Touring - bicycle touring photgraphy questions?

We are now writing some articles over photographing during a bicycle trip and we wondered which tips and /or information our fellow touring cyclists would like to have? Are you interested in bicycle photography tips? Reading about which photographic equipment other cyclists carry? Interviews with different photographers? etc., All input is welcome!

wut

As a retired professional photographer and sometimes photography instructor, I think most folks would like to know what equipment is reasonable to take on tour; DSLR vs point-and-shoot, size and weight of camera, zoom range of lens, lightweight tripod, speed lights, other accessories. For example, I used to carry a Nikon D50 with two lightweight lenses but when I upgraded to a D300, I switched to an Olympus E-PL1. I also have a Nikon s6000 point-and-shoot. I'd much rather have the flexibility of the D300 and several lenses, but would rather not deal with the weight.

I think people would also like to know how to pack a camera and accessories so the equipment survives the trip and weather.

In addition, what's the best way to get images from the camera to a web site; laptops, netbooks, iPad, etc. I also think people would benefit from tips on taking better photographs; framing, vantage point, using the camera's self timer or remote release. Perhaps how to secure the camera to the bicycle so one can shoot while riding.

Would love to see interviews with cycling photographers and how they work.

The photos on your web site are wonderful. You have a great eye. I remember seeing your photos in "Adventure Cyclist."

Keith Misegades kept a very good journal on the subject as he rode across the US

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/PhotoTour2008

Not interested, wouldn't read it.

Yes i would love to read it, if you able to make it interesting enough. :D

Image composition/lighting for emotional impact is foremost. No matter what equipment is being used. Focus on this. And how to use the computer to fix minor issues.

Way too much attention is given equipment. 99% of pictures shot on tour will never see a print larger than 4x6. Just about any cam, from phone to Hasselblad, can do an adequate job for that. If composed nicely.

I use my phone cam for the throw away stuff. A Nikon Coolpix or Canon Powershot for scenes I think I might want to hang on the wall or enter in a contest.

I think you should stick to basics such as light, light quality and how that translates to exposure. Providing your ideas of which camera is best, what exposures YOU use....I fail to see any value in that. The equipment will become a choice based on many compromises which each person behind the camera will make. In this digital age its so easy to experiment and find your "style" often breaking the established rules anyway. It's never the equipment that makes a picture, its the "eye"; what the person sees that matters. I've seen some pics that could make you weep taken with cheap point and shoots and consequently seen some horrible shots taken with full frame DSLR's. All I can possibly say in regards to the best camera is its the one you have with you when you see something photo worthy.

I've actually quit bring a camera on tour, since the quality of my iPhone's camera is sufficient for my purposes. I've learned a lot more about how to "see" better and work within the constraints of the equipment. I personally would not be interested in articles about equipment but might be interested in reading about photographic vision and technique.

I usually shoot with film, both 35mm and medium format. But on the bike I bring a digital Point and Shoot. I can keep it in my rear pocket and pull it out when I want. My "good" cameras are just too bulky to bring on the bike.

I think taking good photos on a trip can be very difficult, or at least difficult to do well. The tendency seems to be to take posed pictures of the traveler(s) and a bunch of pictures of the sites. That gets pretty boring for anyone who wasn't on the trip.

So, while it helps to have an explanation on lighting and composing the shot, I think it would be more helpful to discuss different strategies which might help people find a more creative way to pick a shot that better captures the essence of the location, the journey, and the rider. I know that is much harder to do, but you asked!

I started 3 threads on different aspects of cycle touring photography: equipment, picture-taking, and one on management (power, memory, bags, maintenance etc)
There were some useful contributions
Im sure they will turn up in a search.

I think people would also like to know how to pack a camera and accessories so the equipment survives the trip and weather.

In addition, what's the best way to get images from the camera to a web site; laptops, netbooks, iPad, etc. I also think people would benefit from tips on taking better photographs; framing, vantage point, using the camera's self timer or remote release. Perhaps how to secure the camera to the bicycle so one can shoot while riding.


