A photograph is not an accident – it is a concept. – Ansel Adams

This 2nd secret to taking better motorcycle pictures is one that  amateur photographers violate  on nearly every photo. Even professionals sometimes can be guilty of violating this rule. Don’t get me wrong rules are made to be broken, but you need to know what rule you are breaking and for what purpose.

The Rule of Thirds in its simplest form says never put the subject of your photo in the center. It seems so natural though when you’re looking through the view finder to put the subject in the center.  But in reality when you view that photo later your eye is not naturally drawn to the center. It is rather drawn to the intersection of lines which divide the photo into thirds. It would also seem that by putting the subject in the center you would have a greater sense of balance. But in reality it is just the opposite. So where should we put the subject of our photo?

If you draw two vertical lines evenly spaced across your photo (dividing it up into thirds) and then two horizontal lines (again dividing it into thirds) you get four areas in the photo where the lines intersect. These intersection points are the natural focal points of the photo. Also if you have strong line elements in your photo like a horizon, or edge of a building or wall, you may want to line them up with these horizontal or vertical lines as well.

Rule of Thirds

Here is an example of the Rule of Thirds with the lines on it to show you the intersecting points. When using the Rule of Thirds with a portrait always try to line-up one of their eyes with the intersecting point. I usually try to use the eye closest to me if their head is slightly turned.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of Thirds

Here is another example of the Rule of Thirds from my Bikes, Blues and BBQ collection. The face is obviously the focal point of this photo so I tried to line it up with one of the intersection points.

Rule of Thirds

Don’t forget you can sometimes crop an image and get your subject to fit with the Rule of Thirds. Few people crop their images, but it really can improve your photos—you just need to know what it is you are trying to accomplish with the crop. We’ll talk about this further in another secret to better motorcycle photography.

Now let me give you a slightly different twist on the Rule of Thirds. Motorcycles don’t always work well with the Rule of Thirds. If it is off in the far distance and you can place it on an intersecting point you should do it. The problem is we’re often to close and the bike pretty much fills the frame. If there is something of particular interest on the bike and you’re in really close by all means use the Rule of Thirds to decide where it should be in the photo. But there may not be an obvious focal point. So what do you do then?

What I like to do is step back far enough you can divide the photograph up into four equal parts and fill one of those parts with the bike. Just draw an imaginary line down the center of your photo vertically and one horizontally and then place the bike in one of the lower boxes. Unlike the Rule of Thirds I am not trying to place the focal point on an intersecting line but rather trying to fill one of the boxes with the bike. Remeber you want to fill it with the motorcycle. Also pay attention to the direction of the bike. You want to leave room in front of it. We will talk about lead room in another post.

By dividing the photo up into to four equal squares and then filling one of those squares with the bike you are essentially putting the gas tank of the bike on the intersecting point of the Rule of Thirds.

Always remember we’re trying to convey an emotion with our photographs. What emotion does the above photo convey to you? How would it have been different if the bike were in the center? By placing the motorcycle off center the photo becomes about something more than the bike, it has a feel to it.

The Rule of Thirds is just one ways you might try lining up the subject in your photo. We will discuss in later secrets things like filling the fame, lead room, what to do when you don’t have a plain backdrop like the photo above and when it is alright to break these rules.

Hope this helps. If you have anything to add to this please make a comment and maybe we can learn from each other.

If there was one piece of advice I could give to getting better motorcycle pictures it would have to be to get down low. There is nothing that will change your photos as dramatically as changing the view point of the shot. This secret applies to just about any photograph you take, but especially when it comes to motorcycles and hot rods. When you get down low the photograph automatically becomes more interesting. Why? Because we seldom see things from this angle. It can also give what you are taking a picture of a sense of power and dominance, which works great with motorcycles and custom cars. Remember we are trying to convey an emotion with our photography. When our photographs can convey a feeling, as well as show whatever it is we are taking a picture of is when we know we  have crossed over from just an average photographer to an artist.

This secret is not limited to just motorcycle photography. Taking pictures of people as well from a lower angle than eye level can make a dramatic difference in your photos as well. It can be a way of showing a man or woman is in a position of authority or power. I would say almost every photo you take should be taken from a different angle than eye level. If you try it I guarantee you will see it’s worth the effort to get down on one knee or if you’re taking a photo of a bike even laying on the ground. People may laugh, but when they see your photos the laughing will stop and you may have company on the ground at the next rally. Here are a few of my bike week photos that show how getting down low can change the whole feel of a photo.

I got this shot by literally placing my Canon 5D Mark II on the ground.

This is another shot where I placed the camera on the ground. Sometimes you just have to hope you got the shot because it is to low to look through the viewfinder.

Getting Down Low

If you’re opposed to laying on the ground you could try a product from Flipbac. It fits over a camera’s 3 inch LCD screen and reflects it so you can see your shot without getting on the ground. I use it with my Canon 5D Mark II in live mode, but it will also work on any point-and-shot with a  3 inch LCD screen. You can also use it to get shots from overhead. It does a great job of protecting the screen on the back of the camera as well.

Flipbac 3" Angle Viewfinder

By Tim Wemple © 2010
www.BikeRallyPhotography.com
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