Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I see so many really great photos of bikes that aren't necessarily stunning but the Photo makes the difference and it looks great. On the other hand I know some really beautiful bikes that will look like a *** because of the Photo.

So whats the tricks to do it well?

I've got a 10 megapixel Canon Powershot...its not a piece of crap, but my pictures generally suck. School me.

I know a little about cameras... I know what that ISO is shutter speed, and I understand how changing that affects the photo...and I understand the computer aspect of it (Resolution, File Formats, RAW, etc..). Its the actual using of the camera that I am lacking in.





this is always a funny point for me because I dated a pro photographer for a long time. I tried to learn from her, but I wasn't really in the habit of listening to what she was saying

SJX426 

Lighting is everything. Don't shoot in the sun and avoid high contrast in brightness. Colors are over exposed or under exposed with high contrast.

Composition is next to everything. Frame your shot so there is not too much boarder of useless subject. Place the focus of the subject 1/3 down from the top. This is the natural place for humans to look. An example are the eyes of a face. They are about 1/3 down. All good shots will use the "golden ratio".

I guess you already know about focus and depth of field with the aperture setting.

I am not a pro but this is what I have learned. Now to execute consistantly!

RobbieTunes

I point and shoot, and my pictures look like it. When I finally get the bikes the way I want, I'm having someone come over who knows what he/she is doing.

NYC_zx10

When shooting parts, frames, etc...

Rule of thumb:

Light colors stand out more against a dark background.

Dark colors stand out more against a light background.

Dont shoot a white frame against a light colored wall or a black frame against a dark colored wall, etc.

calamarichris

Here're some examples of what NOT to do (they're my own photos, but I was giddy after taking my bike for her first ride after completion):



~Not enough light. IMO, the best light is on an overcast day, away from the shadow of building. The light is softer and there is less glare. My yellow Cinelli cork ribbon looks dingey and used because there was not enough light. Flash would have fixed this, but it also would have put a nasty glare on my paint job.

~Dull/Non-complimentary background. The porta-dustpan, Chia-Bart-Simpson head and plastic storage container above are barely enough to distract the eye from the dessicated clover weeds growing between my paving stones. The white plastic fence of my condo's yard is dingey and doesn't make my frame's blue/yellow color 'pop' the way a red brick wall or a field of yellow wild-flowers would.


~Macro setting. Use the macro setting on your hand-held. Some details deserve a close-up, but if you take the time to experiment with your camera's macro setting (which is usually indicated with the little flower on the dial) so you don't end up with a blurred logo like mine above.

~Reflections. Be mindful of distracting reflections on your immaculate paintjob.

~Distracting/uneven background elements. The goony looking broom handle draws the eye away from my beloved subject.

Bottom line: put your bike away while looking for a good background. If you love it too much, you fail to notice the little things like the above mistakes.

gridplan

Have you checked out Ray Dobbins' site? If you like indoor shots, he spells out how he does it.

RFC

+1 Also, try to shoot in the morning or afternoon. Avoid high noon. It will wash out color. Keep in mind that the human eye/brain will compensate for poor light, the camera does not. Try to see the photo before you shoot as the camera does. Look for distracting clutter in background and avoid it.

smallpox champ

I love photography.

I only shoot bikes outside on overcast days, or near twilight. It's good to avoid strange angles and square up your shots. Dark backgrounds are better than bright, imo, even for dark subjects (unless you have a studio setup). You can use a flash even on a bright day, but a diffuser (paper works) is recommended.

Those are just opinions though, it's worth noting that you can break the rules and still take a great photo.
I know alot of people who just shoot in bulk and get a couple okay shots, and it is a perfectly okay way to get something done. Other people can make the first shot great, but it's still advisable to take more than you need.

What I find it boils down to is training yourself to see things differently. A photograph is the sum of its parts, not just the subject. When you focus on things with your eyes, they are isolated in your mind, but the camera sees things differently. Focus on everything that is within the frame, it all counts.

red_hook

+1 what NYC_zx10 said about foreground/background contrast.

You want light to come from as many angles as possible. On an overcast day it comes from everywhere. On a sunny day, keep the sun as much at your back as possible (you don't want your shadow in the shot). Block a too strong light source… move behind a tree or a building. See if you can get some reflected light from a secondary source. Nearby walls can be helpful without actually being in the shot. Don't shoot into light… if the light is on you, the object is in shadow.

Golden section is a little complicated… its not just a third the way down the image. Rule of thirds might be more helpful… divide the image into thirds horizontally and vertically and think about what's happening in each of the nine boxes or about how those boxes might be helpful to you. Maybe they're not. A lot of bike shots are centered. Centered works too. Maybe the thirds just help you think a little more about what you're doing. Maybe you'll find them in the background.

Don't forget the background… it's just as important as the object of your attention!

Picture a photographer. Are they kneeling? Your bike is shorter than you are… go down to its level. Looking up adds drama. Looking down does not.

Look into depth of field. Its not complicated and is tremendously useful. If you can control the aperture, you can control depth of field. If you can, you should.

jebensch

Don't use a flash.

If you're planning on shooting indoors, buy a tripod or mini tripod so you can shoot with a long exposure in lower light conditions. Or, set your camera on the edge of a table or flat surface of some sort and shoot with the timer so pressing the shutter doesn't vibrate or move the camera.

steppinthefunk 

Smallpox has some great tips to follow.
Overcast days make for good shots as the light is diffused and not oo harsh. But if there are no clouds, I like to in the shade. But I try to make sure that the background is not lit with direct sunlight either or else you will blow out the picture.

