How to photograph a bike ?

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 mike123 02 Jul 2022

Not sure which forum this should be in but hey ho .

I’ve just finished a a total rebuild of an old mtb  of mine . A Santa Cruz blur . It looks bob on , however as it’s  for my 14 year old son who is “  the destroyer “ I want to take some good pictures of it before he gets his hands on it . I tried walker today using the  late afternoon sun ( yes we got about an hour ) against a neighbours white outside pebble dashed garage wall but they they aren’t up to much . I have an iPhone 10 which I believe has a better camera than the various  old digitals  I have kicking about . I have a Panasonic LUMIX something or other that was one of the outdoorsy cameras of choice several years ago but I can’t find it . So I suppose what I’m asking is ideas for “ staging “ and using the iPhone camera . I’ve no Desire to buy a camera at the moment but could put my hands on an old ish Nikon  dslr but I’m not sure it’s worth it .

ideas ? 

1
 Marek 02 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

A few questions...

(a) What are you trying to achieve? Art ("Look at my pretty bike!") or documentary (a before-and-after-son-destroys-it record)?

(b) What colour is the frame? If you auto-expose against a white wall, the camera will tend to under-expose the bike (unless it too is white).

(c) What didn't you like about your first attempt?

An interim suggestion would be to shoot the bike against a distant (hence slightly out-of-focus) middle or dark tone background and expose for the frame tone.

OP mike123 03 Jul 2022
In reply to Marek: thanks for your reply 

a) - I hadn’t really thought . A bit of both I think . 
b) it that flat grey that is trendy right now with Porsche and Audi . It wasn’t and wouldn’t have been,  my choice 

c) Again , I’m not sure , but the pictures don’t make me go - wow - nice looking bike . 
I know when it’s ridden it will be well used and that’s what it for,  but I  want to record how nice it was . 
 I’ll try your distant background idea.

 Dax H 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

A pal of mine took some photos of various motorbikes. Every time the best shot was taken with him laying down and the camera sort of looking up at the bike. 

OP mike123 03 Jul 2022
In reply to Dax H: now that’s a good idea .thanks 

 Wimlands 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Where I used to work we used to regularly get people parking there cars up to take photos of them. Presumably to sell them….they used the high glass wall of the building as a backdrop.

 Ciro 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Take it to the Arc de Triumph on a rainy evening and use a tripod for a long exposure shot, getting trails of car tail-lights and their reflections off the wet street.

 Enty 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

From the side the bike should be facing rightwards so you can see the chainset.

Pedals should be horizontal with right pedal forwards.

Chain on big ring at front and small ring at the back.

Both valves should be at 6 o'clock, i.e. on the ground.

Tyre graphics should be aligned with valves. Front and back should be identical.

easy.

E

 deepsoup 03 Jul 2022
In reply to Enty:

Are these Velominati rules?

> Pedals should be horizontal with right pedal forwards.

If so, pedals horizontal and right pedal forwards if you like, but not all the way forwards - cranks at any angle other than 90 or 180 degrees.

Rule #26: https://www.velominati.com/

 65 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Google "Photographing Bicycles."

I just did, lots of articles but this one popped out: https://digital-photography-school.com/amazing-images-of-bicycles/

1
 Sean Kelly 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Look at the pics in bike mags. They do it best.

 Enty 03 Jul 2022
In reply to deepsoup:

Just goes to show he's not always right.

The chain stays on a Santa Cruz Blur will be almost level to the ground so I'd put the cranks in line with the chain  stays.

On a road bike  the chain stays are probably running down a few degrees so maybe put crank between 1/4 past and 20 past to be in line with chain stays 😜

E

 ChrisJD 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Get some silicone spray - will make the frame, wheels and forks really shine in the photos.  Keep it away from the disks though, lol.  

 Marek 03 Jul 2022
In reply to Enty:

I'm not sure. The position should be very carefully arranged to look as though it hasn't been perfectly arranged. You don't want people thinking you spend more time posing your bike than riding it! A 'studied casualness' is the trick - but hard to achieve.

OP mike123 03 Jul 2022
In reply to Marek: thanks all . Very helpfull. I’ve just spent a couple of hours applying the first graphic ( the very retro Santa Cruz person on bike , was going to apply the main “Santa Cruz “ but got interrupted and and copious amounts of heli  tape  . I ll have a proper read in a bit and have another go . Couple of pics from yesterday on my profile . As to the “ rules” , not one  my strong points .

 ChrisJD 03 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Re: your photo efforts.

Balance the bike against the wall using only the bar end on the wall, and make sure the bike is level and square with that nice white wall.

Looks like a nice tidy old Blur you've built ... to-be-destroyed.

And drop the saddle a bit in the dropper, looks much nicer on an MTB

Post edited at 17:54
 MisterPiggy 04 Jul 2022
In reply to mike123:

Others have talked about the staging, with some great ideas.

How about lighting? Many cars, if photographed outside, are shot just before dawn. The light is slightly blue, even and without strong shadows. 'Course, that only applies on a soon-to-be sunny day.

 Enty 04 Jul 2022
In reply to Marek:

Disagree. It tells me the bike has probably been well looked after by a proper cyclist

E


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...