How to shoot motorcycles with all that blinding chrome?

It’s all about light – that’s not too heavy, is it?  I don’t mean the weight of the motorcycle, but the light reflecting off the machine.  In a staged studio set-up large amounts of very soft light is positioned above the motorcycle such as in the custom motorcycle shoot at the Sturgis Motorcycle rally. 

However, out in the field, you won’t have that much control, unless you choose the setting and the time of day.  Some of your best images of shiny motorcycles will NOT be on those bright and glorious days when owners like to show off their scoots.  Instead, an overcast “verge-of-rain” days are best for capturing the bright colors and reflective surfaces.   It’s about as close as you can get to a staged studio set up.   It was what I was blessed with when I shot vintage motorcycles in South Dakota a couple years ago. (Tip: a good software program such as one of the Photoshop or Corel programs can enhance dull colors if it’s too overcast of a day.)

 

You can also use a neutral density filter, but my choice is a circular polarizing filter. However, if your light is soft enough, as mentioned above, you can probably save yourself a few bucks and shoot without.  If you already have one, though, use it!

Watch out for shadows on the motorcycle you are shooting. These can come from trees, people or the bike parked next to it.  They can be hard to minimize or eliminate – except by asking the biker to move his machine to a better location.  Of course, that’s not always possible if you’re shooting that one bike on main street parked next to a few thousand others.  It is possible to carefully use a speed light, but then you run the risk of getting those nasty overblown reflections.  (Again, a good program such as Adobe an merge those two shots, or parts of them in to one evenly lit subject.)

If it’s one bike parked uniformly in a row with others, look for patterns that might enhance the image you’re shooting.  Is there a kind of infinity mirror pattern?  Is the bike next to it is the same color, or a different color?

Get down

Of course that bike caught your eye when you were standing, but can other angles give you a better shot?  Crouch down, sit down, or even lay down to get that scooter from a different angle, one that can highlight its unique features.  Decide this: What is the key element you want to shoot? Is it the paint job? The chrome? The entire vintage machine?  Get in on that part of the machine.  Is it a 1957 Indian, then shoot the identifying features? Is it a 1964 panhead Harley-Davidson?  Shoot the pan, the rocker covers, shoot the wheels, shoot the paint, shoot the leather – but focus on that element that sets this machine apart from others.

Avoid the stadium shot.  You don’t need to shoot the whole football stadium just to show off one player.  The machine you’re shooting should fill the frame – or some would say, fill three-quarters of the frame.

I can see for miles and miles and ….

What is that in that chrome? Is that you standing there, all distorted in the curvature of the chrome?  Sometimes reflections are desirable, such as the bike next to it, but are you sure you want that beer sign reflecting in the air cleaner cover?  Are you in the reflection?  Notice that guy crouching down in the air intake elbow in the top photo of the red custom bike?  Or how about his guy in the headlight bucket?  Oops!

While we’re on the subject of unwanted images – check the background before you click the shutter.  Are you sure you want that fat lady in the fluorescent green pant suit standing behind that motorcycle?  (Yeah, what’s she doing at a motorcycle rally anyway with that green polyester 70’s left over fashion?)

One more time

Like always, especially in photography, just get out there and do it. Practice, refine, and practice some more. You may not get it right the first time, but that’s okay because it’s not your last time.

How to safely photograph buffalo

Every year, I add to my collection of buffalo photos. It's easy and safe, if you follow these steps.

Match game?
Okay, first, know this: You are no match for the wild tonnage of bison. You will lose. [Remember the song, “You Can’t Roller skate in a Buffalo Herd?” Take off your skates! Pay attention. Don’t do what this guy did, within feet of a bull buffalo coming out of the trees. The rider was not only dangerously close, but he had no escape route.

There are no guarantees; even buffalo-handlers have their scary stories, if they live to tell about them, that is. The first time I shot a buffalo herd was with a buffalo farmer. He drove out to his herd but made the mistake of driving his pickup truck between a cow and her new calf. I don’t know if he ever replaced that door…but the feel and the sound of mama hitting that truck and rocking it like she did more than shook me up physically. It shook up my sanity and memory in such a way that I take that moment with me when I shoot buffalo.

