Motorbike Ride & Sunset Shoot At Mont St Michel - Photo Biker 22
I took a brilliant motorbike trip to North West France for a little bit of location photography. The idea was to scout out photoshoot locations for a brand-new Photography Workshop I am planning.
In my video, I start my mission accompanied by my sister, another keen bike enthusiast. It’s always nice to have a friendly face in a new place.
One of the main locations I wanted to go to was the impressive Mont St Michel, situated on the border of Brittany and Normandy. Built in 708AD, this incredible small island commune is a hot destination and a popular choice for location photography.
You can imagine just how many pictures have been taken of the Mont… But as always, I like to find a new way to capture things.
So, that’s what I set out to do. This trip was all about research. And I’m glad I spent the time to scout it out; there’s been a lot of change since I was last there. Had I left it to chance during one of my workshops - we would have been in a bit of a pickle!
Still, although I couldn’t get to where I initially planned, I used my photographer's brain to think about how else I could capture the stunning Mont St Michel. (I’m not one to simply give up on a great photo opportunity, and that’s what I want to help others get confident in doing.)
Location photography and conducting research like this require you to be prepared. For example, you might need a long lens (55-200 used in my video) if you cannot get close to the subject. And you might need to get creative with landscape photography composition if it’s going to remain in the distance.
Shooting from a place you didn’t expect can be wonderful, though. Sometimes it’s the unexpected shots that work incredibly well! So, don’t be afraid to get something different than what you usually see with a popular location or subject. Stepping outside the box will set you apart from other photographers.
I went for a couple of different locations and angles to capture Mont St Michel. I found myself shooting with some interesting zig-zag leading lines during sunset when the sky got a bit more exciting.
Remember, light will make or break your pictures. That’s why you need to use your brain and histogram rather than allowing your camera’s suggestions to tell you how to take pictures.
Argue with your camera if it’s telling you the wrong information. Cameras do get it wrong.
My light meter told me the light was good, but no - it was far too dark. Using my knowledge of photography, I could make sure the light was correct for the image, ignoring my camera's wrong suggestion.
Do you let your camera make the decisions?
If you want to get more confident in using your manual settings, reading your histogram, or even just making those creative decisions, I can help! My Masterclass in Photography will give you all the tools you need to boost your photographer’s brain.
Best wishes...