Downhill Mountain bike pictures

Mountain cycling is a seriously photogenic recreation. The sweat, the dirt, the speed… it’s a terrific way to hone your cycling photography skills and check out innovative camera techniques like zoom-bursts and slow-sync flash.

Additionally, unlike numerous activities, you can get in close with your digital camera. You don’t need huge, heavy telephoto contacts – a camera kit lens can give you many innovative options.

Whether you go to one of many UK’s developing selection of purpose-built trail centres or just arrive at a competition place, there’s no shortage of bikers prepared to show off their particular abilities at the digital camera. Follow our mountain biking photography tips below to accomplish all of them justice!

SEE ADDITIONAL: Action photography methods for biking events

1. The best camera and contacts for mountain cycling photography

The best part about mountain biking from a photographer’s perspective usually, unlike countless sports, it is feasible to have up close to in which all action is happening. Along with a choice of viewpoints, usually right-up to within inches of riders whizzing last, there’s no requirement for a bag of elegant contacts to have great shots.

All that's necessary is the digital camera human anatomy and a typical zoom, addressing wide angle to short telephoto. A lens within the 24-105mm range is ideal for the work.

If you wish to raise your choices, adding an ultra-wide zoom is a good wager for remarkable sides and a rider’s eye-view associated with the action. Consider a lens in the 10-20mm or 12-24mm range.

SEE GREATER: a contacts for sports photography (and perfect focal lengths to make use of)

Others little bit of system that needs to be in every biking photographer’s case is a flashgun.

A touch of fill-in flash is advantageous for mixing sharpness and blur in slow shutter-speed shots, and important if you find yourself deep in forests where in fact the only available light is going to be also poor to allow you to freeze the activity.

2. Use the best camera settings

Cross-country mountain cycling is slow moving than many sports and riders generally speaking stick to the same course; so there’s often time for you to make use of Manual digital camera settings assuring consistent results. Right here, we supply a foolproof help guide to the digital camera set up that'll bag you the best shots each time.

Focus mode
a cycle and rider chance is full of holes that can fool the camera into focusing on the backdrop. Therefore pre-focus on an area where in fact the action will happen and secure the lens by switching to handbook focus.
White balance
Make use of a preset White Balance to stop alterations in color and lighting, which might affect the total tone of photos. The sunlight choice is most readily useful and will make batch handling of a sequence of shots much easier.
Drive mode
It’s more effective to plan your photos and just take a well-timed single shot rather than a series. But keep the camera set-to the quickest continuous framework rate and that means you don’t wind up missing a fantastic action minute.
Publicity mode
Shutter speed is the most essential exposure variable for action photography, so stick to Shutter Priority (often suggested by ‘Tv’ regarding camera’s mode switch) if you would like the digital camera to handle visibility available, or opt for Manual for more control.