Motorcyclist and Bridge

[JeffR]

Took this a few weeks ago, and wanted to share it, FWIW.



The shot was easy, the circumstances and timing weren't.

[F.Gordon]

1. You were..... running along side?

:shrug:

Interesting photo. Do tell....

[JeffR]

2. The bridge is one-lane and pretty decrepit

So a driver or rider has to look ahead to see if anyone is approaching the other side. I was standing near the bridge trying to photograph a couple of swans in the creek below, and heard the motorcylce approaching from behind. So I placed myself about 2 feet from the entrance to the bridge and waited for the bike to get right beside me, while I had my back turned to him. He was probably doing about 30 (not wise, IMO) and it was a wild guess as to when I had to hit the shutter. Of course I had to rely on the rider to be aware of me as he approached.:scared:

I had hoped to get the bike about half-way across the bridge, but instead got it just as it entered. I think this actually made for a better composition than the one I was aiming for.

The swan shots, BTW, are crap. But I liked this one. The lighting was very harsh that day, but the original still has a lot of midtone detail on the far side of the bridge (trees, etc) which distracted from the subject matter. So I Photoshopped the contrast and got rid of the colour, trying to strip the pic down to the essentials. Not sure if I succeeded, but that was the intention.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I've been having issues with swan shots, as well....

We have many here this time of year and they're beautiful, but they're always on the OTHER side of the pond, and even my biggest lens won't pull them up. It really aggravates me.

This is a cool shot, by the way.

[JeffR]

4. They also hate motorcycles

I managed to get one more pic of fast-moving swan butts after the bike passed.

[F.Gordon]

5. Amazing what people do to get photos

I like that much better than if the rider had been in the middle. Gives the shot.... what's the word?... perspective.

My luck the rider would have hit me but I would have had a great "camera toss" snap.
:rofl:

[JeffR]

6. An aerial perspective!

:rofl:

[CC]

8. I am too chicken to try

this but have you seen Kite Aerial Photography? http://www.kaper.us/

[JeffR]

9. Thanks for the link

Some amazing stuff over there. I'd be too chicken too.:scared:

[F.Gordon]

11. Well....

People are always telling me to "f-off" or "go fly a kite".
:evilgrin:

That looks like fun. It seems that they use some shutter rig for point & shoots. Have never heard of doing this... till now. I wonder if I could rig it to my coolpix 950. My mind is already racing with ideas on how you could use this.
:crazy:

I really liked this photo from the galleries...

[CC]

7. Great shot and glad you put

down how you got it. I love the POV and the lack of color.
BTW that motorcyclist didn't want to hit you anymore than you wanted him to. A good cyclist is hyper aware of what is around him, or he ends up injured or dead. This coming from the wife of a man that almost hit a deer on a curve and laid down his bike. Not sure how he got his leg over it that fast but he ended up skidding about a hundred yard while sitting on the side of the bike that was face up. Bent the hell out of the handle bars and scraped up the bike pretty bad but he kept his leg and didn't get a scratch. He does take curves with deer potential slower now.

[JeffR]

10. My God

I wouldn't be able to get back on a bike after something like that.

My subject, whoever he is, deserves full praise both for his road skills and for his helmet and bike, which lent themselves nicely to monochrome. I shot a few pics recently on an expressway (as the passenger, of course!) and am trying to use the same filters on those as I did here, so far without success.