New Forest North - Photo Biker 2

You know that feeling that you don't quite know what you're doing? You're hoping it'll come right somehow, but you don't know how? Yes me too. Feeling less than confident when learning something new is completely normal. That's why we take on the challenge of learning new stuff because we want to BE confident. So let me share what was going on for me when making this - my 2nd go at making a 'Photo Ride' video.

The first enemy is procrastination, mostly about the weather because great photography depends on great light for the subject. If you've been around my training for a while you probably know I don't consider myself to be a 'hard-core' landscape photographer and most of the images will be scenery in this series. With the great British winter upon us with it's grey skies, I tend to worry if I can deliver great photography for you.

Then there's learning how to get the best possible shots for the video using fiddly little cameras which are completely unfamiliar. I used to be a camera man for a TV production company and have worked on programs for both BBC and ITV so you'd think I'd be confident about using a Gopro! Well no actually. The video cameras I've used up until now are bigger with lots of useful buttons on them. Gopros are amazing cameras, but everything is hidden in a menu and settings controlled via an app on a phone and I've never been good with tech.

Knowing what to film and what to leave out is a massive challenge. The last thing you need is too much footage to wade through looking for the 'best bits' and finding a way to edit them together seamlessly to make a story. I expect you've experienced shooting way too many images and then having to choose which you like?  Burns time like mad doesn't it. And what if I don't find anything 'good enough' to photograph? 

When we don't feel confident about it - we make up reasons not to do it.

So how do you step over that little voice in your head telling you all the reasons why it'd be better to leave it? It's pretty simple really - you feel the fear and do it anyway. You prepare as best as you can then leap on in and enjoy the ride, all the while trusting that something will happen even if we don't know what that something will be.

At the beginning of this film I figured a ride up to the north of the New Forest would work because the weather forecast for that area was better and looking at the sky confirmed it. Well, that didn't happen did it? But here's the thing, by just doing it, I did find some interesting images. The ride was really enjoyable. The challenge of producing a video, thinking about what to film and what to ignore, changing the camera and sound set up at each stop and shooting a photo lesson was actually fun.

Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)

When we get out the armchair (and our own heads) and give things our best shot it feels great. Even if we don't score 10/10 - we've always grown from the experience, learnt from it and often been surprised by what we did achieve. I'm actually really proud of this, my second motorcycle travel photography film. Sure I made mistakes, forgot what I'd said in the last bit, had the camera in the wrong mode and filmed way too much footage which took much too long to edit down to around 25 minutes.

But it's still and improvement on Photo Ride 1 - which wasn't bad at all. 

I was truly moved by the supportive and appreciative comments I received about that video and have taken on board your feedback to improve future videos.

So how did I prepare to begin making motorcycle based photography videos?

It began with an awesome Youtuber called Noraly. A geologist by profession, Noraly's been making wonderful, engaging, beautifully filmed adventure motorcycle travel vlogs from all over the world for six years. (Check out her channel 'Itchy Boots'.) I watched what she did, went out and tried to copy it and enrolled on her excellent online course Motorcycle Vlogging 101.

I mean why wouldn't you want to learn from someone who's been there and done it already. Why wouldn't you want to avoid all the mistakes they made along the way. No brainer! I practised lots and saved myself months of frustration trying to figure it out on my own.

We are all learners and experts. And if we don't want to stagnate there's always more to learn, see and do in this wonderful world we live in.

Be well and happy until next time. I hope you enjoyed the video... 

PS: Confused by any techniques or controls I used in this video? Try a free sample of my 5* reviewed Masterclass In Photography 4 week online course. It's 100% refund guaranteed and will transform you into the confident photographer you deserve to be.