ANTHONY KERR

INTRODUCTIONTHE fOUNDATIONOur motorcycles give us a unique ability to have real adventure and authentic explorations. These agile vehicles allow us to get far out into the world. We’ll see the sun crest a ridge in the morning, we’ll ride hundreds of miles over challenging and varied landscapes, discover a new town, meet interesting people, then watch the sun drop into the ocean in the evening.

We take pictures of our rides to remember the incredible time we’ve had and to share stories with our friends. But often we get back home, disappointed to find that the photos just aren’t as good as when we were there. How often have we heard “Sorry for the bad photo.” “It’s steeper than it looks.” or “The photo doesn’t do the place justice.”

This book is not about equipment. This book is about taking better photos with the camera you have now. The basic techniques covered here will improve your photos whether you are using a $5000 digital SLR or the camera of your mobile phone. Knowing how to choose a subject and compose an image will have the greatest impact on the success of your photography. This first book builds a foundation for the advanced techniques of the digital darkroom and for the equipment discussion to come in later volumes.

In both motorcycling and photography, many people get hung-up on equipment and accessories. We’ve all fallen prey to gear lust.

An analogy: I’m a new rider. The KLR 650 is my first motorcycle. Even if I were given the keys to a Dakar-ready KTM rally bike, I wouldn’t be able to make my way down that steep, sandy Baja trail any faster than I could on my KLR 650 - because my ability isn’t there yet. It’s all about you. Not the bike. Not the camera.

Learning these skills and techniques with the camera you have now will put you further ahead than the purchase of any lens or camera. Let’s find out how to do those fantastic rides justice. Route 66, Nevada

KEEp IT SImplERUlE Of THIRDSGET ClOSEBACKGROUNDlAYERED lANDSCApEpEOplETHE EDITCONClUSIONCHEAT-SHEETpHOTOGRApHY, wRITING & DESIGN © 2010 ANTHONY KERRSUppORT RIDERS, DON’T pASS THIS pDf OUT fOR fREE!www.mOTOjOURNAlISm.COm

KEEp IT SImplEThe first thing we can do to improve our photos is to simplify.

What was it that first caught your eye? Was it the vintage Yamaha? The rooster strutting around like it owned the place? The bright colours of the maritime fishing floats?

Strip it down, cut out everything but the subject. If it’s not contributing to the photo, it’s making it worse. The idea is to make it very clear what the subject of your photo is. Distracting background elements could be pedestrians walking or cars parked next to the motorcycle. Maybe it’s the pile of garbage bags off to the left of the rooster. Official signs and other junk next to the fishing floats don’t need to be in the photo.

Take your camera and walk around the subject until all those distracting elements are out of the frame. Move up and down, side to side till it’s just right. Snap, you’re there!

Antigua, GuatemalaTaquillo,El Salvador

New Brunswick, Canada

Old fashioned transportation always gets my attention. From Manitoba to Nicaragua, animals are still used for work. Moving cargo by horse and cart is an everyday occurrence in Granada, Nicaragua.

Other than the fact that the horse is facing forward, the main thing that makes the large photo better is that the background is completely clear of clutter. The cars are out of the way, the telephone pole is gone. It’s very clear that the subject is the horse and cart.

To simplify your photo, you may have to move a bit to either side. Try holding your camera higher or lower to clear a sign or telephone line out of the frame. Sometimes you can walk across the street for a better background, other times you’ll just have to wait for your subject to move to a better spot. By changing the position of your camera, you have a lot of control over the relative positions of the objects in your photo. Keep it simple.

Granada, Nicaragua

While exploring those lonely back roads and dirt paths, we often find ourselves riding through areas where time seems to have ground to a halt many years ago. It’s a fun exercise to emphasize this by cutting out any clues as to what year the photograph was taken.By eliminating modern elements from the frame we can give our images a timeless quality, a direct look to the past.

San Francisco, California

Saskatchewan, Canada

Saskatchewan, Canada

RUlE Of THIRDS Art, not science.This one’s a classic. It will make a big improvement when you are starting out. Having your subject smack in the middle of the photo is - generally speaking - dull as ditch water. There are no crosshairs on a camera, we’re not hunting moose here. Let’s try something different.

Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over the frame.Try placing the horizon on the upper or lower horizontal line. Move yourself and your camera around till your subjects are near the intersections.

This technique is about art, not science. Things don’t need to be exactly on the lines. The idea is just to move beyond boring, dead-center target shooting.

Dog Lake, OntarioCalifornia, USA

The rule of thirds can be used to give a still photograph a feeling of movement. When you are shooting an object in motion, give it somewhere to go! In the example on the left, we cannot see where the three-wheeled taxi is going. The example below works much better because we can see the road ahead, we know what’s going to happen next.

