How to Photograph Cycling (City Centre)

(All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)

My favourite experience is photographing a sporting event that I have never done before. I don’t know what is going to happen and have to work out how to get good images in an unfamiliar environment.

One such experience was photographing the OVO Energy Tour Series cycling race in Salisbury in May 2019.  As it happened, I only photographed the women’s race, which preceded the men’s race.  

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 110mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 140)

This involved a 45-minute race on a 1.2km circuit around the streets of the city centre.  This might have been considered repetitive, but it did provide me with opportunities to try different ideas.  Moreover, the lighting conditions changed during the race, so I had to adapt as the race unfolded.

One of the advantages of this type of cycle racing is that you can get close to the action, with the competitors just feet from you.  Although there were a lot of spectators, the course was long and there were therefore plenty of opportunities to get good vantage points from which to shoot.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/2500th sec; ISO 900)

I was using a Nikon D500 and I started with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, subsequently changing to a 70-200mm lens.  I applied the same principles relating to camera settings that I set out in my blog on ‘Getting into Sport and Music Photography’, keeping the aperture wide open to make the depth of field shallow (except where I was panning to blur the background intentionally).

(Nikon D500; 24-70mm at 70mm; f/5.0; 1/1600th sec; ISO 400)

I started off by positioning myself on a tight corner where the cyclists would have to lean over to turn (just outside Barclays bank for those who know Salisbury!).  I experimented with the wide-angle lens, getting as low as I could and shooting through the barrier to provide drama as the cyclists raced by.

This captured the cyclists well, but there was a problem that the lead cyclists were in deep shadow, while the cyclists behind were in bright sunlight.  Moreover, there was no separation between the cyclists and the background – so Toni & Guy and the Cornish Bakery were extremely distracting!

I decided to move further along the street (towards Waterstones …) and used the same 24-70mm lens to ‘pan’ as the cyclists went by, thereby blurring the shop fronts and spectators in the background and providing a great sense of movement. For more on panning, do to my blog on How to Photograph Motorcycle Speedway.

(Nikon D500; 24-70mm at 58mm; f/22; 1/60th sec; ISO 1100)

Either the sun had gone in at this point or the location I had chosen was in deep shadow, so the images – while dramatic in terms of action – came out a bit flat.

Wanting to try something different, I switched to the 70-200mm lens, so that I could zoom in on the cyclists’ faces and as another means of isolating the main interest from the background.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/2500th sec; ISO 720)

At this point, the sun re-appeared – which was a game changer.  I therefore returned to my earlier position outside the bank and took advantage of the better lighting conditions. The colours just popped and the shadows on the road really added to the effect. 

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 102mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 180)

Having been in a similar position for some while, I decided that it was time to find a different place from which to shoot, so I made my way to the end of the finishing straight.  There were plenty of people already there, but I was able to edge my way in …

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 180)

I have already said that watching the background is really important, but it is also key to ensure that the face of the athlete is clearly visible and therefore recognisable.  One of the advantages of being at the end of the finishing straight was that the riders were coming directly at me and, as a consequence, it was easy to capture the faces.  As the race was drawing to a conclusion by this stage, the expressions were taking on a more serious and determined look.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/3200th sec; ISO 140)

With the camera on 3D-tracking, the camera looked after the focus as the cyclists came closer – and with the shadows beginning to lengthen, the light was really good.  As I was standing in a crowd of people, it was not possible to get low to the ground – which would have been my preference – but I was obliged to jostle for position to get what I could.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 130mm; f/2.8; 1/3200th sec; ISO 160)

As with all sport, the hardest challenge is to take a picture that tells a ‘standalone’ story. The image above shows a group of cyclists - you can see who is in the lead and you might be able to deduce that they are in the final straight. But there is no information to indicate how far into the race the picture was taken, nor whether the leader was about to be overtaken.

Against this background, I was determined to be in position to capture the moment of victory and this I succeeded in doing.  The winner overtook the competitor who had been leading for much of the race on the final straight and the heroic runner up couldn’t resist a wry smile as all her hard work proved to be in vain. The finishing line in the picture adds to the story and provides the context of the outstretched arms. Success all round!

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/3200th sec; ISO 125)

The challenge of this assignment had been to achieve a balance between concentrating on the individual cyclists and the environment in which they were operating.  Too close in and the effect would have been to lose the fact that this was a race through the centre of a city; whereas too wide-angle and the background detracted hugely from the action.

As so often the case, the key was to separate the action from the background, and it helped to have two relatively fast lenses which enabled me to achieve the shallow depth of field.

So, I may not have known what was going to happen when I set out - but I certainly learned a great deal and would love the opportunity to do it all over again!

---

If you have enjoyed this blog or if you have any comments, please leave a message in the comments box below. If you have any questions for me, please email me direct at berkeley.m@yahoo.com.