Cooperative model?
Here’s your first tip: visit a buffalo ranch. If the owner is willing, he may take you out to visit his herd from a safe distance. In North Dakota, there are several buffalo ranches, many of them belong to the North American Bison Cooperative in New Rockford, North Dakota You can contact the NABC to find a buffalo rancher in your state (http://tenderbison.ndnatural.com). Many Indian nations in the U.S. have bison herds. Some may be willing to help you with your photographic request. Years ago, I worked with the Three Affiliated Tribes on the Fort Berthold Reservation and found the people there to be very helpful.

If you want to try shooting buffalo in the wild, there opportunities all over the western United States. Of course Yellowstone and other national or state parks have herds to be photographed. Custer State Park in South Dakota is a relatively uncluttered area where several small and larger herds are available to photograph.

For years, I’ve hiked the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. In either the North or South Unit, you can safely shoot the animals from your vehicle. However if you choose to go it on foot, be careful because you could hike up unsuspectingly on a buffalo in the South Unit. It’s happened to me twice. Quite startling and scary. That’s a story for another time.

Make introduction
You. On foot. In the buffalo’s “stomping ground.” (Ouch!) Make NO sudden moves or noises. Face the animals and notice which ones face you. Keep your eye on them. They are standing guard and may be poised to charge. Buffalo in tourist areas are a little more used to people and won’t spook too easily if you don’t rush in. If you take a half hour or so, you can move a little closer, but leave an escape route. It's what I did to get this close.

To be extra safe, put some distance or some elevation between you. I’ve climbed a butte or bluff to get up above the animal. Elevation is not a bad idea for taking photos because it gives you a different view than the typical ground level “out-of-the-car-window” tourist shot.

Never ever, unless you are suicidal, get between a cow and her calf. If a calf is present, you need to double, triple, quadruple your safe distance.

When to go
Spring is a good time to photograph calves, but it’s also the most dangerous time (see above). Mothers (and fathers) can be very protective.

Summer can be cluttered with tourists and that has a negative impact not only on your shot, but also on the tranquility of the animals. Generally they are fairly quiet, stately animals, but they get edgy with a lot of tourists around.

If you’re out shooting in tourist season do this: go early in the morning, the golden hour right at sunup and the hour following. Evening is also good. Remember, however, you’ll be the target of mosquitoes, so be protected.

After Labor Day is my favorite time of the year. The environment has a naturally golden glow to it, which is a complimentary color for bison.

Don’t forget winter. Yeah, you may be chilled, but the buffalo has a great coat to keep them warm. The white frost or snow around them can add interest. Watch your exposure though. If you expose for the snow, you’ll end up with just a black silhouette of the buffalo. Get in tight to minimize the effect of snow on your settings.

Year round, my favorite place to photography buffalo is the South Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora. The park is quiet, the buffalo are natural, and Medora is a great place to visit OFF SEASON. It's a whole different world there...as though the "golden hour" of photography has been extended to the entire day. The photo below of the buffalo head and the one above, looking down on the buffalo on the trail were both shot near Medora at the South Unit.

How to shoot
Use your telephoto. You don’t need a massive zoom lens, 200 or 300 mm will work fine. It allows you to keep your distance. Safety tip: Keep both eyes open, one on the image in your camera, and one on real life. Be prepared.

Experiment with your aperture to change the depth of field. Remember, the higher the f-stop the larger the focus area, or depth of field. Try focusing on just one or two animals with others in the herd slightly dropped out of focus.

Lighting is tough. The animals soak up a lot of light. They are dark and their hide doesn’t have much contrast. Keep the sun at 90 to 45 degrees to the subject to get the best contrast.

Focus on their shoulders, neck and face. If you have a clean focus on their wooly mane, the rest of the animal will be equally in focus.

It can be an exciting, heart-pumping, adrenaline rushing experience, but if you play it safe, and plan your shot, you’ll come back with a shot to hang over your mantle.

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Crosby old truck collection

Sometimes, spontaneity is the best incentive for creativity. It's freeing and limitless (well, almost).

Take a recent Saturday afternoon trip to Minot to get to the credit union before it closed. It was a gorgeous afternoon -- well kinda. It was chilly, upper 60's but sunny. That's good enough for a cruise and snooze.