Saquixpec, Guatemala

Tucson, Arizona

Here are two more good examples of using the rule of thirds to give the impression of motion in a still image. The dirt and pavement horizons sit near the lower lines of the grid. Both bikes are moving from the edge of the frame toward the center, they’ve been given somewhere to go!The KTM 640 above is in the perfect spot, right on an intersection.

Shooting objects in motion ain’t easy!This will take a lot of practice to get right.

Panama, Central America

Desert Lake, Ontario

Port au Port Peninsula, Newfoundland Baja Norte, Mexico

GET ClOSEAnother effective way to simplify our photographs is to get so close to our subject that it takes up a significant portion of the frame. You don’t have to show the whole thing!

With all the distracting elements eliminated we see familiar objects in a new way. The curve of a gas tank, the finish of a cylinder head, the depth of the paint. A lot of the beauty of a motorcycle - or any everyday object for that matter - lives in the details.

Walk right up close, get in tight and give that subject a fresh perspective.

Tucson, ArizonaSan Francisco, California

Lac Beauregarde, Quebec

Antigua, Guatemala

Several things caught my attention about this building. First the deep red colour, then how unusual the individually made iron gates for the apartment buzzers were. Finally, the completely haphazard numbering made me laugh. This detail of a single building sums up how the entire city felt to me. I got close and aimed my camera straight at the wall. Then I moved around till it was framed just right. Snap, that’s it.

El Salvador, Central America

I was leaving El Salvador for Honduras, my friend Mario escorting me out of town. I noticed that my bike was mirrored in the chrome of the BMW R60/5 gas tank. “Don’t move!” I said, pulling a camera from my pocket. Leaning way back on my seat and zooming-in so nothing was in the frame but the gas tank, I maneuvered the camera until my front wheel and fender lined-up perfectly in the reflection.

Route 66, Nevada

You’ve got to love the vintage signage on Route 66. I snapped the first photo to capture the whole sign, but there was so much other stuff going on in the background that it doesn’t show what I like most about the sign. By moving right up close, the sky blue paint and white neon are emphasized, by tilting the camera at an angle, the depth of the metal letters and flaking paint are revealed. I chose to frame the RESTA letters. Those letters show just enough to let you know what the sign is about. Your brain fills in the blanks. I have another version with URANT framed, that one just doesn’t work...

San Francisco, California

Montreal, Quebec

Markets, motorcycle shops and storefronts; motorcycle travellers have to stock-up on supplies. Don’t miss these opportunities to tell the story, they’re full of great visuals. Get close. Push that camera right in there. Capture details!

San Cristobal, Mexico

BACKGROUNDFind a good background, and wait for things to happen!The light was cutting through the late afternoon haze in Antigua, Guatemala. Across the street from this great golden canvas of a wall, I sat on the curb for twenty minutes to watch the world go by. Just wait for the right moments and... Snap!

Antigua, Guatemala

Finding a good background and waiting is exactly what you’ve got to do to get the best shots of your friends riding. I stopped at the twistiest looking section of California road and crouched low to exaggerate the sinuous curves. I had Greg ride past several times till we got some good shots. Spend an afternoon doing this and you’ll develop a whole new appreciation for what Claudio Von Planta had to go through...

West of Fairfax, California

I was sitting in a juice bar across the street from a bus stop, not really looking to take a photo at all. But I knew it was a great background, so I got my camera ready and placed it on the bar. When the colourful kids came along, I knew I couldn’t pass it up.I love how the adult can’t reach the ground either.La Paz, Baja, Mexico

I couldn’t ignore this powerful mural in Leon, Nicaragua. It depicts the 1979 revolution in which the Somoza dictatorship was overthrown. I loved the contrast between the painted soldiers of the dictatorship in the background and the present-day school kids playing soccer. A direct line through history. I shot this while sitting on my motorcycle, parked across the street. Waiting for the ball to be in the picture, I framed the photo to show only the mural and players. This flattens the image and makes it hard to tell where the mural ends and where reality begins.

Leon, Nicaragua

lAYERED lANDSCApEMake it feel like it was when you were thereThe motorcycles we ride give us access to some of the most spectacular vistas imaginable. Deep canyons, crashing waves, imposing mountain peaks. We’re overcome by the grandeur when we are there in person, but somehow the photos never do the place justice. What happened?

These landscapes awe us while we are there, because we see in three dimensions. A camera sees with only one eye and flattens the depth and distance.

What we need is a trick to let our brains know how far things really are.

