Photoshoot ideas
A bike is mostly curved metal, which means it is mostly reflections. Control what the tank and the fairings can see and the photograph is already half made.
In short: A bike is mostly curved metal, which means it is mostly reflections. Control what the tank and the fairings can see and the photograph is already half made.
Riders photographing a bike properly, and anyone selling one who has noticed that good photographs change the price.
Front wheel turned towards the lens, camera at hub height. The standard hero angle for a reason.
A cloudy sky is the best natural light for painted metal; direct sun puts a hotspot on every panel.
A bike is bought on detail more than any car.
Gloves, helmet, visor down. Sequence rather than portrait.
1/60 while tracking. Background streaks, bike stays sharp.
Twenty minutes after sunset, headlight and instruments glowing.
Never square to the camera — a bike photographed head-on loses all of its line.
Location that suits the machine: a lane for a classic, a multi-storey for something modern.
Open, uncluttered, nothing tall and bright nearby to reflect. Multi-storey top decks, empty industrial estates, wide lay-bys. Check what is behind the photographer as carefully as what is behind the bike.
Shooting in bright sun. Standing too close with a wide lens, which bends the frame geometry. Forgetting to turn the front wheel. And photographing a dirty chain, which is the first thing a buyer looks at.
Three-quarter front from hub height with the front wheel turned towards the camera. It shows the line, the tank and the stance in one frame.
Curved painted metal reflects the whole environment, including you. Wear dark matte clothing, move the bike away from bright surfaces and shoot under overcast light.
Overcast daylight, or blue hour with the lights on. Direct sun creates hotspots on every painted panel.