Your best shot
Capture your riding adventures with our top photography tips
The open road awaits and you want to immortalise your memories with the perfect pictures. Read on for advice on how to get it right every time…
Be prepared
Your bike is ready for your road trip, so it’s worth making sure your camera/smartphone is too. Clean lenses to avoid softness in your photos and make sure your equipment is fully charged, as there’s nothing worse than running out of juice mid-photo.
Plan ahead
Incorporate must-see sights into your route, and if you want some shots of yourself and your bike, bring along a friend. Alternatively, use a selfie stick or mini tripod.
Lights, camera, action
Shooting in the golden hours – the first or last hour of light in the day – can produce some stunning images, but make sure you have enough time to capture your shot before the light fades. When taking photos at different times of the day, set the focus and exposure on what you want to stand out, and also try silhouetting yourself and bike with a golden background. And don’t be put off by a bit of drizzle – cloudy or rainy conditions can produce some dramatic photos; just watch out for wet lenses.
In the frame
Apply the rule of thirds when composing your shot by mentally dividing the image using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines and placing the focal point in one of the four corners of the frame where the lines intersect. Many phones have a framing grid to help with this. Use roads, fences or curves to draw the viewer’s eye to the subject and remember to allow space around so it can breathe.
A new perspective
Get close to your subject if you want to capture details such as logos. Try not to always shoot at eye level. For example, looking up at a building can increase the sense of height, while for bikes specifically, a 45-degree angle is usually the most appealing. If you want to include a lot of background or are taking a group shot, try to get to a higher position and place the bike(s) bottom centre with the background over the bike seats or the group’s shoulders.
Something different
Have fun with colours by incorporating both warm and cool shades for some contrast. Black and white photos are also highly effective. And make use of bodies of water such as puddles to capture reflections, or use the mirrors on your bike.
Get in on the action
For riding shots or video, use an Insta360 or similar action camera, and don’t just mount it on your helmet – try the frame, bars or a suction mount on a screen. Try facing it sideways, backwards or as low as you can on the bike to capture road motion.
Safety first
Don’t take unnecessary risks trying to get the perfect shot. Never take photos while riding, keep an eye out for traffic and make sure you’re not blocking other road users.
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