Tour de Yorkshire photography tips Part 1

The Northern April 27, 2016

The Tour de Yorkshire comes to Middlesbrough for its final day in the second year of this legacy race, and to make the most of the opportunity for photos you need to be ready with these handy tips from Tim Leah-Adams, photographer and lecturer on Extended Diploma in Photography at The Northern School of Art Middlesbrough.

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Cycling is one of the few sports where you can get really close to the action which gives a great opportunity for candid shots of racers and spectators alike. . Look out for documentary opportunities that capture the unique atmosphere that a bike race brings with this closeness to the competitors, but be respectful. The stage is starting in Middlesbrough and will begin with a ceremonial rolling start before the actual racing starts outside the town centre. Before all that the riders will have to sign on to register that they will be racing that day.

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Getting a good view point with an interesting background for when the riders come past is the next thing to think about. There will be a ‘caravan’ of vehicles in front and behind the race.

Things to try when they pass are as follows:

1. Capturing the speed of the ‘peloton’ passing. Use a slightly slow shutter speed such as 1/30th of a second to create blur, but hold the camera steady to avoid camera shake

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2. Try panning (following the cyclists) with the camera. Move with a smooth motion and take the photo at the decisive moment. You can use a faster shutter speed for this

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3. Try and capture the crowd enjoying the spectacle of the day. Look out for candid moments that show how people enjoy the moment themselves.

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4. Finally after the riders have past then there is the whole circus of the teams packing up to explore. Try looking for interesting views and aspects of the packing up of the race. It is huge operation and there are lots of opportunities to document the visit.

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