Costa del Balsamo, El Salvador

Background

foreground

middle groundBackground

The trick is to give the photograph layers. Put something interesting in the foreground. We know roughly how big a tree branch, rock or bush is, so given that clue, our brain can fill in the blanks.

Think about the rule of thirds, try to put the horizon near one of those lines. If the sky is a boring solid blue or grey, show more of the land. If you’ve got a dramatic sky - fluffy backlit clouds or an imposing thunderstorm - point the camera upwards to move the horizon low on the frame. The sky can be as interesting a subject as the landscape itself.

The first photo is not terrible, I like the way the road twists along in a diagonal line across the frame. But everything is more or less the same distance away and it’s all the same brown. This makes the image look flat and dull.

I took only a few steps back for the second photo, but this time I zoomed out, and crouched low to include a sagebrush in the left corner. Then I shuffled around in the dirt until I could see the curve of the river. I lifted the camera a touch higher so the diagonal line of the road was visible over the sagebrush. The photo now has distinct layers. there’s a clear foreground, and background. Each layer gets slightly hazier as it gets further from the camera. Depth in two dimensions.Duffy Lake Road, British Columbia

The sweeping line of the shore leads your eye from the rocks underfoot to the mountain range in the background.Abraham Lake, Alberta

Sequoia National Forest, California

Here’s a simple example of distinct layers in a landscape photo. The berries in the front add some colour and act as a foreground, the nearby hill has a two-lane road to give us a sense of scale the remaining hills layer behind that, naturally fading away into the clouds.

foreground

middle ground

Background

Zona 3, Guatemala City

A foreground element can double as something to set the scene. This sinister looking tree hangs over the garbage dump in Guatemala City, while the vultures watch the basureros eke out a living below

Cap Saint George, Newfoundland

I count about eight layers fading into the distance here. You don’t have to be anywhere exotic to capture beautiful landscapes.Big Muddy Valley, Saskatchewan

pEOplEThe people we meet on our rides are a huge part of the experience. But photographing people is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding aspects of the art. It seems to cause more anxiety to the photographer than the subject! This subject could be expanded into an entire book, but I want to give you some quick tips that you can work with right away. Let’s take a look at the basics here.

Several of the techniques we’ve just covered apply here. Get close to your subject, keep the photo simple, look for a good background and arrange the photo with the rule of thirds in mind.Continued...

Wait! Don’t pick-up the bike!I moved in close, shuffled around until the trees were not growing out of the top of his helmet and took the picture.In this situation a posed photo worked.After a wipeout like that Marc was proud to have his photo taken!

Le Pit, Quebec

Señor Benjamin, chatting with the ladies. He wasn’t paying much attention to me!Antigua, Guatemala

Give your subject a space to look into, just like we did with objects in motion

in the rule of thirds chapter Coco’s Corner, Baja Mexico

Posing people in front of the camera is the easy way out, but it doesn’t always capture the personality of our subjects. You know how you stiffen-up when the camera is pointed at you. Say cheese!You will find that people are most comfortable and “themselves” when they are involved in some sort of activity. Get them talking and laughing, have them explain what they are doing or where they are going. Don’t make a big deal of having your camera out. Just play it cool and take your shots.

Like many things you’ve just got to get out there and practice. You will feel more comfortable with each press of the shutter. But the excitement never really goes away. This is a good thing.

If you feel uncomfortable photographing people, an excellent place to practice is at working museums or historical reenactments. These people are quite used to having their photograph taken, and will happily go about their business as you snap away. You do have to break away from the group of standing tourists though. I found the best results were obtained by chatting one-on-one with the museum interpreters after the tour group had moved on.

Viking settlement, L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland

Two relaxed, candid photos here. They are just doin’ their thing and the personalities shine throughCoco’s Corner, Baja Mexico

Tequila bar, Baja Mexico

Sometimes a posed photo will turn out great There’s no reason you can’t try both!Los hermanos Juarez, beaming with pride in their ironworks

Antigua, Guatemala

THE EDITTake many, show fewGood images don’t come easily. The first shot rarely nails what you saw in your mind. You’ve got to take a lot duds before you hit on one that has the right ingredients to make a good photo.

I encourage you to take many photos, but don’t snap away wildly. Take your time. Make a deliberate effort to put together good compositions and to try new things. This is where we apply the techniques we’ve just covered. Get close, simplify. Try different perspectives. Move around the subject. Crouch low on the ground, stand up high on a rock. Arrange the objects in the frame according to the rule of thirds. Think about the layers in your landscapes. When you get home, review the photos. Delete the duds and compare the winners. Than choose one of each subject to present. Be brutal! If two photos of the same thing are good, scrap one of them. A big part of being a good photographer is showing only your best work.

