Extreme Sports Photography

Sian: Alright Chris, tell me why you love BMXing? Chris: I started riding about 7 years ago, I just saw people doing it down the skate park, and for lots of it I’ve been interest in, and ever since then I’ve just kept it up. Something really like individually you can do, something very creative. Sian: And so how did you get into the photography side of it? Chris: One of my friends is running a website and I started taking pictures for that just to like. Sian: Just for fun. Chris: Yeah, just so we could show our friends what we are doing, like, you know, show someone who’s away, they could see what everyone else have been up to and stuff. And then yeah, and just progress from there, like I started buying better cameras in the last couple of years. Sian: Did you find that helps you, because you are BMX, you know when to take the picture, because you know the trick or? Chris: It definitely, yeah, it definitely helps the timing and you know kind of what tricks look good and what ramp people gonna do more tricks on, and that kind of thing. Sian: Now someone that wants to take photos of BMXing that’s probably not a BMXer like you, what top tips can you give them. Chris: You need a lot of patience and you need to be good in communicating with the riders as well, so they know what you’re trying to do and you understand what they’re trying to do and like how difficult it is for them. And yeah, just keep practicing and keep taking lots and lots of pictures. Sian: Yeah. Chris: And if you can find other people that are more knowledgeable than you, like they can critic your picture, that’s really, really helpful. Sian: So what kind of kit do you use? Chris: It’s a Nikon D200, basically use it, coz its got a good fast flashing speed. Sian: Yep. Chris: And it’s got a good resolution as well. Sian: Yep. Chris: And Nikon make a good fish eye for this camera as well, which another thing a lot of BMX photographers use. I've got three of these, which are Nikon SP28s, and they’re an older Nikon flash. So they’re a bit cheaper, but you can use manual power on, which is the main thing. You want a powerful manual power flash. Sian: And will a fast shutter speed or a fast lens works just as well? Chris: In some case, if you’re shooting day time may be, but in somewhere like this, probably even not enough light for that without ruining the image got, you got noise and stuff in it. Sian: And why are you using them? Chris: Basically to freeze the motion, because the flash, duration of the flash is a lot faster and even the sync speed of the camera. Sian: Yeah. Chris: And it also makes pictures look more interesting as well, if you bring out detail in the rider with flashes. Sian: And what is the flashing speed? Chris: 1/250th of a second. Sian: And how do you set the flash speed up? Chris: I take one of the flashes. Sian: Yes. Chris: I got two of these light stands. Sian: Alright. Chris: And a hot shoot adapter on top, so that just clips in there. And then I got these which are pocket wizard radio triggers, and one of these sits on the camera like that, and you put another one which plugs in to the, into the sync spore on the flash. So when that triggers on the camera, it sets off the flash. Sian: Is it manual, is it TTL? Chris: Yeah, I used all manual control on the camera and flash as well. Set all the exposure beforehand. Sian: And what does that, why do you do that? Chris: It’s just too unpredictable otherwise, using TTL. Sian: Okay. And what camera setting do you use? Chris: Usually the maximum sync speed of the camera for shutter speeds so 250th of a second. Sian: Yep. Chris: And I usually find that about F4 is usually enough to catch the light from the flashes, and a low ISO like 100 to 200. Sian: And do you use metering? Chris: Usually I just take test shots and use the histogram on the back of the camera. Sian: And what about autofocus, or anything like that, what settings do you use? Chris: I use spot, like one spot focusing. So pre focus then turn the camera to manual focus before the rider starts riding. Sian: Does the Creative lighting system working? Chris: I haven’t personally used it. The flash gun you have after that really expensive. Sian: Right. Chris: To have three of them would be a lot more than three of these. Sian: And the overall composition, what are you looking for in the picture? Chris: Just looking to tell the story of what's going on and what the place is like really. Sian: Okay, so you’d been doing this about 3 or 4 months. So as a beginner what kind of kit have you got? Lloyd: I’ve got a 400D, which is Canon basic entry model level, and then I’ve got a Sigma 15-30 millimeter, it’s like I got it