+1

I am planning to take my Nikon D40 and my 18-55 lens, but may also take my 55-200 lens though not sure I will use it; any tips like that would help if I need both?

I am also thinking of taking a mini HD video camera like the gopro or flip with wide angle filming, so looking for video edit software and home made handle bar mount (built a $0.86 one but need to test it).

Also I am searching for a cheap multiple purpose waterproof bag to sit on my Surly Nice front rack? Thinking a softsided mini-cooler with maybe my camera equipment in a zip-lock or other water tight case inside

So any tips on how to solve these types of problems would be nice. :)

I take a Canon Power Shot SX20 IS on holidays and bike touring. I chose this camera for the 12 megapixels and 20X optical zoom. But most of all, I like it because it uses 4 AA batteries. I can take re-chargable or disposable batteries. No worries about re-charging because batteries are available anywhere. I get 2 weeks of battery life while on vacation using standard alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries have much longer life. I haven't used a set up while on vacation so I don't know how long they last with daily use.

rule 1 ...dont drop your camera

Thanks for all the comments, we really appreciate them! C Tyler – your comments are a good starting point for writing the articles. As for “how to secure the camera to the bicycle so one can shoot while riding.” There are special camera holders that can easily be attached to the handlebars or frame. Our upcoming March “Guest photographer” has taken a number of great pictures with such a camera holder. “So, while it helps to have an explanation on lighting and composing the shot, I think it would be more helpful to discuss different strategies which might help people find a more creative way to pick a shot that better captures the essence of the location, the journey, and the rider. I know that is much harder to do, but you asked!” - Actually those are exactly the type of tips that we want to write. We aren’t really interested in writing about how to take a better landscape or architectural shot – there are a number of internet sites that explain that. We are planning on writing tips that help people capture more interesting / better bicycle touring shots. Right now we are cycling in Laos with a REALLY slow/bad internet connection. As soon as we come across a hotel with a fast wifi connection we will check out the other sites that were mentioned such as the three threads over photography on this forum and Keith Misegades site on Crazy guy on a bike.

...I think it would be more helpful to discuss different strategies which might help people find a more creative way to pick a shot that better captures the essence of the location, the journey, and the rider.
This.

Consider this shot:

http://users.rcn.com/jimmuller/pics/by_a_lake.jpg
The nominal subject matter is the lake to the left. Many people would shoot it as "scenery". The real subject is the road. It beckons. It whispers "Come hither. See where I take you." There is a story before it and after it.

Can you teach people to shoot pics like that that?

The nominal subject matter is the lake to the left. Many people would shoot it as "scenery". The real subject is the road. It beckons. It whispers "Come hither. See where I take you." There is a story before it and after it.

Can you teach people to shoot pics like that that?

That's probably one of the best applications of the "rule of thirds" that I've seen recently. The photog was able to apply it three dimensionally. JMO, but I see the subject matter as the activity of cycling, though I think we are saying the same thing overall.

It's an easy rule to understand, but difficult to properly apply in practice. As a technical tip, I usually widen the shot a bit so that I can crop it to the most pleasing part of the scene. It's not my idea, but rather a tip passed along to me years ago by a big format film photographer.

Such a great shot - is it yours Jim?

Do people actually pay money for such books?

It is the photo, not the cost of the camera. This sunset was taken with a 6 or 7 year old 3 megapixel point and shoot that has been dropped a few too many times.


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But a more expensive DSLR may be useful at times, the out of focus areas in front and behind the subject can add a lot to the photo and you would not get that out of focus "look" (or bokeh) with a cheap camera. But, this is still only 6 megapixel, so the camera is not that expensive.

188502

As a technical tip, I usually widen the shot a bit so that I can crop it to the most pleasing part of the scene...
Such a great shot - is it yours Jim?
Thank you. Yes, it is, taken on PastorBobNLNH's Lakes&Hills C&V Ride in October. It was taken from a moving bike with a P&S camera (6Mpixel, I think). I cropped it a little on the left and adjusted its orientation slightly with PaintShop Pro. (On a moving bike you don't have time to micro-manage the composition!)

Tourist In MSN - Nice sunset. I makes me want to put a canoe in and paddle away.

