Motorrun advice needed

[MarcelSpijker]

Ok guys i need lots of tips.

This weekend i will be photographing a verry cool happening.
Its called: Motorrun.

There will be around 70 or 80 motorbikes who can carry people in a pod attached to the motorbike (sorry dont know the name for such a motorbike) and about 60 normal motorbikes for dealing with trafic and such things.

They will be carrying all kind of people with them, but mostley poeple with down syndrome.

This year the chairman of this asked me to photograph the event. He is the father of a good friend of me.

I think this is verry cool, but i really have no experiance at all with this kind of events!
But i will have a privite motorbike with driver to get me where ever i want.

So dous annyone have an idea of what are the better settings for F-stops and Shutter speed?
Has annybodey expiriance with shooting from the back of a motorbike? (Its even my first time that i even sit on a motorbike!)
Every tip is welcome!

O boy i am getting really nervous about this, but i cant wait for it to start!

[Newby]

How fast are you going to be moving Marcel??? And what type of lens and are you going to use your 300D??

[MarcelSpijker]

Max will be around 60kmh, but i know some spots where i will go ahead and stop.

Lucky me i know the route and therefore some really nice spots!

I have a old 70-200 that i will try, and i will hire a EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III for the weekend.

Also i will use the kit lens when we have brakes.

I will have my own 300D and if i am lucky i can borrow a second 300D bodey from the chairman.

[Newby]

[QUOTE=MarcelSpijker]and i will hire a EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III for the weekend.

Also i will use the kit lens when we have brakes.

I will have my own 300D and if i am lucky i can borrow a second 300D bodey from the chairman.[/QUOTE]

Marcel is this the EF 75-300mm III with USM or without???

If you are able, rent a 75-300mm III with the USM. It will allow you to focus faster, especially at higher speeds. And as much as I don't like using presets, the sports setting might come in handy.

Since you're going to use your 300D I would try to keep it between ISO 200-400. You might get a little noise at 400, but then can always be removed with PS or NoiseNinja. I would try to shoot at the lowest f-stop the the lens allows. You might lose DOF, but it will give you sharper high speed pics.

I have never taken pics off the back of a bike, but some advice would be to put part of you neck strap under one arm. This is going to allow the camera to hang off to the side and not flop around on your chest when you're moving. Also, if you do that when you bring the camera up to your eye if the strap is tight enough you can push out on the body a bit. By pushing the camera out it tightens the strap and helps stabilize the camera a little. Try to let your arms be an extra set of shock absorbers for the camera as well. And try to use a lense hood. Especially if you end up shooting into the direction of the sun. If it is really sunny you may want to shoot one step down and in RAW. That way you have some more versitility in post processing.

And one thing you may want to do before going to the motorun is have someone drive you in a car around the speeds you think you're going to tavel. Take some practice shots of stationary and moving objects and see how they turn out. This will give you a better idea of how to shoot. Make sure that if possible you take shots with all the lenses you may use during the event.

I hope this helps some

[Dave]

All I can add is the machine is called a motorbike and sidecar.

Sounds like great fun for the participants.

[MarcelSpijker]

If i am correct its with USM, so that helps :)

I usely shoot in raw, but maybee ill try some sports modus also. I just love raw files.

Just talked to my brother, we will do a test ride tonight. I hope its not so difficult as i am afraid of :)

And this is definitly fun for the participants! I saw photo's from other years and if you see those faces... its just fantastic!

I am so happy to be able to shoot this event. Its already a big learning experiance.

And Newby this definitly helps alot! Thanks!

And Dave thanks for the word! Sidecar... who knew it can be so simple sometimes :)

[Newby]

No problem, let me know how the test shoot goes.

[MarcelSpijker]

Well, i did the test run. :D

Beeing on the back of a motorbike trying to take photo's is quite a happening :bounce:

I am not to happy about the outcome, but i have to take in account that it whas evening, and the actual shoot will be in day time. I put up some photo's om my site (http://www.marcelspijker.nl/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=18).

Also i didnt have the rental lens yet, so that will improve a lot compared to my own blurry lens.

I have to say that this test run makes me quite nervouse :irk:

Now its bed time for me and hopefully have some sweet dreams about motors and photography and girls and ...

[Newby]

Hey Macel,

I think with daylight and the USM lens you'll be set. What speed were you shooting at on these??

[MarcelSpijker]

I am now at work, so cant look, but i tryed different speeds and f-stops.
I did also tryed the sports mode, but without USM its terrible.
So now i prefocused on the spot where i wanted to take the photo, and let my brother pass by. This worked out well. Luckely i dont have to shoot all from the back of the motorbike. We will also drive to te front and stop to shoot them while thay pass by.

I just cant wait till it starts :)
Saterday evening i will first shoot the big party and sunday the trip itself.
The chairman called me yesterday to ask what time i would be on the party becouse there will be preforming some 'famous' people, and they will also present some check or something. And lucky me can also photograph that event :)

Its getting better and better, but worse for my nurves.

[MarcelSpijker]

Just cant wait!

I am still talking with some people about where to put the images. People need to be able to order the printed photo's somehow.

Maybee they will be on my site, or another one, but i will put up a link to the place for sure!

Ill keep you updated :)

[Newby]

Have a good time Marcel,

Let us know how it turns out:D

[MarcelSpijker]

Well i am back and after a lot of rest today i whas able to review the past weekend.

WOW it whas just fantastic! I shot about 700/800 photo's (Didnt transfer all, so not exactly sure about the count)

I have some great shots of those people on the bikes. Now just have to sort them out and let them be aproved to be displayed.

Its just a great feeling riding at the back of a bike and move alongside the motorbikes, stop watch them come by, catch up again and again go to the front of the motorbike train.
Those people where so happy, but some even fell asleep in the sidecars :)

A pitty that the rental lens didint arrive in the shop on time, so i just had to do with my own crappy 200mm and the kit lens. But the kit lens proved wonders, and sometimes the 200mm also worked with me :)

I even took some sponser pics and and mybee i get an assignmet to do one website and a photoshoot for some cars :D

Next year ill be here again! Thats for sure!

The link to the photo's ill post as soon as possible.

[Dave]

Next year, The Tour De France! :)

Great stuff Marcel.

[Newby]

Sounds like you had a good time Marcel, and that's what counts the most :)