How to Photograph Athletics

(All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)

I often say that no two sports are the same to photograph and that each brings its own challenges.  Never is this more true than with athletics where there are many disciplines and every one is different!  Photographing track events is completely different from field events – and, within the field events, the long or high jump is different from the throwing disciplines (javelin, hammer, discus).

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 125)

My experience of photographing athletics dates back to the summer of 2018 when I spent a very hot day at a match hosted by the City of Salisbury Athletics and Running Club (CoSARC).  The programme for the day was packed with both track and field events and, as I was keen to record every event, I was running (often literally) from place to place in order to make sure that I had images of all the Salisbury athletes.

As I needed to be able to cover so many bases, I had most of my camera kit with me.  I used both the bodies I had at the time – a Nikon D700 (full frame, 12MP, 5 frames per second) and a Nikon D500 (crop sensor, 21MP, 10 fps) – as well as a good range of Nikon lenses: 24-70mm f/2.8; 70-200mm f/2.8; and a 200-500mm f/5.6.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm at 440mm; f/5.6; 1/3200th sec; ISO 2800)

In most instances, I kept the lenses wide open in order to make the depth of field as shallow as possible in order to blur the background. As it was an extremely bright day and with ISO settings on Auto, the shutter speeds had to be very fast, partly to freeze the action and partly to keep the ISO at the right levels.  The fastest shutter speed used was 1/6000th sec.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 102mm; f/2.8; 1/5000th sec; ISO 200)

Athletics involves disciplines that are primarily individual in nature.  The jumpers, throwers and runners are effectively trying to beat their ‘personal best’ and in doing so they win or lose against their opponents on the day.  Only with the relays do you get more close to a team sport, with each runner relying the others to pass the baton.

The nature of athletics is that you know where the athlete is going to be and where they are going to be facing – which is not the case with many other sports.  This means that it should be relatively easy to ensure that their face is fully visible and recognisable in the pictures.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 70mm; f/2.8; 1/2500th sec; ISO 110)

Certainly, at the level that I was photographing, the issue of distracting backgrounds was a significant problem.  In a stadium, with a big crowd, this might not have been the case.  In the photographs above, for instance, the javelin thrower has somebody wearing a bright yellow top behind her; and the high jumper has a container and a portacabin behind him.  In this latter case, a lower perspective might have worked so that the jumper was positioned against the trees above.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/3.2; 1/5000th sec; ISO 320)

In the image of the long jumper, the other contestants milling around in the background may be considered distracting, but they also provide a good feel for the environment in which the competition was taking place, so they provide context.  In any event, I attempt the blur the background as much as possible by keeping the shutter almost wide open, thereby providing separation between the main subject and the background..

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 140mm; f/2.8; 1/4000th sec; ISO 400)

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 135mm; f/3.2; 1/3200th sec; ISO 500)

When selecting the images for this blog, I found that – on re-visiting the pictures – I often decided to crop more tightly on the athlete as a way of avoiding distractions in the background and of concentrating on the individual.  I did this, for example, with the shot putter and the runner above.

Also, I find it works to get as low as possible so that I am almost looking up at the person.  This makes them look more ‘heroic’ and impressive. I found that it was better to photograph long distance runners earlier in the race, when they were more full of energy – whereas, towards the end of the race, energy levels had dropped and the images did not portray the athletes in the best light.

(Nikon D500; 24-70mm at 70mm; f/3.2; 1/3200th sec; ISO 125)

In any sport, it is always tempting to relax when there is a lull in proceedings – but that is often when some of the best, informal shots are to be had.  One of my favourite images of the day was of an elder sister (who had just won the steeplechase) as she consoled her younger sister who had finished towards the back of the field in the same race.  The looks on their faces tells a real story.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm at 200mm; f/2.8; 1/3200th sec; ISO 720)

The starting pistol being fired was a bit more quirky – and provided something a bit different… As the official was facing away from me, the eye is drawn to the pistol and the smoke because there is no competing point of interest.

It is quite difficult to tell the story of what is happening in a running race.  If you are, for instance photographing the 100m from head on, it is almost impossible to tell who is in the lead.  In the photo below, the expressions on the faces, as well as the baton in hand, explain that one runner has passed to another in the relay races.  It captures the relationship between the runners, but it doesn’t provide any information on how the team is getting on against their opponents. On the other hand, if somebody holds their arms aloft in triumph as they cross the finishing line, that will tell the story of who won … For a good example of this, see my blog on City Centre Cycling.

(Nikon D500; 70-200mm f2.8 - f2.8; 1/3200th sec; ISO 400)

All in all, the day at the athletics was demanding on me as a photographer, having to work out how to capture each discipline while under time pressure.  That made it one of the best days I have had with a camera and would strongly recommend it if you get the opportunity!