That's probably one of the best applications of the "rule of thirds" that I've seen recently. The photog was able to apply it three dimensionally. JMO, but I see the subject matter as the activity of cycling, though I think we are saying the same thing overall.

It's an easy rule to understand, but difficult to properly apply in practice. As a technical tip, I usually widen the shot a bit so that I can crop it to the most pleasing part of the scene. It's not my idea, but rather a tip passed along to me years ago by a big format film photographer.While it is a nicely composed from a technical perspective, knowing the technique is different than knowing where to point the camera. He could have nicely composed the lake to the left, but as he said, that changes the subject of the picture. Deciding where to point the camera is just that - a decision - and as such it is harder to learn than the basics of technique that may still result in nicely framed shots of the wrong subject.

Many people here have touched on ideas about general photography discussions - framing, lighting, choosing interesting subjects instead of just another scenery/tourist site shot.

But that's all material for a general photography book. If you're looking to discuss photography specifically in the bike touring context, then you need bike specific discussions.

How to carry the equipment. At the low end, you can keep a P&S on your belt, or a consumer grade DSLR and maybe one extra lens in a bar bag. But if you're trying to bring 10 lenses for every purpose, how do you pack and protect them if your bike falls over. Advantages of a bar bag vs a rack bag or a pannier. How to arrange your gear so your camera and other equipment are quickly accessible.

Tripods that are easy to store on a bike and quick to remove. Maybe a discussion of actually turning your bike into a tripod by attaching a ball head and a kickstand.

Basically all the things that make photography from a bike platform different from a hiking or car-based platform.

188610
my useful techniques to capture the mood of the tour while sole touring is

1:shoot low with bike in foreground. 188612
capture images of the bicycle shooting from low and close to the bike with a nice piece of scenery in the background.

188611

2: Frame with the bike also is nice.

188614

3: field of view leaving one plane out of focus.

use a small tripod to capture some campground scenes, posed but candid, as you pack or make food.
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sometimes these get some interesting shots for solo cyclotourists even if the grain or exposures here are a little off.

188613

shooting from the bike is also a worthy topic.

my useful techniques to capture the mood of the tour...
Interesting shots. The first sure grabs me, makes me feel like I'm there or like I want to be there. The second doesn't work for me so well. The subject is so obviously the bike that it looks like a magazine ad. In the third I can't buy the premise that you were biking with the skis (though maybe you really were)! They are all intriguing. But the first is really intriguing.

For Jimmuller......



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjW6mTrazXY

For Jimmuller......
Very impressive. Nice photos too! They do indeed draw me into the trip. (Dang, I wish I wasn't sitting here at work.)

Thanks for the follow-up.

Thanks for all of the reactions – we will use them in writing the upcoming articles, interviews and photo tips. The tips will mainly be covering bicycle touring and will hopefully give cyclists new ideas on how to take bike pictures.



http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4779239123_1d835dcac7.jpg


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4790206240_28f60f1272.jpg

The are tons of sites that already cover the basics, the techniques, the technology. Shooting on bike tour is subject to the same rules as any other photography. What makes it different is that the size, weight, battery life and storage/protection matter more to a cyclist. As some posters pointed above useful tips for touring cyclists would include addressing of the above issues: type of equipment that works best for a touring cyclists, weight to quality ratio, tips for keeping the batteries charged up, alternative power sources, equipment storage and protection, how to edit and get the images up to blogs and forums easy and quickly, how to backup your images so you don't lose them by the time you're back home, etc.

Here are basic rules that I try to follow, although in reality it is often hard to follow rules if the timeframe for the shot is brief, if you're tired, etc.

Never put your primary subject dead in the center unles it serves a clear purpose.

Lookup the rule of thirds and use it.

Try not to have your human and animal subjects look staright in the lens.

Don't shoot from eye's height, try lower or higher.

Learn about depth of field and bokeh and experiment with them.

Trim or stitch panoramas for gereater visual impact.

Middle of the day is the worts time for shooting due to harsh shadows, morning and afternoon light is the best.