Red and I headed northwest from Minot, up the scenic drive of Highway 52, up the Des Lacs river. It's a wide river valley floor with soft hills on either side. Apparently the the railroad company of a century ago decided to follow the long easy valley. So, our ride on Highway 52 was parallel to both the river and the railroad.

It's because of the railroad that the valley is dotted with small towns. Some are only a shadow of what they once were. Others have a few signs of life. Red reminded me that some of the small town cops along Highway 52 are tough on speeding tourists. So, we slowed down for each an every town. A good recommendation, wouldn't you say?

We stopped for coffee and fuel at Kenmare. You don't find many surprises at those cookie cutter Cenex Convenience stores. The front has coffee and a couple of booths to sit in. Behind the counter are the smokes and the chew. Way to the back is generally the hardware or farmer items. In between the smokes and the hardware is the food -- convenient, and priced accordingly. High.

It's getting late in the day. Sunlight in the northern edge of the lower 48 states lasts a long time in June. We jumped up to Highway 5, still cruising west, barely 15 miles from the Canadian border. And though the sunlight was long, it was not warm. So, we stopped a couple times along the road to add more warm layers.

I recommend that any time you head out on a cruise and snooze, you bring a full compliment of hot and cold clothes. That means lightweight layers such as t-shirts, all the way up to short sleeve button up shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve button up shirt, vest, hooded sweatshirt, leather coat and rain gear.

We stopped near Columbus, along the side of the road to add more layers. It was really getting colder and colder. We didn't need the rain gear, but we added all the other layers. The fellows I used to ride with from Lake Charles, Louisiana and Beaumont, Texas back in 2004 showed me an essential trick for keeping body warmth where it's supposed to be. The included a crotch rag that they tucked in their belt, draped over their crotch and tucked under their thighs to keep warm.

With our layers, our crotch rags and even face masks, Red and I pulled in to Crosby, North Dakota. (Did you know that Crosby has the longest daylight hours on June 21 of any city in the lower 48? Sunrise is 5:30 and sunset is after 10:00. The long slow dusk blends seamlessly to the early glow of dawn. As one disappears in the west, the other is starting in the east.)

Crosby isn't very big, but it is prosperous. Oil. The Bakken oil play fuels not only petroleum needs in the U.S., but also the local economy. Crosby is doing well. Well enough to afford a good motel, we figured.

We were wrong. The motel left a lot to be desired. But it was cheap. $50 for the night for the two of us. I suppose you don't need a fancy motel if all the clients are oil field workers who just need a warm bed and hot shower. It suited us, but I'd recommend you move on if you're looking for a "nice" place to stay.

The payoff was what we found riding around town, looking for the motel. It's a mortuary or mausoleum of old dead steamers, tractors and trucks. Dozens and dozens of oxidized implements, the heavy equipment of another life 80 or 100 years ago.

The next morning, when warmer weather (55 degrees or so) began to encourage us to hit the road, we paused long enough at the collection of ancient equipment.

Someone had the decency to give these retired iron work horses a presentable lineup. On display, lined up, and framed by green grass and yellow dandelions, the old trucks reminded me of a cluster of old ranchers huddled up, reminiscing about the "good old days." I hauled out my camera and tripod and tried several different exposures. A fill light would have washed out the dark secrets of the oxidized equipment, so I let the darkness blend with the desaturated paint jobs of the old machines.

Free to travel, free to head out in any direction we wanted, we stumbled on these posed models, an opportunity we'd never had if we were bound by limits. But because we spontaneously took the long way home from Minot, we were given the chance to mingle among and photograph some of North Dakota's history.
(Recommendation: If you have a romantic sense of history, you'll find it tickled in the sparsely settled sections of western North Dakota. People are friendly, helpful and non-threatening. They'll talk about most anything. Spring and fall are great times for photographers to tour western North Dakota. Spring displays more shades of green than you knew existed. Fall is a busy time of year, the golden harvest and brilliant sunsets are worth the drive to western North Dakota. Hotels are inexpensive -- less than $50/ a night for a ma and pa motel.)

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