Guest Poster Ruby Hogg
I’ve been there. Your kid’s first ride without training wheels, their first jump, an epic wheelie. Moments in time you want to capture forever. You pull out your phone, take a pic, and continue your ride. When you get home you look at it and realize it’s a blurry undecipherable mess. So how do you avoid this for next time?
First and foremost is to ensure everyone’s safety and happiness. I think it goes without saying that most people and ALL kids prefer riding over modelling. When I’m in the field with athletes, I get the chance to say “that was great now do it again,” but with kids you get one chance and one chance only.
Clean your camera lens
Cell phones get pretty gross and as a result your camera can get pretty dirty. I usually use a soft shirt to clean my phone lens in the field. When using a DSLR camera I have a microfibre cloth and dust blower combo.
Make sure your subject is in frame and in focus
Nobody can tell that little Johnny learned how to ride if you cut off his head. Phones nowadays are pretty good at focusing but if you’re having troubles you can always tap the screen on what you are trying to focus on before taking the photo. If using a camera that is in “autofocus” half pressing the shutter should focus on the subject- then full press to capture photo.
Don’t Zoom In
You will get better results with taking a photo at regular focal length and cropping later when using a phone.
Stand still while taking a photo
Stop whatever you are doing and get ready to take the photo. If you are moving while taking pictures it often results in blurry photos.
Practice beforehand
Spend 5 minutes getting to know your camera device. Play with your grids, focus, and shutterspeeds.
Got those skills dialed? Try These!:
Know your light
Shooting into the sun will give your rider a nice backlight but they will appear quite dark. Shooting with your subject riding towards the sun will illuminate them, but could blind them a little. Find the right balance and use natural light to your advantage.
“Rule of Thirds”
A common objective with professional photographers is to divide your image into three pieces horizontally and vertically then try to capture your subject within one of the rows or columns. On most phones you can go into Settings -> camera and then tap on the grid option.
Use your Environment to your Advantage
Bike parks are meccas of unique features. Use the features and lines to create dynamic photos. Play with different angles and heights.
Fast shutter speed & Continuous Shooting
This is a bonus for those of you using a DSLR. Bikes move fast and as a result you want to shoot at a high shutter speed. For someone starting out a good way to do this is to put your camera on “shutter priority” (the S on your dial). Then turn your shutter speed to anywhere between 1/200-1/1000 second. I usually sit around 1/600-1/800 for my shredder.
Changing your shooting mode to “Continuous Shooting” is helpful as it takes multiple photos with the press of one button. To maximize this you can also change your focus to “Al Servo”or “continuous autofocus” depending on your camera model- basically the fancy way of saying that your camera is constantly tracking your model and ensuring they stay sharp and in focus.
My closing suggestion is that bribery always works and if all else fails take a video instead.
Ruby Hogg is an adventure enthusiast. She is based out of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and you can follow her family adventures on Instagram @wide.open.world or at www.wideopenworld.ca
