Remember what I said about creating interesting angles in your images. There’s the more obvious reason, of course, which is that no matter how stunning your composition, if the photo is blurry and out of focus, no one’s going to be impressed by it. Using a tripod means you can get your shot 99% perfect and then, as slowly or as quickly as you want, make micro adjustments until you’re satisfied before hitting the shutter release. Okay, so I now have your attention….īetween wind, moving vehicles, buzzing distractions, earthquakes and tidal waves, it can be a challenge to get your camera into exactly the right position to grab that perfectly composed image you’ve imagined.
When you use a tripod, everyone around you is going to think that you’re some kind of pro. There are a few reasons to use a tripod, but let me start with one that I know will appeal.
You’re only going to keep the good images, right? Simon sets up to photograph the sunrise over the Grand Canyon.5. USE A TRIPOD Setting your camera up for a photo every second means that after your “photo run” you’ll have the best possible chance of being caught within the focal range, so you’re in focus and you only have 30–40 images that you’ll need to delete. But by putting your camera in time-lapse mode you can instruct your camera to take a photo every one second to every 10 seconds. If you have a high-spec DSLR camera, then you’ll still need to pre-focus on the area you want to hit as you ride through the frame. Be prepared to make as many runs as you need to get the image. If your camera’s maximum delay is 20 seconds, you’ll need to visually spot a place on the ground where you want to grab the image, pre-focus your camera on that spot and then practice riding away from the camera, turning around (quickly) and riding back to that spot in the 20 seconds your camera gave you. If you’re using a budget automatic camera that will only take a single image after a delay of 5-20 seconds then you have to do a dry run. Key to all of this happening is getting familiar with your camera’s time delay feature. You’ve literally got to pre-picture the photo, set up your camera and then ride through the shot and hope the universe aligns while you capture what you wanted. Snapping award-winning images of yourself is the toughest gig. Sometimes the best photos can be of something or somewhere familiar but taken at such an interesting angle that it gives the viewer a new perspective on something they thought they knew well.Īfter 172 days without rain in Australia’s Outback, a 12-minute downpour creates a surprise rainbow over the sandstone buttress at Rainbow Valley. Get up high or get down low, but do whatever it takes to create a new angle. The result is that all the images are taken at head and shoulder level and have little to no depth. Have you ever had a friend ask you to look at his or her ride or holiday images? After a while, they all look the same, because all they did was hold the camera in front of their face and press a button. That said, thinking about the Rule of Thirds is a good place to start.įramed by mountains, Lisa rides her trusty BMW F650GS at Milford Sound on New Zealand’s South Island. Just remember that rules are meant to be broken and I’ve seen some great images that work because they are created with such disregard for the “normal” rules of composition that they’re immediately interesting. Therefore, if you were shooting a landscape you could put the foreground in the lower third, the mid ground in the center and the sky in the top third.
One of the oldest and most accepted rules is to create images around the “Rule of Thirds.” Imagine dividing an image into thirds by drawing two horizontal and two vertical lines across it-equally spaced-then placing the elements of your photo at the intersections or along those lines. A good photo is often more about capturing an interesting or strong composition that draws in the viewer and tells a story. There are a few key elements that go into making a great photo, and while a high-end camera can make some difference, it doesn’t make all the difference. Let me tell you, leaving your camera in “Auto” mode isn’t going to get the job done, but I’ve got some solid advice that will up the odds in your favor.
And, although most of us have a camera phone and an automatic, or even a DSLR, we’re left unsure as to how to get the most out of them. There are few riders who don’t want to return home from their ride with at least a couple of magazine-worthy hero shots.