With special thanks to the City of Salisbury Athletics & Running Club.

---

If you have enjoyed this blog or if you have any comments, please leave a message in the comments box below. If you have any questions for me, please email me direct at berkeley.m@yahoo.com.

How to Photograph Golf

(All images copyright Michael Berkeley Photography - no reproduction without permission)

In my blog on How to Photograph Cricket, I said that cricket is the sport I know the best because I have played it the most.  Moreover, I have photographed over 50 days of cricket, so I have taken a lot of cricket images.

At the other end of the scale, I have never played golf and I have only photographed it once.  While I have photographed many international cricket players, my experience of golf has been taking informal images of three friends at a local club.  

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm at 18mm; f/3.5; 1/1600th sec; ISO 125)

While I did not ask them to pose for any particular shots, it was a very informal session and I stood (and knelt and lay!) in places that simply wouldn’t be allowed during an official event.   Also, professional golfers are likely to object to the sound of cameras during their swing, when distractions are extremely unwelcome.

Despite the fact that it was mid-August, my golf day was overcast, with a threat of rain at any moment.  I had not given my golfing friends any instructions and it was fortuitous that John arrived wearing a red shirt, but the grey shirt of one of the others (also called John) was less good photogenically.  So, not very colourful subjects on a not very colourful day, but fortunately the golf was good …

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 1100)

As this was my first time photographing on a golf course, there was inevitably a degree of trial and error.  I applied the same principles relating to camera settings set out in my blog on ‘Getting into Sport and Music Photography’, adapting them as required.

I used a Nikon D500 and just 2 lenses - a Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-f5.6 kit lens and a Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 lens. As the D500 has a crop sensor, the lenses were equivalent to a 27-82mm and a 300-750mm. This gave me a lot of options - from wide angle to long telephoto.

The aperture was set wide open (to reduce depth of field) and I chose shutter speeds faster than 1/1250sec to freeze the ball in flight. The ISO setting was ‘Auto’ and it was capped at 5000.

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm; f/3.5; 1/1600th sec; ISO 100)

I tried various angles on the golfers playing drives and approach shots.  A good stock image is where the golfer is at the end of their swing and they are looking down the fairway – so that you get a good view of their face.  Alternatively, if you shoot from behind the golfer, you can get the ball in the photo, although you are not going to get such a good view of the face (see image above).

Before I set out for the course, I had it in mind that I definitely wanted to capture the classic shot of the sand being kicked up when the ball is played out of a bunker.  Neither of the Johns played into a bunker during the round, but Wayne’s ball just seemed to be attracted by the sand.  He maintained that he was doing it on purpose so that I could get my photograph.  I wonder…  These shots called for a fast shutter speed to freeze the sand, and I made sure that the ball was in the frame, which was relatively easy as I was shooting on ‘continuous high’ mode.  

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm; f/4; 1/2000th sec; ISO 200)

For the image above, I was positioned higher than Wayne, with the result that I lost his feet and the sand does not stand out that well against the bunker and the grass behind.  The image below was taken with quite a wide angle lens, so I was crouching down in the sand to get the low perspective – and certainly closer than you would be able to get during a competitive match.  This perspective means that some of the sand stands out against the sky, which adds to the drama.

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm; f/3.5; 1/1600th sec; ISO 100)

It proved difficult to find a really good angle to photograph putting shots, because it is challenging to get the golfer’s face in the picture - see image below. 

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm; f/4.2; 1/1600th sec; ISO 110)

I tried to get as low as I could by kneeling on the green (again, don’t expect to be allowed to do this during a competition!).  The best result was where the putt was quite long and the golfer therefore looked up to see if the ball was going into the hole.

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm; f/5.6; 1/1600th sec; ISO 500)

In addition to taking stock images of the golfers driving from the tee, playing approach shots and putting, it was good fun taking action photos – trying to get something a bit different.  I loved the expressions of concentration and the shots of turf being kicked up when playing the ball on the fairway.  As with all sport photography, I was careful to watch out for anything distracting in the background and to make sure that the golfer’s face was sufficiently visible for them to be recognisable – and, of course, to get the ball in the picture.

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 1250)

(Nikon D500; 200-500mm; f/5.6; 1/2000th sec; ISO 180)

All in all, it was a very enjoyable morning taking photographs.  There was variety in the photos and it was fun trying to find the best locations from which to take the images. As always, I was looking out for some candid shots between the sporting action - such as John trying to locate his ball (below) …

(Nikon D500; 18-55mm at 55mm; f/5.6; 1/5000th sec; ISO 4500)

With special thanks to John, John and Wayne.

---

If you have enjoyed this blog or if you have any comments, please leave a message in the comments box below. If you have any questions for me, please email me direct at berkeley.m@yahoo.com.