for cyclocross), etc. It may be fun to be at the finish line, but it’s not always the easiest place to get a shot, especially if the media is involved and they’re in your way.
Up and out of the saddle, juniors' race at the 2009 Nevada City Classic
2. It’s also interesting to find places where the road snakes around. This can make a beautiful shot with a colorful peloton or a small group making their way around the curves.
3. Be aware of your surroundings. What is in the background? Nobody wants to see a photo of some hot young (or old) pro with a Port-a-Pottie as a backdrop. (Been there, done that, learned from it, sorry Levi!)
4. If possible, move around during the race so the shots you do get aren’t all the same.
5. If there are many groups racing but you’re there to see a specific group, take photos of the others as practice before the one you want starts. With luck you’ll notice if the location is or isn’t working.
6. Backlight is usually bad. If at all possible have the lighting behind you and not the subject. This may seem obvious, but it’s not to a lot of people I talk to. I don’t know why. Photoshop can only do so much to fix a not so great shot. However, I have had backlight work in the past.
Capturing the Excitement
I won’t lie. Catching that perfect moment is hard. I can take 500 shots and only get a small handful of shots that are ones I’d want to share with anybody. When you have a group of cyclists rushing by at some mad speed, the chances of getting what (or whom) you are looking for are slim.
1. Be ready. Watch, listen, and wait patiently. If they’re doing laps, time how long it takes so that you know when they’ll be back for another round.
2. Don’t be afraid to get a little dirty. Maybe this works better for me because I’m freakishly tall, but I’m the one you see on my knees and elbows in the dirt. I tend to get the most interesting angles when shooting from very low. I've also seen a lot of interesting shots that were taken from the top of rocks on the roadside looking down.
3. Zoom in… focus on the face and capture those moments of pain. Let's see the beads of sweat on the cyclist’s face! Not every shot needs to include the entire bike.
"Owww!" Up close and personal with Andy Jacques-Maynes, Surf City Cyclocross, Aptos CA, January 10, 2010
4. Wide angle… show the entire group, or a single rider. This works best when there is an interesting background like a massive crowd or beautiful countryside.
Even with the huge blob in the foreground and the backlight, I like this shot of Levi Leipheimer from the 2009 Nevada City Classic because I feel it captures exactly how massive the crowd turned out to be.
5. Avoid shooting from head on or directly from the side. This seldom works.
6. If you’re shooting from a distance, don’t center the subject.
Editing
Now that you have 500 photos of guys and gals in lycra, it’s time to edit. First rule of thumb is that nobody wants to see all 500 shots because chances are, 480 of them suck (I’m saying this out of love). Choose the ones that are the most interesting. They’re in focus, they capture expressions, movement, etc.
1. Don’t be afraid to crop. Use it, it’s your friend. You’ve just spend a day shooting people whizzing by and while the composition on a particular shot may totally suck looking at the original, some clever use of the cropping tool can turn an ordinary shot into something special. As a general rule, don't crop at joints. You do want to be a bit careful with this though if you plan to print the image, especially at larger sizes. What looks awesome on your computer may not be suitable for printing.
2. Play with the settings such as brightness & contrast, shadows & highlights, dodge, burn, etc. I like to burn the corners just a bit.
Before editing
3. Don’t be afraid to play with black and white. This can capture a mood nicely.
Practice Makes Perfect – Sort Of
Chance are you’re never going to be Graham Watson or Liz Kreutz. Deal with it. These people have press access to events and get closer to the action than the rest of us could ever hope to get. However, like the rest of us, they didn’t start out by taking perfect pictures every time. Enjoy yourself and don’t expect each shot to be perfect. The more shots you take, the more likely you are to capture something special.
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