Unicycle Photography Tutorial?

[samsta002]

A uni photography article with tips and stuff would be great

[1-wheeled-grape]

what do you mean? a tutorial on taking pictures of unicycles, or tutorials as pictures not videos??

[samsta002]

you see threads like "best photos of 07" and stuff
what makes all those photos great and tips for getting good photos

[bubbaeck]

I'm not gonna write a full tutorial but...

A decent camera if a good first step. A DSLR or or an SLR or even an ok pocket shooter is ok. For good action shots, an SLR/DSLR is great because it allows you to use high shutter speeds. A high shutter speed will allow you to get the freeze frame effect. However, the faster the shutter speed, the more light you will need. Other than that, interesting camera angles and good lighting help. The only other thing would be if you're using digital, take a ton of pictures. It can't hurt, and the more you take the higher the odds that one will be good. Also - USE A TRIPOD.

[Brian O.]

Originally Posted by bubbaeck

USE A TRIPOD.

I disagree, in an action sport like unicycling a tripod is far too limiting as far as mobility goes. You wouldn't be able to keep up with the action. If you absolutely must need some type of support - maybe if you are using a super telephoto lens then use a monopod.

[jamessd]

PS If your digital camera has a sport setting, and you're taking pictures of something moving [which is what it's for...] ie unicycling, then use it because it's more than likely that it will have a faster shutter speed, which is good like other people said.

[yatsey]

It's essentially the same principle as BMX photography.
To take the kind of photos you see in magazines it's all about using a fise-eye and an external flash on a tripod.

However, you can't teach someone photography, only how to take a photo.

[lpounds]

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/sho...ight=coker+cam

Here ya go.

[Loosemoose]

Speaking very generally, it all depends on your equipment and how 'up close' you want to go.

Freeze-frame action
You'll usually be looking for a shutter speed of around 1/125th or above, I usually sit around 1/250th. This also means, with a close subject and using a lens between 10 and 60mm, a tripod is completely unnecessary.

If you only have a small P&S camera, you want to either select the shutter speed priority mode (if it has one, not all have. Look for 'Tv' on the mode dial, or similar. Consult your cameras manual if you're not sure). If you've not got any way to manually set the shutter speed, then use the sport scene mode, this will push the shutter speed up to usually above 1/100th.

On an SLR, select the Shutter Speed priority, and make sure you're getting a nicely exposed image. The golden area to aim for is f/8, but its not important as long as you're not exceeding the maximum aperture (smallest f stop number) your lens is capable of. If you're getting a flashing f number (e.g 5.6) in your viewfinder, the camera can't stop down any further and you'll have to increase the ISO speed to compensate for the lack of light.

'Impressive' Angles
To get the nice angles, showing the most 'action', I'd usually use a lens between 10-25mm. Most Kit lenses will go to the top end of this range (18mm or so), so if you're using an SLR, you're in luck, you've probably got a lens that can at least touch this range.

Don't worry if you've not quite got it though, you can still get some impressive stuff with any lens. All i'd say is anything above 85-100mm is probably not going to be very useful, unless you're capturing close up details or trying to take photos of unicyclists a very long way away.

More importantly that your lens is where your camera is. With a wide angle you can afford to get your camera as close to the ground as you can, point it in the general direction and take some shots. If they came out nice, well done, if not, keep trying. The thing that makes an 'extreme' shot so extreme is usually the low angle, so try getting your camera away from your face and closer to where the action is. P&S cameras are good for this because they have LCD viewfinders that allow you to view what they are seeing without having to crawl all over the floor.

Apart from those 2 points, there's not a lot to know apart form go out and practice you skills. The more you shoot the more you learn, and nothing can teach you better than personal experience.

Loose.

[samsta002]

Thanks everyone and especially moose