Cycling Pic

That's superb. How have they done that then? Slow shutter to get the motion blur then flash to freeze the action as well?
 
The photographer uses off-camera flash pointing back towards the camera to freeze the subject and a slow shutter speed of 1/4 sec at F16 to blur the other cyclists.

so it says......
 
I love it - though I would crop the black line off the top both because I find it slightly distracting and because the resulting wider format would complement the subject.

JMO of course :D
 
Bucking the trend, I think it's 'shopped quite heavily.

The 'flow' lines undulate across the frame. The bottom ones may well do that with feet circulating around the bikes crank, but the top ones would be more or less flat.

The last thing a pro cyclist does is bob up and down as he rides, especially by as much as is demonstrated by the flows!

Still an appealing image though :)
 
No chance its photoshopped, Tom Jenkins would never work for the Guardian again, you just don't.

He's made the movement by panning, thats where the bobbing comes in.
 
If its rear curtain flash, the cyclist blur, then are frozen.

If its front curtain, then the cyclists are frozen and then blur...

I can see a ghost of the front of a cyclist in the left hand side of the frame.

Because of the level of blur on the right hand side of the frame, it is much higher than the left, I think it is front curtain flash, and the distance these guys travel in a 1/4 second could mean the bobbing could be a small jinking in the steering meaning they move up the track a few inches, then back down again.

My other thought is that it is a composite of 2 shots, but I don't think it could be, as you would never get the cyclists in the same place.
 
Simmotino said:
The last thing a pro cyclist does is bob up and down as he rides, especially by as much as is demonstrated by the flows!
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I’m guessing the head bobbing depends where they are in the distance doesn't it?
..at the beginning of some race types don’t they all just meander around, then the pace picks up a little, then they all get streamlined as the pace goes hyper towards the end.

Type thing.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
I’m guessing the head bobbing depends where they are in the distance doesn't it?
..at the beginning of some race types don’t they all just meander around, then the pace picks up a little, then they all get streamlined as the pace goes hyper towards the end.

Type thing.
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I thought the same but if you watch the video here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/9403097.stm

they don't all get into formation until they are motoring, and they don't move much when they are. But I reckon it may be enough for this shot.....
 
I think it is the slight weaving from side to side as they pedal which means they move up and down the banked track. Cracking shot, shows what you can do with imagination, OCF and a slow shutter creating a new look for a much shot subject.
 
chimper said:
He could have moved the camera up & down as he panned.

Stew.
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Yes, but youtry doing thaton a 1/4 second exposure!

It has to be rider movement as the linewhere the wooden track meets the inner circuit is as crisp as a......crisp thing!
 
lawrie29 said:
Yes, but youtry doing thaton a 1/4 second exposure!

It has to be rider movement as the linewhere the wooden track meets the inner circuit is as crisp as a......crisp thing!
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Hi Lawrie, the track is only as crisp as a crisp thing :) where the flash has hit. If you look to the outsides of the flash coverage the track line is wavy. Also the top black & blue lines if you look carefully are merging although this is more difficult to see as they are both dark colours & highlights & bright colours stand out more.

I estimate (guestimate ?) that the rise & fall on these riders in this picture is approx 8 or 9 inches, one of the main aims of pursuit riders is smoothness, if you take the 1/4 sec exposure that would mean they would be bobbing up & down 8 inches or so 4 times every second & the GB coach would be having a blue fit with his legs up, if you look at a video of top pursuiters you will see once they get into their rythmn the only thing going up & down much are their legs & feet.

In days of olde before digital & photoshop creative sports snappers had to get it right in camera & had an arsenal of camera moving & lens zooming tricks they employed during slow exposures, holding the camera at 45 degrees so it looked like the subject was either flying downhill or racing up, turning the camera during exposure to get some strange final images & that old favourite (stand up & take a bow) the zoomburst, to name but a few.

Ed is right when he says 'shopping' editorial photo's is a big no-no (although I have seen this done fairly recently:lol:) but I would stake my life this is 'in camera'

Stew.
 
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I agree that it is in camera!!

If you look at the shot, and the positioning of the wheels in shadow, the bike in front is lower down the track than the middle bike, which in turn is higher than the front wheel of the third bike that we can barely see.

I think it is therefore the movement of the bikes up and down the banking that is creating the waves, no PP at all.

And I agree with the lack of movement, but this is the only way I can explain the shot without it being PP. I don't think moving the camera is an option, bearing in mind that in the 1/4 second that the shutter is open, these guys will travel more then 4 metres.

If anyone feels like it, they could always ring him up and ask

http://www.fixationuk.com/Fixation/Gallery - Tom Jenkins.html
 
chimper said:
Hi Lawrie, the track is only as crisp as a crisp thing :) where the flash has hit. If you look to the outsides of the flash coverage the track line is wavy. Also the top black & blue lines if you look carefully are merging although this is more difficult to see as they are both dark colours & highlights & bright colours stand out more.

I estimate (guestimate ?) that the rise & fall on these riders in this picture is approx 8 or 9 inches, one of the main aims of pursuit riders is smoothness, if you take the 1/4 sec exposure that would mean they would be bobbing up & down 8 inches or so 4 times every second & the GB coach would be having a blue fit with his legs up, if you look at a video of top pursuiters you will see once they get into their rythmn the only thing going up & down much are their legs & feet.

In days of olde before digital & photoshop creative sports snappers had to get it right in camera & had an arsenal of camera moving & lens zooming tricks they employed during slow exposures, holding the camera at 45 degrees so it looked like the subject was either flying downhill or racing up, turning the camera during exposure to get some strange final images & that old favourite (stand up & take a bow) the zoomburst, to name but a few.

Ed is right when he says 'shopping' editorial photo's is a big no-no (although I have seen this done fairly recently:lol:) but I would stake my life this is 'in camera'

Stew.
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I agree Stew, they are the best pursuit squad in the World, and are doing around 62KPH. The reason why they are so quick, is because they are so stable, never moving from a given line, never lifting their heads, and never, ever bobbing up and down. I had the pleasure of watching Chris Boardman compete years ago, and he was so disciplined on the bike, he could maintain his tucked position for up to an hour.
 
andy700 said:
I agree Stew, they are the best pursuit squad in the World, and are doing around 62KPH. The reason why they are so quick, is because they are so stable, never moving from a given line, never lifting their heads, and never, ever bobbing up and down. I had the pleasure of watching Chris Boardman compete years ago, and he was so disciplined on the bike, he could maintain his tucked position for up to an hour.
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Don't get me wrong, they are good, but they do wiggle...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/9402597.stm

The other team is more obviously wiggling, but as the british team go round the banking they do all wiggle as they steer. Some corners are worse than others, but if you watch where the wheels are on the surface in relation to each other they do move, and it will not take much to make the wave.

The alternative is moving the camera, but it would have to be a very small amoung, to get that level of wave considering the distance the camera is from the subject, and then move it back to exactling the same position as the waves are uniform. He may had knocked the camera which could have done it, but I doubt a Pro as good as him would do that....
 
wow, sillohuette and motion blur is pretty awesome, if I was to stage a guess I would have said it was a double exposure but the other answers make more sense.
 
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