Show "Yourself" self-portraits (selfies!)

playing with LED ringlight as hairlight


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self-portrait with glasses

I took this photograph with the self-timer on my old Olympus E-PL5 a little more than a year ago - to celebrate the purchase of a new (to me, at least) wide-angle lens, the Panasonic 14mm. The PL5 has been replaced by a GX7 now, but the 14mm continues to be one of my more used - and favorite - focal lengths and lenses.

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Self Portrait with glasses
by La Chachalaca Fotografía, on Flickr
 
I always enjoy these riding "in situ" shots, John. Have you tried any longer exposures?

Thanks Luke. As you might imagine, camera shake is a big issue. I usually turn image stabilization off because they just can't keep up and more often than not make things worse instead of better.

Because the light constantly changes while riding, I'll let the camera set the exposure, and since the fisheye that I'm using is a fixed F5.6 and I don't have a lot of ISO range with the smaller sensor of the Q, that means letting the camera set shutter speed. You want it fast enough to control blur but slow enough to show some motion.

I did this one shot years ago when I first started playing around with motoselfies. It's 1/6s. Blurry as hell but still kind of cool:

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motion by john m flores, on Flickr
 
that IS cool. I think I'm looking for around 1/6 - 1/4 second....I want just a bit more blur in the scenery. Now I know you can't hold still for that amount of time in all situations. But maybe you can go with a burst mode where you shoot around 30 or 40 to get 1 or two keepers. Surely there are one or two long straightaways out there in your neck of the woods.
 
that IS cool. I think I'm looking for around 1/6 - 1/4 second....I want just a bit more blur in the scenery. Now I know you can't hold still for that amount of time in all situations. But maybe you can go with a burst mode where you shoot around 30 or 40 to get 1 or two keepers. Surely there are one or two long straightaways out there in your neck of the woods.

That shot is 1/6. Part of the problem is that I prefer motorcycles that vibrate - thumpers, twins, and the odd triple. That vibration gives the bike character but makes photography hard. As I ride, I'll often touch different parts of the motorcycle to see how much that particular part is vibrating. Some places have killer POVs but shake way too much, like above.

Photogs that shoot rigged cars have it easy because they can use really long shutter speeds–up to a 1/2s and longer–to get these really long blur lines. What they don't tell you is that very often the car is off and there's one or more people pushing the car just out of the frame.

Motorcycles, on the other hand, look coolest when they're leaned over, the horizon all Dutch angled and everything. That you can't fake. You can't fake being leaned over 10 degrees while going just 10mph-you'd fall right over. So you need some speed, which makes things shake.

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This motorcycle journalism gig isn't all sunshine and rainbows...
by john m flores, on Flickr

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Apex Hunting
by john m flores, on Flickr

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Riding through Algonquin Provincial Park
by john m flores, on Flickr

But speed isn't the only factor. Low angles and tight roads also help, if not for motoselfies, at least for road shots.

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Eastern Connecticut with the 2015 Indian Scout
by john m flores, on Flickr

A note of caution: thinking about the camera and the shot and worrying about the camera failing or falling while riding can be very distracting, which, on a motorcycle, can be deadly. Kids, do not try this at home, which would be kind of pointless anyway, unless your home was The Dragon.

I'll stop posting selfies now.
 
Motoselfies

I've got to say John, these aren't just great 'selfies' or even 'Motoselfies' (to use your cool term) - they're great photos. Period. All the ones you've posted. Additionally, your technical commentaries and/or explanations about the challenges of getting different shots and angles make them even better. And best of all, you've obviously survived a lot of high-speed roads while you were taking them, too ;-)

Thanks for sharing these Motoselfies.......they rock.

That shot is 1/6. Part of the problem is that I prefer motorcycles that vibrate - thumpers, twins, and the odd triple. That vibration gives the bike character but makes photography hard. As I ride, I'll often touch different parts of the motorcycle to see how much that particular part is vibrating. Some places have killer POVs but shake way too much, like above.

Photogs that shoot rigged cars have it easy because they can use really long shutter speeds–up to a 1/2s and longer–to get these really long blur lines. What they don't tell you is that very often the car is off and there's one or more people pushing the car just out of the frame.

Motorcycles, on the other hand, look coolest when they're leaned over, the horizon all Dutch angled and everything. That you can't fake. You can't fake being leaned over 10 degrees while going just 10mph-you'd fall right over. So you need some speed, which makes things shake.

7746563142_1a97837ce2_b.jpg

This motorcycle journalism gig isn't all sunshine and rainbows...
by john m flores, on Flickr

14662466029_8db60bc42e_b.jpg

Apex Hunting
by john m flores, on Flickr

9219412348_5072990bf4_b.jpg

Riding through Algonquin Provincial Park
by john m flores, on Flickr

But speed isn't the only factor. Low angles and tight roads also help, if not for motoselfies, at least for road shots.

15419814140_60b1391d4b_b.jpg

Eastern Connecticut with the 2015 Indian Scout
by john m flores, on Flickr

A note of caution: thinking about the camera and the shot and worrying about the camera failing or falling while riding can be very distracting, which, on a motorcycle, can be deadly. Kids, do not try this at home, which would be kind of pointless anyway, unless your home was The Dragon.

I'll stop posting selfies now.
 
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