Take Great Cycling Photos 

Cycling photography is one of the most challenging, but also most rewarding, genres of photography. A single cycling event can throw up a wealth of different challenges, giving you scope to capture a whole host of varied shots for your portfolio. Knowing where to begin with cycling photography can be a little tricky though, so we’ve come up with some beginner friendly tips to help you, whether you’re heading to the velodrome, a road race or just your local park.

Best locations for cycling photography

There are lots of different options when it comes to having a crack at taking cycling photos.

While you’re just getting started, you may want to consider heading to your local park to try out some techniques that you could use later for more serious ventures. Look for parks that have cycling routes, especially those that have a safe vantage point for pedestrians and photographers to observe. Spending some time just watching how fast cyclists move, and the kind of movements that they make can pay dividends in the long run.

Take pictures, but be aware some cyclists may ask you what you’re photographing. A smile goes a long way, as does offering to send them a photo of them in action. Use your common sense though, and if anyone asks you to delete a shot, try to respect their wishes.

If you’re fortunate enough to find yourself in the vicinity of a velodrome, this is a great place to practice bike photography. Speak to some local cycling clubs and see if you can take some pictures of cyclists training – this way, the arena is likely to be quiet and you won’t annoy anyone with your gear. Always seek the permission of the velodrome owner, and check for any restrictions regarding long lenses, monopods and tripods – especially during actual races. As always, it pays to plan ahead and find out when certain events are happening and what you can and can’t photograph.

Finally, road races are perhaps the most exciting cycling photography subject. There are usually lots of different vantage points you can get shots from, but be aware you may need press accreditation for some areas. For others, you may not need official accreditation, but you may need permission to be there – so always check. Some road races take place in some of the most beautiful locations in the world, so it could be a good way to combine a travel photography tip with a cycling photography expedition.

Best camera kit for cycling photography

The most basic set-up you’ll want to have for cycling photography is an interchangeable lens camera (DSLR or CSC) and a long telephoto lens. Full-frame cameras are often favoured by professional photographers, but those with smaller sensors, such as APS-C or Four Thirds have what’s known as a “crop factor” which can help you get closer to the action, which is ideal for sports photography.

Whatever camera you go for, look for one which offers a fast frame rate which will help you to capture definitive moments in action photography. The Nikon D500 is an excellent choice, as it can shoot at 10fps. On the other hand, cameras such as the Panasonic G80 offer 4K Photo mode, which allows you to utilise 4K video to record at 30fps.

When it comes to a lens, look for something which offers you a long length that can single out individual riders from the pack. A lens such as the Nikkon 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 is a flexible option which gives you an equivalent focal length of 105-450mm when mounted on an APS-C camera like the Nikon D7500. Equivalent lenses are available for all cameras, but look for something which offers a similar focal length.

You should also think about wide-angle lenses for capturing context. This is especially important when photographing road races in beautiful locations, but they can also be used for great effect in velodromes and so on to get an overall picture of the unfolding action. Something like the Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4 lens is a great idea for the Nikon D500 as it gives you good scope to shoot at a variety of different focal lengths.

A monopod can be an absolutely crucial piece of gear. While a tripod offers the best in overall stability, the cramped conditions often associated with shooting cycling, as well as the need to move quickly, makes a monopod a more versatile option. This Manfrotto 290 Carbon Monopod is a good example of something you could easily pack into your bag and will help keep your camera and lens steady, especially when shooting at very long focal lengths.

Best camera settings for cycling photography

The quick-paced nature of cycling photography means that you’ll want to shoot fast to keep your images sharp.

Use the fastest frame-rate your camera offers and don’t be afraid to fire off a few shots in quick succession to help you get the shot you need – just make sure you have plenty of back-up memory cards ready to go. You should also switch to continuous or tracking focus to help your camera keep moving subjects sharp.

A wide aperture helps to separate an individual rider from the background, but even relatively narrow apertures can result in a shallow depth of field effect if you’re photographing at long focal lengths like 300mm.

Shutter speeds will depend on what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re trying to freeze action as crisply as possible, use a very fast shutter speed, like 1/1000. If you want to add a little movement to your shot, using a slightly slower shutter speed, such as 1/100 is an effective way to add some effective motion blur. Cycling photography is the perfect opportunity to give “panning” a go. It takes a little bit of practice to get the knack of successful panning, but once you do, the results can be fantastic. Put simply, panning means you follow the subject with your camera while it is exposing.

To do this, start with a shutter speed of something like 1/30, experimenting with slower speeds as you start to get the hang of it. As the subject comes into frame (in this case, a bike), press the shutter release button, and move the camera across the frame with the subject. If you do it smoothly, you should see that the subject is sharp, while the background shows some “movement” and gives you an idea of how fast the rider was going.

Best composition for cycling photography

There are many “classic” ways you can compose your cycling photographs. Take a look at a cycling magazine, or just news coverage while big road races, such as the Tour de France, are taking place and you’ll get some great inspiration.

Use a shallow depth of field effect to single in on one rider, especially if they have broken away from the rest of the pack. As with portrait photography, concentrate on the eyes and look for interesting expressions which show how challenging, difficult or fun the ride is for the cyclist.

A wide angle lens helps you to get those interesting context shots which you can use to break up a portfolio of cycling images. Look for interesting vantage points, especially from a higher position than on the road. You can also try to include fans and observers on the road side to show the excitement that tends to coincide with cycling road races. A recce of the road race and its locations before the event takes place is a good way to scope out some potentially interesting shooting viewpoints.

Try your best to mix up your compositions, and move around the track as much as you can. Get the warm-up stage, get the race itself, and get the finishing line and you’ll have a full documentary style collection from the event to show off.

Make sure you pay careful attention to backgrounds. A bright coloured and out of focus blob in the background can ruin an otherwise careful composition – try to keep the frame as clear from distractions as possible. Cycling photography is a good opportunity to experiment with different angles, which can make for some interesting compositions. Place your camera low to the ground to get an “ant’s eye” view of the riders, or try tilting the camera to show a group of riders bunched together

If you’re going to show a single rider relatively small in the frame, it generally works better to have them appear as if they are riding “into” the scene, rather than riding out of it. Give the rider space to move into the scene for a more dynamic effect. That said, breaking the rules every now and then can help to produce a more varied and interesting portfolio – so just have a go and see what works.

Try your best to mix up your compositions, and move around the track as much as you can. Get the warm-up stage, get the race itself, and get the finishing line and you’ll have a full documentary style collection from the event to show off.

Make sure you pay careful attention to backgrounds. A bright coloured and out of focus blob in the background can ruin an otherwise careful composition – try to keep the frame as clear from distractions as possible. Cycling photography is a good opportunity to experiment with different angles, which can make for some interesting compositions. Place your camera low to the ground to get an “ant’s eye” view of the riders, or try tilting the camera to show a group of riders bunched together.

If you’re going to show a single rider relatively small in the frame, it generally works better to have them appear as if they are riding “into” the scene, rather than riding out of it. Give the rider space to move into the scene for a more dynamic effect. That said, breaking the rules every now and then can help to produce a more varied and interesting portfolio – so just have a go and see what works.

Will you be creating cycling images this summer? We’d love to see your shots, so please share them with us via our social media channels on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.