Some of my 1125R/CR shots

[JeepinBueller]

I just got a new camera the other day so I thought I'd post up some pictures that I've taken these past two days. I got into photography in college and I used a digital point and shoot. I graduated and started messing with my father's Canon T50 with a few pieces of glass and I've had fun, but the pull to a DSLR really got me salivating. So I saved up and I did it: Nikon D90 with two lenses (both Nikon): 35mm f/1.8 AF-S and 55-200mm VR. I got the 35mm because I like taking available light shots at parties so I'm not annoying with the flash ... and the 55-200mm for the action shots and portrait -- whether human or vehicle -- type stuff.

I'm still learning the DSLR controls, especially getting the aperture and shutter speed correct for the type of shot I want to get. Here's some of the better one's I've taken so far:


Jason on his '08 R with OEM plastic. Still having trouble keeping the subject in focus while getting that nice blurry background. I need to play around a little bit, but I think if I increase my shutter speed to 1/200 or so it should get better.
Nikon D90, 35mm f/1.8 AF-S, f/13 @ 1/60, ISO-200 (auto), cropped

Jason again. This time I bumped up the shutter speed a bit, but still can't get the entire subject in focus. Maybe I should use the 55-200mm glass for this instead? I was shooting in burst mode @ 4.5 fps ... this one was the best out of the bunch.
Nikon D90, 35mm f/1.8 AF-S, f/11 @ 1/160, ISO-200 (auto), cropped

I shot this one just a few minutes ago in my driveway. I live across the street from a huge hospital -- yeah, the sirens get annoying -- and was playing with long exposure shots with a flash at the rear of the exposure. I caught an ambulance, lights full bore, about half way through the 10 second exposure and it turned out cool. The CR's in "parking" mode with the steering locked and the red LED parking lamp on.
Nikon D90, 35mm f/1.8 AF-S, f/14 @ 10, ISO-400, flash compulsory strobe return, saturation bumped up just a hair in post

 

[j4nn3]

Wow, that last pic is great!

 

[pez]

Do you have the last pic in high res.? looks perfect as a wallpaper!

 

[JeepinBueller]

Sure, what's your Email pez? I'll send it your way.

 

[reebis]

The key to getting a blurred background and keeping the bike/rider in focus is panning with the moving subject, keeping him in focus while taking the shot. It takes some time to get used to it, but keep at it and you'll eventually get there. Nice shots, I always love the long exp ones.

 

[reebis]

Also, use shutter priority when taking those kinds of shots.

 

[JeepinBueller]

I took a few more the other on Sunday during my ride home from southern MD. Overcast all day and then the sun broke through and the clouds moved out for a bit. I didn't use the camera all weekend because I was ****-toast plastered for most of it, so I decided to whip it out and snap a few. I wish I had some wider glass.

Batman angle!! LOL

And damn proud of it!! U.S.A.! THE American sportbike, and don't you ever forget it.

 

[Loki]

Beautiful pics Jeepin. Also i was wondering, if i got that bike would it be ok for it if i took the side scoops off? I am IN love with the look and that headlight but cant really stand the scoops.

 

[delta one]

Jason again. This time I bumped up the shutter speed a bit, but still can't get the entire subject in focus. Maybe I should use the 55-200mm glass for this instead? I was shooting in burst mode @ 4.5 fps ... this one was the best out of the bunch.
Nikon D90, 35mm f/1.8 AF-S, f/11 @ 1/160, ISO-200 (auto), cropped

the longer your focal length the harder it will be to accurately pan with your subject
unless you have a mono pod 200mm will be very hard to get even with VR

as for the focus
set your camera to continuous servo mode and select center point focus. half press the shutter button with the bike centered to get the focus set because full auto will let you down most of the time.

your f/stop is good for getting a lot of your picture in focus and having a wide depth of field but you should still bump your shutter speed up, especially for the short distance you have between you and the subject (32mm is close for that kind of work IMO).
the slowest I will shot something like that is 1/250 sec
ideally I am 1/640 to 1/800sec

let me know if you want some examples with my settings to look at


hope it all helps

 

[agfish18]

Beautiful pics Jeepin. Also i was wondering, if i got that bike would it be ok for it if i took the side scoops off? I am IN love with the look and that headlight but cant really stand the scoops.

The side scoops actuall serve a purpose, they house the radiator & Fluid, and make for decent frame protection if you wreck. There are ways to mask the scoops, but unless you have an idea of how to relocate their contents, I wouldn't suggest removing them.

Trojan horse offers a different set up
http://www.trojan-horse.co.uk/prods/369.html

or if you wanted to test something that I have wanted to see... Catalystcomposites makes a full fairing kit for the 1125R which I think would look pretty nice on the CR since it does not require the R fairing to do. it may take some thinking to have it mounted, but I think it would look nice.

http://www.twinmotorcycles.nl/webshop/artikelen/20D39961-17E3-47A4-90D3-3B72DCA3E247.jpg

or if you really like the headlight, try to do a swap on yours like this guy

http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/General-Motorcycle-Chat/Possibly-sad-news

 

[JeepinBueller]

Beautiful pics Jeepin. Also i was wondering, if i got that bike would it be ok for it if i took the side scoops off? I am IN love with the look and that headlight but cant really stand the scoops.

Thanks, Loki. I haven't really changed the style or skill I use taking pictures ... I just got the new camera. I guess going from a Casio point and shoot digital from 2004 to a brand new DSLR makes a difference, haha. As for the scoops, agfish18 hit the nail on the head: the 1125 is a liquid cooled bike as opposed to the XB which is air cooled. It needs enough heat exchanger (radiator) surface area to properly dissipate heat from the coolant flowing through it an, eventually, the engine. Removing them would overheat the engine in about five minutes. That's the problem with mounting the engine so low and forward in the frame: no room for a traditional "behind the front wheel" radiator mount. The new 1190RS solves this though

the longer your focal length the harder it will be to accurately pan with your subject
unless you have a mono pod 200mm will be very hard to get even with VR

as for the focus
set your camera to continuous servo mode and select center point focus. half press the shutter button with the bike centered to get the focus set because full auto will let you down most of the time.

your f/stop is good for getting a lot of your picture in focus and having a wide depth of field but you should still bump your shutter speed up, especially for the short distance you have between you and the subject (32mm is close for that kind of work IMO).
the slowest I will shot something like that is 1/250 sec
ideally I am 1/640 to 1/800sec

let me know if you want some examples with my settings to look at


hope it all helps

Thanks, delta one: that actually does help a lot. I haven't had another chance to switch glass and try different settings (and I'm sure Jason would get pissed just going back and forth on the same turn for me to shoot, haha). I'll give it another try soon.

or if you wanted to test something that I have wanted to see... Catalystcomposites makes a full fairing kit for the 1125R which I think would look pretty nice on the CR since it does not require the R fairing to do. it may take some thinking to have it mounted, but I think it would look nice.

http://www.twinmotorcycles.nl/webshop/artikelen/20D39961-17E3-47A4-90D3-3B72DCA3E247.jpg

Ozzysx on BadWeb has those Ilmberger carbon lowers on his black '09 CR ... I like 'em, but they're damn pricey and they don't make them in plastic. Catalystcomposites does make lowers too, but they're plain with no scoopies. Here's Ozzysx's with the Ilmberger kit:

 

[agfish18]

NICE!!!now that is sexy...