Be mindful of lightning: you're not taking images, you're capturing light. Look for lights and shadows, move around and frame your subject according to the light.

Don't shoot with the sun or other strong lights in the background of your subject, unless you're going for that special effect.

Take the same shot at various settings for higher changes of getting it right.

Don't be afraid of noise if you have access to decent software, most noise can be easily removed or reduced in most graphics apps, the higher shutter speed is often worth shooting at higher ISO and higher noise. In the worst case you can convert to B&W and still have a great "keeper" shot.

Shoot a lot and then shoot some more, the more you shoot the higher your chances are of getting good shots. I keep maybe 10% of my photos.

Experiment, often the best shots are experimental or lucky shots.

Post-editing, the images you see on National Geographic didn't come out of the camera like that.

Adam

PS. How to take the shots of yourself ona bike!

Grace this is a wonderful idea! I'm setting off in two weeks on a 4,000 mile/4,000 photo bike and photography project called PhotoBike (http://www.photobike.com) and will be watching for the article(s) you write regarding touring and photography.

In planning my trip, my primary concern has been carrying film (about 60 rolls?) and my equipment. I purchased an Arkel Big Bar Bag to keep all three of my cameras--digital point and shoot, 35mm film, and Holga 120 format, within easy reach. The bag is also waterproof, from what I've read, but I will still keep the gear in plastic bags. As far as tips on composition, I'm not so much interested in that as each photographer can find her own style. For power I'm taking a rollable solar panel from SolarFilm and a charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter adapter attached to the solar panel. I've had to cut down on some equipment to accommodate the film's bulk, but you could always send some of the film to someone halfway through the ride and switch out spent for new rolls then.

You can see the details on the PhotoBike project at www.ninasbuick.com (http://www.ninasbuick.com), and I'll be posting regular updates as well as photos from the tour as I go along. Looking forward to seeing your article!

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Grace this is a wonderful idea! I'm setting off in two weeks on a 4,000 mile/4,000 photo bike and photography project called PhotoBike (http://www.photobike.com) and will be watching for the article(s) you write regarding touring and photography.

In planning my trip, my primary concern has been carrying film (about 60 rolls?) and my equipment. I purchased an Arkel Big Bar Bag to keep all three of my cameras--digital point and shoot, 35mm film, and Holga 120 format, within easy reach. The bag is also waterproof, from what I've read, but I will still keep the gear in plastic bags. As far as tips on composition, I'm not so much interested in that as each photographer can find her own style. For power I'm taking a rollable solar panel from SolarFilm and a charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter adapter attached to the solar panel. I've had to cut down on some equipment to accommodate the film's bulk, but you could always send some of the film to someone halfway through the ride and switch out spent for new rolls then.

You can see the details on the PhotoBike project at www.ninasbuick.com (http://www.ninasbuick.com), and I'll be posting regular updates as well as photos from the tour as I go along. Looking forward to seeing your article!


Are the cameras you mentioned small enough to carry them all in one handlebar bag? I found one DSLR (Canon 40D) with two lenses to be quite a burden to carry. I've sent the 100mm macro lens back home after few days, just kept the 17-55mm lens for the reminder of the tour. They would only fit in panniers and that made them hard to get out. And 60 rolls of film?! That's a lot!

my best suggestion when friends ask me "canon or nikon" (especially) is .... choose a camera whose interface is something you LIKE.

the greatest whiz bang camera with controls an individual cannot adapt to, is a failure. would be better to pair up with a camera that works for the individual.

There are tons of sites that already cover the basics, the techniques, the technology. Shooting on bike tour is subject to the same rules as any other photography.

I agree with you. What we will try and do is talk about the rules and tips / hints and show alongside a bicycle picture that illustrates what we are talking about. For instance you write;
Don't shoot from eye's height, try lower or higher.
That’s an excellent rule – especially on flat terrain, yet I almost never see bicycle touring pictures taken from a high or low standpoint.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4823852683_c8243c8326.jpg

Nina’s buick – sounds like a fantastic trip! I’ve already “liked” you page via facebook – and I’m curious to see how the trip goes. We also used to carry so much film with us in our pre-digital camera days.

