If you want to learn how to take creative photos of motorcycles, you’re in the right place.
In this article, I’ll cover all the basics for getting started shooting sportbikes, motocross, dual sports, cruisers, or even scooters!
(If you prefer vehicles of the four-wheeled type, check our guide to car photography.)
I’ll give you some photography tips about gear, lighting, and camera settings for the best results.
I’ll also discuss posing motorcycle models and give you some creative ideas.
Are you ready to get started? Let’s race!
What Type of Camera Is Best for Motorcycle Photography?
Credit: Mridul Pradeep
You don’t necessarily need an expensive camera, but there are a few features that you should consider.
To take motorcycle pictures, it’s best to use a DSLR or a mirrorless camera. These cameras allow you to change lenses, which a compact camera doesn’t.
Another thing to consider is the number of frames it can shoot in burst mode. A high FPS is best for shooting motorcycles in motion.
The accuracy and speed of the autofocus are also important features that make a mirrorless or a DSLR camera outperform a point-and-shoot camera.
Also, consider that more megapixels allow you to make bigger prints, plus they give you more room to crop if you can’t get close enough – physically or with a telephoto.
See also: Best Camera for Car Photography
What Lens Should I Use for Motorcycle Photography?
Credit: Nicholas Dias
Since you’re using a fast camera, you’ll also need fast lenses to keep up with the motorbike action.
Therefore, your lens should be able to support the fast burst mode and autofocus.
They should also be fast lenses because you’ll need a wide aperture to isolate the motorcycle. It’s also useful to compensate for how much light comes in, as you’ll use a fast shutter speed to avoid motion blur.
The focal length depends on the situation. You’ll need a long lens if you want to photograph motorcycles on a race track. You’ll need a much shorter lens to shoot one in the studio.
If your practice covers all situations, you can use a couple of zoom lenses covering from 24mm to about 200mm.
Alternatively, you can have a set of prime lenses that include a wide-angle (e.g., 35mm), a normal (e.g., 50mm), and a telephoto (e.g., 135mm).
How to Get the Best Motorcycle Shots Indoors
Credit: Harley Davidson
Photographing motorcycles indoors requires a lighting setup. The ambient light may not only be lacking, but it could also create many unwanted reflections.
If you don’t have the budget for more gear, you can make do with even one light source and a large modifier like a softbox or an umbrella. Of course, it all depends on the look you want.
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You can use a white or a dark background – this also depends on your style.
In this type of shot, the motorcycle is usually fully sharp, so find your lens’s sweet spot.
How to Photograph a Motorcycle Outdoors
Credit: Vikram Sundaramoorthy
You can take motorcycle photos outdoors in two situations. The most common one involves action shots.
The other one has the motorcycle standing—usually, this is done in a stunning landscape or a race environment—before or after.
What you need for each scenario is a bit different in terms of gear and camera settings. For action photos, you’ll need fast shutter speeds and burst mode. This works great to freeze a jump or a sand cloud when the bike turns.
Alternatively, you can use a slower one to follow the bike and blur the background. This conveys speed and avoids distracting backgrounds.
You’ll need a telephoto lens to make any of these shots.
The biggest issue when photographing a standing bike is lighting. You’ll need to make the most of natural light or use battery-operated flashes.
Depending on the background, you can use normal or wide-angle lenses. If you want to include a beautiful landscape, use a wide-angle lens.
If you prefer to focus on the bike, use a 50mm with a fast aperture so you can blur the background and keep the crop nice and tight.
What Are the Best Settings for Motorcycle Photography?
Credit: The Cheap Shot Photo Show
In digital photography, as in film, the best camera settings depend on how you want the finished photo to look like.
If you want to freeze a moving vehicle, you need to use faster shutter speeds, such as 1/1000 or higher. Instead, a slow shutter speed like 1/60 allows you to do some panning to blur the background and add a sense of motion. The best setting will also depend on the speed of the vehicle.
A small aperture value such as f/1.4 or f/2.8 lets you keep the motorcycle sharp and blur the background. This will make the subject stand out, but there needs to be enough distance.