I chose this photo of the gravestone in San Salvador because it had all the ingredients to tell the story and nothing more. The first two photos show the graveyard setting, but the angel in the background distracted attention from the motorcycle. The close-up detail photos looked great, but there was nothing to show that it was a gravestone. The winner had a deep blue sky, showed the fatefully twisted wheel, and the cross carved in stone let you know how it all ended.

San Salvador, El Salvador

It was worthwhile to experiment with all kinds of crazy angles, but I decided to keep the straight close-up. Sometimes, simple is best.

Palenque ruins, Mexico

We specifically drove out to find a good background for the VW surf bus. It was just a matter of trying every possible angle and distance I could think of. I’m sure I shot more than sixty frames but this one was my favorite. I was lying on my back in the middle of the road to get some of these shots!

Tucson, Arizona

The same technique used for layering your landscapes can work well with architecture too.I knew I wanted to have the pyramid looming high in the back and the sacrificial skulls in the foreground. The snakes in the middle ground were a nice touch But it took more tries than I’m presenting here to get it right.

Horizontal shots made the pyramid look too small, a vertical frame worked better in this instance. I didn’t like that tree in the way of the lower left shot, so walking several steps to the right moved it out of the frame. Finally, walking way back and zooming in with the camera made the pyramid look properly massive and imposing. The gruesome skulls are more apparent as well.

But the main reason I shot the pyramid from this odd viewpoint? The wall hides the teeming multitudes of tourists standing at the base of the pyramid!

Chichen Itza, Mexico

Five trailers-long, the sugarcane train rambles along. Don’t settle for one shot when you see something interesting! I saw the trailers in the distance and blasted ahead to park at the side of the road. Sitting astride my bike I gave the driver a big wave and started snapping. I chose the last photo in the sequence because the trailers looked largest at that point. I would have preferred the number two shot, with the cab of the truck in front, but from that angle - shooting into the sun - the sky washed out to nothing and the colours were dull.

PanAmerican highway, Honduras

It’s all about the expression and pose when you are taking photos of people. This works best while they are involved in an activity, not paying much attention to the camera. You’ve got to be quick on the shutter in situations like this. There will always be a frame with just the right look on their face.

Finca Lecha, El Salvador

EqUIpmENT•SLR, Compact or both?•What to take on a trip•Packing gear on your motorcycle•Lens choice, filters and accessories•Camera settings for different situations•Low light and action photography•ISO, aperture and shutter speed•Backup and post-processing on the road

pOST-pROCESSING•Exposure•Effective cropping•Black & White•Curves & histograms•Achieving a film look•When to use HDR•RAW vs. JPG

ADvANCED COmpOSITION•Photo sequences for effective storytelling•Visual Balance•Light and colour•Conceptual and thematic contrast•Leading lines•Advanced people photography•Street photography•Cityscapes•Food photography•Breaking the rules

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CONClUSIONThink of the techniques we have just covered as a basic toolkit to work with. Each tool is going to have it’s time and place to be used. Use these tools to build a foundation of photographic skill and experience. The more you use them the better you will get!

The best thing about this toolkit is that it’s independent of what camera gear you have. You can use these tools right away, with whatever camera you have now. These skills will transfer to another camera once you start hitting your current cameras’s limitations and you’re ready to upgrade.

Get out and practice each technique as you would riding your motorcycle in sand, full-lock turns in the dirt, or clipping the apex on your favorite backroad. Apply the technique over and over till it becomes as natural as knowing what gear to shift into!

See you on the road!

pHOTOGRApHY, wRITING & DESIGN ©2010 ANTHONY KERR

www.mOTOjOURNAlISm.COm

KEEp IT SImplE•Choose one subject•Eliminate distracting elements by moving yourself and your camera

RUlE Of THIRDS•Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid over the frame•Put the horizon near the upper or lower line•Put your subject near a vertical line, or on an intersection•Give objects in motion a place to go

GET ClOSE•Let a portion of the subject fill the entire frame•Find what you like about a subject and show only that part

BACKGROUND•Find a good background and wait for things to happen•Set up shots of your friends on the best looking stretches of road

lAYERED lANDSCApE•Frame a foreground, midground, background•Put something of interest in the foreground to show scale and depth

pEOplE•Get close, Keep it simple, try the rule of thirds•Get your subject talking or keep them involved in activity•Frame the shot so that people are looking into the middle of the photo

THE EDIT•Take many different photos of one subject now, pick the best one later

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pHOTOGRApHY, wRITING & DESIGN © 2010 ANTHONY KERRSUppORT RIDERS, DON’T pASS THIS pDf OUT fOR fREE!