You might also want to read this article from photographer Chris Herwig – who on his bike trip – he took a photo for every hour that he was on his bike. http://herwigphoto.wordpress.com/2003/09/17/road-apples/

I second the shoot from different heights suggestion. Grace, I'll be following your work and would love to provide some feedback during my trip on bike touring and photography. If you have any specific questions that I could help answer, don't hesitate to send them along via the facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninas-Buick/128918157175391) or the 'contact me' box on the webpage.

I will definitely check out Chris Herwig's blog! I've been toying with the idea of a routinized schedule of photos--one per mile, one per hour, anyone have other suggestions?--as a way to provide structure to the project. With creative projects, such structure often leads to creativity that may not have appeared if there were no rules. This is an argument against free verse poetry, too! One photo per hour is a kind of photography haiku, no? Structure is especially attractive for the Holga, which takes quite distinctive pictures with little predictability. Imposing external rules would take away some of the angst of controlling a temperamental technology. Perhaps I will limit the Holga to portraits of people I meet along the way. Could be fun.

AdamDZ, I'm not taking a DSLR, choosing instead my Panasonic LX3 point-and-shoot. It's a great camera, not least of which because it has a simple toggle switch to change from 16:9 landscape aspect ratio to 4:3 that simulates 35mm pretty well. Most of my landscape work is done in 16:9, and you can see examples here (http://npoggioli.deviantart.com/gallery/23769059). The camera is quite compact, much smaller than my Nikon FE2 35mm SLR. The Holga is a bit boxy, but it's simple plastic and incredibly lightweight.

AdamDZ, I'm not taking a DSLR, choosing instead my Panasonic LX3 point-and-shoot. It's a great camera, not least of which because it has a simple toggle switch to change from 16:9 landscape aspect ratio to 4:3 that simulates 35mm pretty well. Most of my landscape work is done in 16:9, and you can see examples here (http://npoggioli.deviantart.com/gallery/23769059). The camera is quite compact, much smaller than my Nikon FE2 35mm SLR. The Holga is a bit boxy, but it's simple plastic and incredibly lightweight.

Beautiful images!

Speaking of "trying higher" I would love to take a small RC quad-copter on a tour and shoot aerial photos using a small camera. Or maybe even just a balloon. Wouldn't it be awesome to have shots of yourself on a bike from bird's eye view?!

BTW, I love panoramas. They have greater impact IMHO, because they're more natural since our vision is panoramic. I stitch multiple images, it's also a way to compensate for the lack of very wide lens.

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/2010/06/AdirondacksTour/small/Panorama-018.jpg

http://a-world.net/files/cycling/2010/06/AdirondacksTour/small/Panorama-020.jpg

I stitch multiple images, it's also a way to compensate for the lack of very wide lens.

Fantastic panoramas, AdamDZ! In my few attempts at stitching, I've found the clouds difficult to get right. Yours look perfect!

The deviantArt community has groups devoted to panoramas (http://panoramaclub.deviantart.com/) and high-dynamic range (http://hdr-club.deviantart.com/) (is that what HDR stands for?) panorama photography. Many users are friendly and willing to share tutorials and tricks of the trade on how they make their images. I highly recommend it if you're not already a part!

Maybe the software I use is better (Autopano Pro), but also, you need to shoot your images quickly to give objects little chance to move between frames. On a windy day it's more difficult (clouds, trees, bushes, tall grass, etc.).

You can also create panoramas by cropping a regular picture too. If you're going to post your 10+ megapixel picture on the net then you have to re-size it to make it much smaller anyway. Then some cropping and resizing won't be a problem. This also gives you the opportunity to "re-frame" your subject. I usually save my images as 1920x1200 from 3000+ pixels so I often re-frame the photos.

Example:

Original, normal-sized image before cropping and re-framing:

http://a-world.net/files/photography/reframing/before.jpg

After cropping and re-framing, the image lost some pixels but since the resulting image is a lot smaller anyway, it doesn't matter:

http://a-world.net/files/photography/reframing/after.jpg