Posts
940
Joined
12/14/2010
Location
Webster, WI
US
Edited Date/Time
7/14/2015 4:38pm
I just bought a camera setup and just curious if anyone else likes shooting moto?
I've got a few buddies that take some great photos so I've been picking their brains.
I'm finding that night shots are quite difficult.
setup:
Canon t3i
yongnuo yn560 iv flash
yongnuo rf603c II remote trigger
Canon EF 75-300mm lens
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Plans for an L series lens sooner than later.
I've got a few buddies that take some great photos so I've been picking their brains.
I'm finding that night shots are quite difficult.
setup:
Canon t3i
yongnuo yn560 iv flash
yongnuo rf603c II remote trigger
Canon EF 75-300mm lens
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Plans for an L series lens sooner than later.
I think there's a good photo advice thread around here somewhere . . . I want to say Paul Buckley
is heading it up which is a TON of knowledge right there.
thanks man!
http://buckleyphotos.com/
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Free shipping: VITALMX
I was going to just point you to the Photo and Video section of the forum, but it seems like a handful of guys have turned it into a dumping ground for every YouTube video featuring motorcycles.
Craig, I posted this in a similar thread a long time ago. If you want to get serious and you are shooting Canon go buy yourself a 1DmkII at miminum. Or if you can find one a nice 1DmkIIN (one of my favorite bodies of all time). Your Rebel AF system isn't going to cut it.
"if your intention is to get the best of best professional action shots like the pros, here's your best bet for the absolute minimum amount of dough:
Canon 1D mark II - $400-$500 used
Canon 70-200 f/4 - $500 used
You can go up from there if you want to spend more on newer bodies or faster glass, but your results won't improve much for shooting moto. Don't worry about buying this stuff used, this body is one of canon's best of all times sports bodies and it's built like a tank. Same with the lens. If you can stretch for the 1D mark IIN I would suggest that body, you can find them with new shutters for around $600. Also, you can always get the 70-200 f/2.8 non IS for under a grand which is a great lens.
If you buy the setup above for approx 1K, you can get the same results of guys using the latest $8000 setup (1DX and 70-200II). Newer bodies have more megapixels and better high iso performance, but that won't help you if you are shooting moto in good lighting. 8MP should be enough for most people. If you decide to buy shoot me a PM and I will give you settings for the track. Then you will have to learn post processing, which is just as important as capturing the photo "
You can also narrow the beam on that flash and or make a homemade snoot to hit the subject where you want without spilling over into background you dont want exposed.
Dont worry about your camera. Learn to frame the shot, light and expose it properly, and put something interesting in the frame. When your camera or lens just cant do something you want it to, then its time to consider an upgrade.
camera setup if you dont mind, for us photo gear heads.
Yeah, I know I will outgrow my t3i pretty quickly. I plan to get a 70-200 L lens.. I've found new for $650 and cheaper used.
I will definitely get a full frame though once money permits. Moto is an expensive hobby in itself, now photography. yikes.
I am doing post production using photoshop right now. I shoot in .cr2 format so it makes it easy to process since it has the little canon editor in photoshop. I also have lightroom but am not nearly as proficient with it.
I appreciate the help!!!
Shooting at night is quite challenging but the few decent photos I have gotten at night make it all worth it.
One thing I want to learn is.. like you said, getting the flash to hit the subject and not anything else.
But Zracer I the majority of those photos were shot on a borrowed Canon 5d mkIII with either a 70-200 2.8ii or a 17-40mm. Currently though I now shoot with a 1D IV that I bought used. It's an awesome camera.
I did a lot of research online and watched a bunch of videos about the Canon & Nikon cameras that were full frame. I rented a 5D with the 70-200 2.8L and a buddy of mine had a D800 along with the similar Nikon 2.8L lens that he let me borrow to play around with. I found that I liked the Canon better, but obviously either would be a great choice. Budds Creek was the first race I shot with the complete new setup and Met Life SX, I just had the 5D with the regular 70-300 Canon lens. You can tell the difference between the shots and also there were a lot less "throw aways".
I still need to buy a flash and some stuff, but what I have now will work for what I will be doing, although some lighting scenarios will be difficult, if not impossible to get a good shot. I am not a professional at all so it's not like someone is paying to get "the goods". I will get the right gear as the budget allows. It's been a hobby of mine since the mid 90's and I got away from it for a while (along with moto), but got back into it the last few years. I'm in a position now that I can afford some nicer gear so I treated myself (although I took more out of savings that I wanted to but, oh well). I would love to get a 300 prime, but yeahhh......those are a bit salty...lol There's a lot for me to learn before I step up to that level.
Ruskymx
For moto I prefer the 1D series due to the AF system and sensor. It's as 1.3x sensor which is in between full frame and your 1.6x rebel sensor. Unless you can afford a 5DIII or 1DX forget about full frame for moto. I have tons of gear and i can tell you my old MkIIN is a machine and will produce the same results from my 1DIV or a 1DX in daylight. You might consider a used 7D as well, but I would highly recommend going for a 1DmkII for starters.
Post production is almost more important than your shot these days. You need to learn how to edit in a fashion where you are not over-doing it, but rather tweaking with them just enough to stand out from the rest. Shoot RAW and learn lightroom, it's easy and will save you tons of time for batch processing (moto sequences) once you learn it.
As for flash photography, you'll need to set up your shot manually and prefocus. Then just hit them with the trigger when they are in your zone. Have fun.
Pit Row
To clear something up, good ISO performance is actually very important in flash photography. The ablity to raise the entire light level in a scene without changing you flash/ambient light ratio is something most people like. Even in daytime you can use minimal flash output to add sparkle, and depth or even out badl light.
And I was overdoing it at first. I would go way too far.. then they would look grainy or just overdone. I am learning that when you edit a few hundred photos, you tend to get blurry in the eyes.. I need to step away for a few every now and again to keep my eyes fresh.
I assume batch editing will do the same thing to every file in that "batch"?
thanks again for everything!
And sorry.. not trying to flood the thread.. just want to make sure to respond to everyone that is kind enough to give their tips.
I'll give you one very practical tip for shooting moto: Have your subject wear clear goggle lenses. It's mandatory for my photo shoots. The images are much more dynamic when you can see the racer's eyes.
Here's a shot of Chris Bach that we used for a hero poster:
Canon 5D MIII, 17-40L lens, 1/500 @ f8, ISO 400, 2 Speedlight 600ET
Before you start confusing the issue(s) with strobes, low light, camera gear and all that, I would back up and focus on the fundamentals. Use available light and work on framing/timing. You can do yourself a massive favor by simply shooting when the light is sweet- a little overcast or near dusk or dawn. See DR176's beautiful shot of the guy on the dune? That photo would have not been anywhere near as powerful had he shot it mid-day.
Your gear is fine for now. First order of biz is to get really comfortable with the ISO/aperture/shutter speed and how they work and being able to instantly slide around between them. That stuff is particularly important in moto because you're dealing with motion AND constantly trying to keep the background clean. A clean, or separated, background in moto shots is one of your constant challenges. Before you get into strobes, you want to be able to recite the inverse square law with complete understanding in your sleep.
Been shooting a little moto lately....
These ones are with a Rebel T3 and an 18-55 kit lens, but this year at nationals Im going to have a 75-300 on me to get some better ones
My .02 would be to buy a 50mm 1.8, they're cheap and work great (at least the Nikon one does, I don't have much experience with Canon glass).
DR176- those J Mart shots are sweet! That kid hangs it out!
Post a reply to: any amateur photogs on here?