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We have been receiving numerous emails for Michael asking him everything from how he shoots bikes, which rally is his favorite to his preference in camera equipment, and until now these emails were answered on an ad-hoc basis. Michael is as much a traveler as he is a photographer, and now we would like to share his expansive knowledge base with those who share his interests. You can ask Michael which lens is his favorite, where to ride on Wednesday in Sturgis, or about his travels through eastern Europe as a teenager.
If you are interested in images for publication, please see our Stock Photography section.
If you would like to ask Michael a question, click here.
The questions and answers are shown here with the most recent entry first. Thank you.
Q: Using the following photo as an example, I've noticed that some of your more dramatic shots appear to have been taken from a somewhat low angle WHILE YOU ARE RIDING (witness the Passing Lamp, Turn Signal and Linby Bar to the right of the frame).
Photo: http://lichterphoto.com/m_images/stock/sturgis_2002_2/images/DSC_2551.jpg
What's your technique for taking such well composed and exposed photos WHILE RIDING? You're almost at the shoulder of the road in the above photo. Are you using cruise control? How do you grip, view and trigger your camera while maintaining control of your scooter? Do you have some kind of "steady cam" rig, etc. Best regards and thanks for taking us along for the ride. (Tom Haskell, Sarasota, Florida)
A: As for taking photos like these, it has come with experience. There are several factors; the hardest part is dealing with the fact that both photography and motorcycling place a lot of importance on your right hand; you need it for both your throttle and trigger finger. I have figured out how to make my camera work left handed (it is quite a stretch) as well as shooting normal with a locked throttle (cruise control on those new Harley's sounds really nice!) I have also come up with a remote release which allows me to use my right hand for both throttle and shutter release.
As for what I do with the camera, this is more the experience side. I have been doing shooting like this for a long time and I know fairly well what works and what doesn't. This includes setting the camera to deal with the light (totally manual), focus (again manual) and framing (fairly automatic!) There is a lot to keep track of including how many frames you have left in the camera (the fun part is changing film or digital media while keeping up with a pack doing 85 mph.)
You also have to be fairly flexible to move around the bike and in strange positions while riding. Nearing fifty, I'm not made quite the way I used to be but I'm hanging in there. It is tougher when it is cold and you have more gear on and the worst when the whether is downright bad (more for the cameras than me.)
This brings me to the last point which is safety. I am not going to lie and say this is perfectly safe. Hell, motorcycling has everything to do with risks and being on the edge, but I am very conscious of every bike around me, vehicles front and back, and the road; as best you can be. I think I may even be a better rider while shooting as if I am in a state of hyper-awareness to everything around me but then I can be just kidding myself as well. My two crashes both happened when I wasn't shooting (but cameras around my neck both times, and both times on a mission to get somewhere quick!)
Q: On page 111 bottom of page do you have any info on who's bike this is. Do you have any other photos of this bike? Thank You.
A: It is best if you want me to answer a question like this to let me know which magazine and which issue you are wondering about. Keep in mind I shoot for several magazines and have advance copies so my current issues may not be the same as yours. I can tell you that if the photo was taken at an event as part of my coverage, it is possible there are other photos of it but not that likely, unless it looks like I took the bike aside to take feature type photographs of it. In these cases, I would have very little information, if any, about the bike. If the bike was shot in the studio as part of a feature bike, then there could be 100 other shots of the bike. For bike features, I turn a bike at least 6 times to get 6 totally different angles. From each angle on the bike, there are many possibilities as well including up high, low, the full bike and in tight for details. I would also have a lot of information but no different than the tech sheets included in the magazines.
Q: Hey Michael, I work at the" House of Hits" H-D Styling Dept. that is. First, Happy New Year to you! Nice job in documenting the 100th! Iam interested in the photo you shot of me in the parade ( 03-er100-d7sat-carda500044.jpg) How can I get a print? Iam sure you are getting a lot of these requests, do what you can. I love your work! Keep it going!
A: I do offer prints for people in the photos. These are different than my large, archival, (and much more expensive) prints that I exhibit at galleries. In a nutshell, 8.5 x11 custom glossy prints are $32. The actual image size depends on the individual photograph. It will "float" centered in the 8.5x11 print and have a white border. Please let me know if it is OK to crop the photo if I feel it helps the print? I sign and date the print in the image area at the lower right (unless otherwise requested.) Shipping and handling is $4.95 for up to 5 prints and $7.00 for more than five prints. We ship via priority mail and we accept credit cards (Visa, Master Card and American Express.)
Q: I noticed during the interview on the Travel Channel in Laconia that you were using the Nikon DIx. I was curious as to the lens that you typically use--- your favorite, most versatile, etc.....
