Yesterday’s shoot was undertaken below the M5 deck as it passes between Avonmouth and Bristol, you know, the bit of rough ground by the food van! I’d seen the location on a number of occasions when leaving Bristol and as ever Google Maps is great for checking out the viability of a potential site.
I had initially envisaged a lit shot but on this morning the sun was playing fair, coming in low and lighting both the bike and the all important graffiti. The motorbike sat well in the scene offset to the side and a partial rear shot worked with the the other bikes already photographed for this 2019 calendar. As ever I shoot a test shot immediately without even setting the tripod up and if anything had happened this shot would have done. But I was equipped to shoot tethered and although open the site was dry and covered so the Mac was set up and the shoot proceeded, basically a bit of cloud-watching and taking the opportunities as they were presented.
We had a second shot to do back in the yard for one of the sponsors; a lovely Volvo FH series truck had been supplied as a backdrop. As ever in the coastal UK the weather was changing rapidly and clouds were becoming more intrusive. For this shot the truck and then the bike were initially positioned with the understanding that the light was a battle to be won. Out with the big guns, two strobe heads a 1500w (LHS) and a 1000w (RHS) both with higher contrast reflectors and both running from batteries, old school Bowens gear. These were aided by Dom and Ben (as before) each with a large reflector one working the rear of the bike and one the front. The battle was won.
In the evening I posted the M5 deck shot on Twitter, it seems people like the bike, thousands of engagements already, as ever this is the added value of this motorcycle photography.
Thanks again to Ben (RC Express) and Dom.
Photography for Social Media Gain
