Your assignment for today...
To capture the very essence of riding.
Same shot with Haroldo this time on his new Concours 14.
Little different feel this time. Funny how the camera can do that.
So you want to take a photo like this? Okay, I will share with you all my secrets. Or accumulated wisdom. Something like that.
Here's the trick. First off, you don't need to be going excessively fast. You can create speed. I gave Bob some instructions like this. Ride up, turn around and we'll wait to make we've got a clear road with no cars. This is in the bottom of Kings Canyon NP and a great photo spot with the shape of that curve.
2ndly, we lucked out with the clouds. Notice, there's no shadow? That was luck. Moments later sun came out.
3rdly, I instructed Bob to come at me, but aim for the yellow line right in front of me. Practically want him to touch it with his front tire. Note how I'm looking right down the lane with the lens. As soon as he does that, I want him to wrench the bars (literally!), and cut the corner. What that does is creates the lean. While Bob is carrying a smooth speed, I'll pre-focus the camera (holding the button halfway down), and track him right to left. At just the right instant, I jerk the camera left (literally jerk it) to the left panning on him, staying on him with the lens
(that's the key to get the crispy feel!). That creates the blur- or rather sense of speed in the photo.
Bob on the other hand is crisp in the photo as the shutter snaps as he zips by. I think BMW HQ will be calling any moment to put this one up wall-size in the lobby of BMW Headquarters.
(And no, I don't have a fancy camera, a 4-yr old Canon Pro1 SLR shooting on auto.)
Takes a bit of practice, but just great bit of luck and good timing.