Skip To Navigation Skip To Content

Photography Monthly

In this section you will find only the best advice from photographers working at the very top of their game.

Our Masterclasses feature the work of UK masters of photography.

The Pro Zone features international professional photographers that are highly successful in their fields.

15.05.09

Shooting Motocross

Words by Adam Tranter

Motocross is a well known and popular form of motor sport. Top level athletes will compete in front of thousands of paying spectators and be photographed by press from all over the world. But at grassroots level, Motocross is a hidden gem for the amateur photographer.

The word motocross covers off-road motor sport, but there are other variants that are similar to photograph and equally as accessible. Enduro, Hare and Hounds and Hare Scrambles take place on mostly natural terrain, over a set period of laps. Enduro racing is normally over a two or three hour period, giving plenty of opportunity for a good day’s shooting.

It’s likely that your region will have a series of events for amateurs that will take place all year round. Races at this level are easy-going and will give you some fantastic shooting opportunities as you can get close to the action. You shouldn’t need any special accreditation for these events, but a bit of common sense will go a long way to keeping yourself and the competitors safe.

Most races will take place over natural terrain which will give you a good background in your frame; it’s important for the riders to stand out from the background so it’s a good idea to avoid areas that have a mass of spectators, trade stands or safety tape.

The average course will have a combination of hairpins, left and right hand bends, climbs, descents and of course, jumps. It’s very tempting to stand in the same place and catch the different riders using the same technique; however, I’d really recommend walking around the course and varying your shots.

The first few laps are usually chaotic and the start barriers are a good place to get some candid start shots. But when the flag is dropped, you’ll need to make yourself scarce as the starts can be quite dangerous. Once a few laps have been completed, the field will disperse and most will finish the course in ones and twos.

This gives a good chance to get some shots of individual riders, but also try to get some shots of interesting battles between similar placed riders as they try to overtake each other through the corners.

Standing on the inside of hairpin bends will give you a good opportunity to reduce the shutter speed and pan with the rider, in order to create the background blur. This could be useful as hairpins often attract spectators and your images will be enhanced by omitting fine detail from the background, it will also help you to portray speed. Shooting at around 1/200 or 1/250 will give you a good trade-off between detail and background blur.

If you stand on the outside of the bend, you can capture the riders cutting in and taking the racing line, it’s normally best to shoot in portrait orientation from this angle. Be careful not to get too close to the action and use a telephoto lens to keep your distance. At a World Championship race at Mallory Park, I spent a bit of time in the medical centre after being hit in the eye by a clump of mud; so edge on the side of caution with your distance.

Jumps are one of the huge attractions to motor sport and always draw crowds as this is usually where the showboating takes place. Riders will move quickly in the air and you will usually have little else in your frame but the competitor and the sky. In overcast days this can bring some problems, you need to ensure that your image has a good contrast; fill flash won’t normally reach, so try lowering your shutter speed and upping the ISO in low-light conditions.

It’s worth ensuring that your camera is clean, dirt on the sensor will show up on the jump shots, which will mean you’ll have to embark on a lot of post processing. There’s usually plenty of dust and mud flying around at these events which will allow you to give a good portrayal of movement. But even weatherproof cameras like the Canon 1D can take a bit of a battering if you stand in the wrong places, so try to make use of a telephoto lens and stand a bit away from the mudslinging.

There are motocross events almost all year around, so remember to take into account the various lighting conditions you’ll experience. If your shooting area is covered by trees, then you may find a slow-sync flash technique useful.

Using flash and a high shutter speed may overexpose your subject and leave your background dark. By lowering the shutter speed significantly, but making sure the flash still fires will hopefully give you some awesome light trails and movement effects. But remember to focus on panning with the subject; at low shutter speeds like 1/15 and 1/25 any slight up and down movement could throw off the sharpness of your image.

It’s easy to forget that there’s a race going on when you are focusing on shooting individual riders as they come around the circuit. It’s also quite confusing to try and work out the standings of the riders when they are sprawled over the circuit.

But if you keep an eye on the top three riders and ensure you get to the finish, then you will be able to photograph the winner and hopefully their victory salute, the last lap can sometimes be frantic and there’s always a chance for a competitor to lose their composure and hit the deck. It may take a little while to get a hang of the basics and get used to the speed that the competitors travel at, but once you’ve grasped that you’ll be able to begin experimenting with new techniques.

Gear

A good range of lenses will allow you to cover all eventualities, often parts of motocross courses are tight and a telephoto is too restrictive. A good wide angle zoom such as a 17-85mm or 24-105mm will be very useful. A 70-200mm telephoto will help you capture the action, while keeping you a safe distance from the riders.

It’s important to protect yourself as well as your equipment; you can often be exposed to the elements, so a good warm and waterproof jacket could be useful in the winter, as well as waterproofing for your camera. In the summer, the ground can be very dusty, so try to change your lenses away from the action. A monopod could prove useful for long days and will help with consistency in your photographs.

Post a comment (you must be a registered user to comment) Login | Sign Up

Your Comment

Your Email
Friend’s Email
Message

Average Article Rating 0 Stars: Your Rating Login Required!
Sorry - You must be a registered user & logged in to rate this. Login | Register

Which Digital Camera - Camera Finder

: DSLR

You want to take the best photos you can and possibly explore photography as a hobby

Enter this section if you are looking for a more advanced camera with the ability to change lenses to suit your needs. You will find entry-level cameras through to high-end models favoured by professional photographers.

What’s your budget?
Do you have a specific brand in mind?
Resolution

: Bridge

You want the convenience of a compact with the versatility of a DSLR

Enter this section if you are looking for the convenience of a compact camera but the photographic power of a DSLR. You will find both point-and-shoot cameras as well models offering more advanced functionality.

What’s your budget?
Do you have a specific brand in mind?
Resolution
Zoom Range

: Compact

You want to take family snaps, events and holidays

Enter this section if you are looking for a small easy-to-use camera. You will find a wide range of models to suit every budget all of which offer a wide range of features for everyday shooting.

What’s your budget?
Do you have a specific brand in mind?
Resolution
Zoom Range
The range of compact cameras available in the sub £250 price bracket frequently changes. Therefore Which Digital Camera has invited manufacturers to maintain their own listings in this section only. This includes their own recommendations.

We regret we are unable to include all manufacturers.