coz it got the 1.6 crop. It goes back to 50 mil, so about a 28 mil, so like, it’s not quite official, but it’s about as close as I’ll gonna get, so. Sian: So for the money, that’s fairly the best thing you're looking at? Lloyd: It’s only about 200, I don’t know what I’ll gonna do, so that’s why I get it. Sian: Fantastic. Okay, so what shot will you be setting up for now? Lloyd: This first shot, I’ll be on the step up over there. Sian: Yeah. Lloyd: It’s like, it’s most of the bike make a triangle of light, like a main light, a fill light and then a rim down the bottom behind him, which is a quite lot of the sides to light, to separate from the background. Sian: And you don’t have a pocket wizard, so will you trigger the flashes? Lloyd: I’ve got these nice cheap and cheerful ebay slaves. Sian: Oh right. Okay and they work just as well, do they? Lloyd: Well, they only go about 30 yards if you’re lucky, if you get a good one. But they do the job for me at the moment. But, you always want pocket wizard skybox, and something like that. Sian: So, once you got this set up, you can do in the picture, what are you looking for in your end result? Lloyd: Something like a nice, clean picture. You can see what's going on, but from a nice, interesting, interesting perspective, so it’s like, you know. Sian: Crisp, clear, subject looks up right. Lloyd: Yeah. Bit atmospheric, the exposure gets it all right, yeah. Sian: So what made you suddenly into photography side of it? Lloyd: You see funny story, I was in the woods with my friends and I have a camera phone, and there was these ducks, I always take a picture of a duck, now as I get a picture. A very nice landscape, my art teacher Lloyd this is some point, and then just from there I’ve just go up, sort of like that. Sian: So you start off getting into photography then started doing it for BMXing. Lloyd: Yeah, I don’t, I don’t start doing it seriously with BMX last few months, about 3 or 4 months quite properly. I've always sort of done it. I’ve never really been into it. Sian: Have you found it easy a bit coz you are a BMXer or? Lloyd: Yeah. I suppose it would be, coz like you look at the images in magazines and stuff, so you know, sort of like how it’s going at like. I knew the tricks, so, you know, when you got a precious. Sian: And you know, obviously know if the trick looks good, you might have someone to do it a few times to get it right. Lloyd: Yeah. Yeah, I was like do it one more time, said it about 30 times when I take their picture, so. Sian: What kind of tips can you give to somebody who’s, like yourself, not been doing it very long? Lloyd: Just starting out? Sian: Yeah, just starting out? Lloyd: Get a 35 millimeter and just shoot some picture of. Sian: Get practicing. Lloyd: Yeah, and once you got your composition start get some lights, and then just go from there. Start off like a 28 mil, and a 50 mil then to a 35 millimeter. Hasn’t always on autofocus, just go in from there coz there’s no point in jumping in and finally don’t get it. Sian: No, if you don’t know how to use it. Lloyd: Yeah. I started just shooting black and white and stuff like that. Sian: Oh, okay, cool. Lloyd: And then I got a Bronica after that and then I start sort of go on digital afterwards. Sian: Yeah. Lloyd: Coz I do few more, but if I’ll gonna say just starting out, I suppose you could, you can pick up digital SLR’s quite cheap now, so I suppose I get a D50 or a 350D or something like that. Sian: Do you think it’s worth sort of spending some time with other BMX and other photographers who’s getting the idea of what to look for? Lloyd: Well yeah. I’ve only been with BMX today, coz I’ve met this guys first, and they already learn, already lean stuff today… Sian: Now they’re off. Lloyd: … from those guys, so like, got some help there. Sian: So it’s just kinda BMX, skate parks, and whatever? Lloyd: Yeah, everyone’s really friendly, so if you can see someone taking a pictures, you can go and ask some questions, don’t like, don’t grill him. You can go up and see how they’re doing it and stuff. It was like I ask Chris earlier, coz I always use to go a while with they enlighten me and stuff, but then he just spits it out and get it to this right, instead of, you know… Sian: Yeah, he sort it with by eye doesn’t he, rather than using… Lloyd: Yeah, yeah, he’s pictures really good. And Craig’s really good as well, and pretty sure Ethan’s use to enlighten me much. I always use the fact that about what light means and stuff, but. Sian: But I suppose it’s not always, doesn’t always matter, does it? Lloyd: No, not always, I suppose sometimes it would, but I haven’t got to, you know, go wild and do that or anything like that.