If you’re close to the motorcycle, you’ll need a smaller aperture, such as f/8 or f/11, to keep the entire vehicle in focus.
Otherwise, you can use a wide aperture to use selective focus creatively.
The ISO settings are usually set last to compensate for the other two values according to the available light. Remember that smaller values are best as they’ll keep your image noise-free.
What Are the Best Angles for Motorcycle Photography?
Credit: Javier Aguilera
The most classic shot in motorcycle photography is the eye-level side view. This is ideal if you want to prevent distortion – for example, when it’s a product shot.
If you can get more creative, you should photograph the motorcycle from different angles.
One of my personal favorites is the low angle.
This means squatting and taking photos from the ground up, which makes the vehicle look mighty.
Taking photos from a higher angle allows you to showcase specific motorcycle parts that can also be useful in product photos. Taking pictures from the driver’s POV is also fun.
Remember that not all photographs need to include the entire subject. Experiment with different crops and capture some close-ups.
Using a drone to take some aerial photos of motorcycles is also a great idea.
How Do You Light a Motorcycle for Photography?
As with the settings and angles, the lighting depends on what you want to achieve and the style of your own motorcycle photography.
In the video above, you can see how four photographers take completely different approaches to lighting the same motorcycle.
However, you can start with a simple one-flash set-up.
Mount a large softbox on your light to make it soft and avoid hotspots and unpleasant reflections.
Place the light high above the bike so it’s completely illuminated.
5 Motorcycle Photography Ideas
Motorcycle photography often includes models. Here are a few ideas for a great photo session.
Motorcycle Photography Ideas With a Male Model
These poses work great with male models, but you can also try them with females.
Idea 1 – Leaning on the bike
Credit: Cottonbro Studio
This is a fairly simple but effective pose. Ask the subject to stand next to the bike and lean against it.
Then, ask him to bend the knee to have one foot on the motorbike.
Idea 2 – Resting on the bike
Credit: Ivan Babydov
For this pose, ask the model to sit on the bike sideways.
Then, ask him to lean forward and rest one arm on the bike.
Lastly, ask him to put both feet up towards the backside.
Motorcycle Photography Ideas With a Female Model
These poses are very popular with female models – but you can use them with men, too.
Idea 1 – Riding a still bike at 45 degrees
Credit: Ferdinand Studio
If you’ve ever done portrait photography, you probably know that facing the camera at 45 degrees is flattering for any model.
This rule still applies if the model is on a bike – it is also a great angle for the vehicle.
Idea 2 – Looking over the shoulder
Credit: Erfan Moghadm
This time, while your model is still riding the bike, you must move towards the back.
Then, ask her to turn her head and look over her shoulder at the camera.
Idea 3 – Chilling on the bike
Credit: Lucas Albino
This is a great pose if you’re looking for a chill and casual look.
Ask the model to sit on the bike and lift her feet to rest on the front.
4 Tips for Creative Motorcycle Photography
If you’re excited about your first photo shoot or simply want to level up your skills, here are some photography tips that can help.
Tip 1 – Avoid shooting with high sun
Credit: Tirachard Kumtanom
If you’re in an open field, shooting when the sun is lower on the horizon is best. The light will be softer and hit the bike at a better angle.
You’ll have a lovely background if you can shoot during sunset or sunrise.
On an overcast day, you won’t have any problems with the time of day—it’s ideal because the sky becomes a giant softbox.
Tip 2 – Use flash
Credit: Harley Davidson
When shooting in low light, you can use flashes to illuminate the subject.
However, artificial light is not just for when there isn’t enough light—it’s also useful to fill dark shadows or underexpose the sky for a more dramatic background.
Tip 3 – Use props
Credit: Majestic Lukas
Adding props to your pictures can give you very creative results. Try experimenting with smoke bombs – for example.
Tip 4 – Think about the composition
Credit: Harley Davidson
Composition helps highlight the main focus even in a chaotic, real-life environment.
Some useful composition rules can be frame-within-a-frame or leading lines. You can also emphasize different planes to add depth – for example, by adding an element in the foreground.
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