Also, try to get down to eyelevel of the bike. Of course the bike doesn;t have eyes but I always crowch down so that my lens is about at the same height as my top tube - same idea as photographing children, get lens down to their eyelevel.

steppinthefunk 

Or... if you have a shoe mount flash, point the flash upwards and bounce the light off of the ceiling.

gtownviking

Ok, my two cents...we all have a "style" and yours will come out eventually so take everything you read here about framing your photo or what not with a grain of salt...including my post. My style is to use natural light as much as possible. I HATE the flash. Although a good filler flash is indespencible. The best lighting (naturally occurring) is either right before sunrise or just after the sun has disappeared below the horizon. That's as far as I will go with the lighting...as for the framing....well, the best thing to do is to, honestly, ( i know this will sound horrible) but copy the way someone else framed the bike (goes without saying to copy someone's work that you like)and see how yours compares to theirs and eventually you will depart from that and develop your favorite shots that convey what you want it to convey. Remember, you are "speaking" with an image.
For me personally, I like to pay as much attention to the background as I do the subject matter. Like everyone else here, colors, lighting, choice of background, etc. all plays a part in the composition.
In summery, just go and shoot, play with all the settings and TAKE NOTES...it'll come to you.

smallpox champ

on flash, you can also bounce a built in flash. You just need something to reflect it. No, it won't be powerful enough to illuminate much, but it will help.

It reminds me of an anecdote in which I was taking fashion shots outside in midday (ghastly shadows are cast on the face). I pulled out several large drawing pads, and a couple painting canvases to reflect light onto the subject.

gtownviking, good call on copying too. When I first started all I tried to do was emulate other people's photographs and the lighting they had. I'd call it experimenting though, not copying.

ricohman

When I do macro or close-up shots I like to set the aperture as wide open as possible.
This way you get a subject that is somewhat isolated from detail in the background.
Works very well for overall shots also.

mkeller234

I am like the OP and Robbie, point, shoot and cross my fingers.

I HAVE noticed how much lighting makes a difference. I usually take pictures outside, look at the difference in the light

Noon and Sunny, against a similar color background:


(different bike)
This was taken just before dusk and I think it's much better. The lighting right at the end of the day seems to be perfect and warm (in my know nothing opinion)

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

perture and Depth of Field is where my knowledge falls off. I'm gonna read a few of those links about it but
do you all have any further insight on that subject?


here's a question , when you take a picture like this (which is very nice by the way):



are you right up close to the bike using a macro setting or are you a few feet away and using the zoom on the camera? Which is better?

ricohman

You can do it either way.
That pic is taken at about 5 feet on a tripod at slower than 1/60th ( I can't remember exactly). And the camera was set to aperture priority (Canon 20D 17-85 lens) but you can certainly go full manual.
I find AV to be the easist to control depth of field in a variey of conditions.
This pic is up close with the same lens. Again F stop wide open.

gtownviking

One last thing....post production....Photoshop or something similar are worth their weight in gold...which when one thinks about it, doesn't weigh much considering that it's software....LOL!!! a poor photo can me made to look decent and a decent photo can me made to look great. So if you have a program like this, use it.

soonerbills

I'm not much of a picture taker but my Fuji S5700 really makes up for my lack of skill. I have learned much in the last year or two about some features and methods while perfecting my bike shots...but I'm still a long way off from some the members here!
Here's a link to some shot I took today of a bike I got ready for sale. I'm not great but getting better.
https://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...bills/Corbier/

yepyep

When I am putting a turd or a great bike on the CL here is what I have found. Dappled sunlight makes for great shots. Basically if you have to shoot during the day outside of the magic hours (sunrise and sunset) get your bike under a shade tree. The shadows from the leaves playing on your bike make for good depth. Oh, and shoot in RAW if you can, then use Adobe Bridge/PS to saturate the you know what out of the frame colors. And a little vignetting never hurts.

yepyep

I also want to say that it never hurts to learn the mechanics of photography. The transition from film to digital has kinda killed this but they still apply. There are three variables in photography. ISO-aperture-exposure. Learn what they are and how to use them. When you grasp that you will understand what you are shooting before you ever push the shutter. It is basically a simple trig equation.

corkscrew

I run my own photography business on the side of my 40 hour/week wage slave job.

So good points here.

Light is everything - its the basic medium of photographers.

"Magic hours" of sunrise and sunset are the best light. Overcast days are great - I refer to them as "gods softbox".

A wide aperature (Like say, F4-1.8 if you've got a good lens) will provide the depth of focus range similar to the photo of the Brooks above. If you want the entire photo to be sharp then a smaller aperature of say, F8 and above is needed.

I usually adjust my ISO to match however much light is present.

Above all, just experiment!

miamijim

Same picture. The second was edited with windows picture viewers 'auto fix' feature. 1-click editing.

tmh657

Shooting in soft light/ shade is good if you want to see all the detail in your components etc. There is nothing wrong with shooting in bright sun as long as there is some fill light to bring the contrast into range.
A highlight might be a little bit blown out or a lack of detail in the black tire but if the overall shot looks good then it works for me.
If you are selling a bike then sometimes it might be better to get the viewer/ buyer excited about the bike than to see all the nooks and crannies.