A: The two lenses I use most often are the 17-35mm F2.8 Nikon Zoom and the 80-200mm F.2.8 Nikon Zoom. These lenses are very sharp and while a zoom may never rival a fixed focal length lens in sharpness, these two lenses come very close. I still have an assortment of other lenses (16mm to
500mm) but with the inherent problem of keeping the chip clean in digital photography, the less you change camera lenses, the better off you are. With two bodies around my neck, I am ready for most situations and don't have to expose the chip to dust and grime.
Q: I have noticed that there are areas on my photos taken with my D1 that look like pixel outages. Based on your note I suspect that my chip is filthy. I have frequently change lens and have them thoroughly cleaned but still end up with marks on the photos. What is the best way to clean the camera????
Thanks, Doug
A: This is one of the most difficult problems with higher-end digital cameras that have interchangeable lens capability. You can try your hardest but dust happens! We have found the best way for a photographer to clean a CCD chip in a digital camera (other than sending it to a licensed repair
station which for Nikon takes about a week) is to use a cleaning solution and swab developed by Photographic Solutions of Buzzards Bay, MA. You can get more information from their web-site at www.photographicsolutions.com. A dozen swabs run about $40 and a small bottle of solution is about $50. I have found you can find it for a little less from PSI of Dexter, MI (800 521-4042.) The swabs, which come sealed individually, can each be used for two passes of the chip (1 pass per side of the swab.)
Q: I am a novice to photography and recently purchased a Nikon Coolpix 5700. I am interested in taking sports action photos. I saw you on TV late one night and immediately went to your web-site. I know I am only a novice but would someday love to be able to take a quality picture like yours. Please recommend a camera. Sincerely, Felix
A: My normal recommendation to anyone asking about a camera is to buy something not too complicated (so that it doesn't intimidate) you and not so big (that it keeps you from taking it with you.) The Nikon Coolpix 5700 that you own is a great camera (I own one myself although don't use it professionally,) but this would not be a great choice for sports photography. It is limited as to how much control it offers the
photographer as well not having interchangeable lenses.
If you have decided you want to be more serious about photography, you will need a camera that has manual over-rides of all functions and interchangeable lens capability. Your first decision is to buy a film
camera or digital camera. Film cameras are a lot less expensive and are a wonderful way to get going, although you will have the recurring costs of film and processing. Digital cameras will cost a lot more, not only for the camera but all the related costs like in-camera media, computers, burners, readers…. If you can afford it, it is a great way to go since this is the direction photography is going and it gives you such quick feedback. Whether you choose film or digital based systems, a single lens reflex that allows you to see exactly what the photo will look like (using a system of mirrors in a prism) is a great way to go.
I am reluctant to recommend any one camera or even brand. The most common camera systems used by working professionals are Canon and Nikon. They seem to leapfrog each other with technology but are quite similar in what they offer. While I have used Nikon cameras for 35 years, I believe Canon, Minolta, Pentax and others are equally as good. What is really important is getting to know your system well and taking pictures all the time.
Q: Is there a single most important piece of advice you have for photographing a motorcycle?
A: The best piece of advice I have is to think of a motorcycle like a big mirror. It is made up of Chrome and painted surfaces that are highly reflective. Most people try to throw to much light onto a motorcycle when they need to think more about what is reflecting in the bike and how to light those surfaces. Why did you decided to mainly do motorcycle photography? I never decided to do mainly motorcycle photography. It was a primary interest of mine, which I pursued, but up until this past year, it was never more than 1/3 of my total work. With the downturn in the economy, my other commercial assignments have become fewer, and the percentage of bike work is now greater.
Q: What was your first camera?
A: A Kodak Brownie when I was 5 years old and visiting your mom's family in PA. when your grandpa first took me into the darkroom. I later had a Kodak instamatic 100, a Poloroid Swinger, and then my first 35mm camera was a world War 2 vintage Pentacon that my father loaned me. My first new 35 mm camera was a Nikon Nikormat purchased in 1968.
Q: What kind of equipment do you use now?
A: We started working with digital equipment in 2000. I am almost completely digital at this point. We now use Nikon D1X's for work involving people and a Sinar Digital camera for product photography in the studio. We process our digital files on Macintosh Computers using a variety of software packages. Adobe Photoshop is the main software program that we use.
Q: How many cameras do you own?
A: Too many because of the film based cameras that are not being used. Prior to digital photography, we had complete camera systems (minimum of 2 bodies each) for 35 mm, medium format (Hasselblad 6x6, Mamiya 6x7 and Fuji 6x8) as well as 4"x5" Sinar view cameras.
Q; When you first started photography, who inspired you?
A: When I first got serious with photography in my teens, I looked to photographers whose work I saw at the Museum of Modern Art in New York including Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Gary Winogrand, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Caponigro and Frederick Sommer.
Q: What kind of tips would you give a beginning photographer?
A: The best advice I can give to anyone interested in photography is to shoot; and to shoot a lot!
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