You now have the foundation for taking a brilliant moto-photo. And knowing is half the battle.
To help with the other half, EMD has compiled a list of pesky "don'ts" - the little things that are easy to miss during the thrill of getting that perfect shot, but big enough to ensure the photo is perfectly screwed up.
Background Clutter and Distractions
I don't know the reason, but the human brain has the capacity to eliminate in the mind's eye things like the telephone pole that evenly divides the photograph in half, making it impossible to focus on the motorcycle.
Just because you see in your head exactly what you want the photo to be, it doesn't mean that this is what is actually in that view finder.
Things to look for when assessing the photo: trees, branches, electrical wires, the lines in the garage door. All are distracting, lead the eye in directions not to the motorcycle, and some will look as though they have sprouted from your bike.
Unintentional Self-Portraits
You've washed off the road grime and shined up the paint and chrome. The bike's so clean you can see your reflection. You can also see your reflection in the photograph. Your visage is not supposed to be part of the paint scheme.
Shadows can create neat effects if the photo is taken at the right angle and from the best side. What is not neat is your own shadow, outlining you, camera in hand, plunked down on the ground next to your bike.
Unfortunate Cropping and Missing Feet
People tend to shoot high. This creates a whole lot of unnecessary space at the top and lops off significant items such as wheels and feet at the bottom. You may be able to crop out the top, but you will never be able to crop back in something that was never there.
Sun-Bleached
A friend once told me, when I was trying to decide whether to focus on writing or photography, that morning people become photographers while night owls and the hangover-prone stick with writing.
Why? Because the best photos are taken in the soft illuminating light of dawn. Or so I've been told by people who've actually experienced this. I write for a living.
The harsh light at high noon bleaches out parts of a photo, creates deep and ill-placed shadows, and makes it more difficult to bring out details. If you shoot black and white, this is doubly true.
And the last part to remember? Once you've memorized and mastered all the rules?
Break 'em! Break 'em all! Then call it moto-art.
To help with the other half, EMD has compiled a list of pesky "don'ts" - the little things that are easy to miss during the thrill of getting that perfect shot, but big enough to ensure the photo is perfectly screwed up.
Background Clutter and Distractions
I don't know the reason, but the human brain has the capacity to eliminate in the mind's eye things like the telephone pole that evenly divides the photograph in half, making it impossible to focus on the motorcycle.
Just because you see in your head exactly what you want the photo to be, it doesn't mean that this is what is actually in that view finder.
Things to look for when assessing the photo: trees, branches, electrical wires, the lines in the garage door. All are distracting, lead the eye in directions not to the motorcycle, and some will look as though they have sprouted from your bike.
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| Nice angle, but this CBR900RR has wires and a house chimney springing from its windscreen and tail. A lower f-stop might have helped blend in the background. Or the photographer could have moved the bike. |
Unintentional Self-Portraits
You've washed off the road grime and shined up the paint and chrome. The bike's so clean you can see your reflection. You can also see your reflection in the photograph. Your visage is not supposed to be part of the paint scheme.
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| Spot the photographer. Twice. |
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| Photographer's EBR t-shirt? Very cool. Knowing this because you can see it in the motorcycle? Not so cool. |
Shadows can create neat effects if the photo is taken at the right angle and from the best side. What is not neat is your own shadow, outlining you, camera in hand, plunked down on the ground next to your bike.
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| Me and my shadow... |
Unfortunate Cropping and Missing Feet
People tend to shoot high. This creates a whole lot of unnecessary space at the top and lops off significant items such as wheels and feet at the bottom. You may be able to crop out the top, but you will never be able to crop back in something that was never there.
 |
| This photo feels amputated at the bottom, with too much wasted space at the top. |
Sun-Bleached
A friend once told me, when I was trying to decide whether to focus on writing or photography, that morning people become photographers while night owls and the hangover-prone stick with writing.
Why? Because the best photos are taken in the soft illuminating light of dawn. Or so I've been told by people who've actually experienced this. I write for a living.
The harsh light at high noon bleaches out parts of a photo, creates deep and ill-placed shadows, and makes it more difficult to bring out details. If you shoot black and white, this is doubly true.
 |
| This photo is a host of wrongs: too much blacktop; distracting car in the background, weird angle. But its the harsh overhead sunlight, making this Ducati 848Evo virtually unrecognizable, that effectively destroys the photo. |
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| Again, bright, unfiltered overhead sunlight creates excessive shadows and bleaches out chunks of the Ducati and the background. |
And the last part to remember? Once you've memorized and mastered all the rules?
Break 'em! Break 'em all! Then call it moto-art.