Bike Trials

Digital Matt · Sep 18, 2007

Hey gang,

I went down to the lakefront tonight just to get some quiet time with the camera when I ran into a bike trials club getting in some good practice on the rocks. I happened to have an 800ws strobe, battery pack, and Pwizards handy, so I asked if they had any objections and they were obliged to let me shoot. Here are some of the results.

For more, click here.

Thanks for lookin

eravedesigns · Sep 18, 2007

wow nice shots and great op. I really love 2 and 4. 3 the guys expression ruins it for me and 1 is a cool shot but dosent give that feel of how hard of a sport they are doing. I love 4 because of how there is the other biker in the background and you captured the other rider in a manouver which is pretty cool and wow just great shots. Nice use of the strobe too your my idol haha

LaFoto · Sep 18, 2007

Well, wow. You go out wanting "some quiet time with your camera" and just happen to carry along an 800w strobe? That is some cool quiet time you were contemplating!

And then you met these, or they were met by no one less but you!
Lucky them!
They did not know who offered to take a couple of photos of them, now did they?
They must either be over the moon with these pics, or they don't even begin to see what top-quality pics they were getting taken!

What is the effect in the first that makes him look like he's in a studio and the sea was a screen behind him? Is that called "slow synch"? (The same effect repeats itself in the second, only to a smaller extent). Can you PLAN for that to happen? How so?

Digital Matt · Sep 19, 2007

Thank you both.

Corrinna, you are correct. Slow synch, or "dragging the shutter". Basically in this situation, you determine an exposure for the ambient light, power the strobe to match or overpower by 1 stop, and go for it. Early on I was shooting at 1/250 (synch speed) but as the sun began setting, this became impossible. #1 and 2 are the result of the sun being much lower and less intense, and the shutter speeds dropping. I was shooting at ISO 400, 1/30 and f/8 for a lot of them, and when I intentionally wanted to record some motion, I dropped to ISO 100, 1/8 and f/8, and in #1 I pulled the camera away from him to the left as I fired the shutter.

PNA · Sep 19, 2007

Nice shots, Matt.....I like the foreground lighting with the sunset.

Digital Matt · Sep 19, 2007

Thanks PNA

Rick Waldroup · Sep 19, 2007

This is excellent work. That last shot is just killer. Really nice.

Mesoam · Sep 19, 2007

great pics, brings back memories, i used to do a bit of trials myself

Tangerini · Sep 19, 2007

These are beautiful! As for the just happened upon moment I agree with Corinna, it was lucky them for sure!

Digital Matt · Sep 19, 2007

Thanks everyone

Fate · Sep 20, 2007

Awesome shots man

love your use of flash and ambient light.

trials biking scares me, downhill all the way

Neuner · Sep 21, 2007

The 3rd is my favorite for the expression on the guy which to me is saying 'Ya, I beat that'. You can see the confidence in his face & posture which that sport definitely takes.

The 2nd is my next favorite with just a slight sense of motion but still remaining very sharp. Just love it...

Just checked out the series on your link. Excellent. Are you going to try & sell these to Echo? I'd think they'd eat it up.

souljourney · Oct 4, 2007

These are amazing shots, Digital Matt! Absolutely amazing. Great use of available light and flash...great composition. Oh, and awesome subjects, too! I miss being able to ride as much as I used to...these pics make me *jealous*. #1 is my favorite.

Off to check out the link to the rest...

Digital Matt · Oct 4, 2007

Thanks guys. I forgot about this thread.

Neuner, I didn't know anything about bike trials until the night I shot this. Thanks for the tip about Echo. I didn't realize they were a trials bike manufacturer. It's definitely an option to try and sell these.