Photographing The Adventure Bike Rider Show - Photo Biker 19

Ever wanted to get into event photography? I love the buzz of events, so taking my camera along to the Adventure Bike Rider Festival was a joy!

As well as getting stuck into motorcycle photography and getting some awesome action shots, I was on the Bikerheadz stand talking about my workshops and courses to anyone with an interest. It was great.

If you watched my previous video ‘Photographing My Motorbike In Old English Village’ you’ll have come along on my journey to the show at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. I captured some lovely shots of old English cottages, a real contrast to the vibrancy and liveliness of the ABR Festival.


In my video, shot by the legendary Chris of Bikerheadz, I have an early start—why? Because an early morning, with the sun low in the sky makes for more interesting pictures. Watch my video and you’ll see why…

You’ll also see a little behind the scene clip of me doing some test shots, a bit of trial and error with different lenses. That’s what it’s all about, getting experimental to find a golden ticket of a shot.

When it comes to event photography, things are usually fast-paced, so you need to have an idea of what you want to capture. Most of the time you’ll want to represent your environment, so how do you do that?

Well, I knew I wanted to focus on motorcycle photography, but I also wanted to get across that festival vibe. So, I made sure to look for things like tents, stands and flags to help with that. And that’s when I started to get creative with composition.

Try and do something outside the norm, use depth of field and change up your focal points. 

Remember, you’ll have to account for lighting, so it’s important you are confident with manual mode and adjusting exposure. You make the creative decisions, not your camera—cameras often get it wrong, so if you let it control your shot, you might not quite get it. 

As the saying goes “light waits for no man” and that’s very true for us photographers. When you are outside, keep an eye on what the sky is doing; which way the clouds are moving; this will help you get prepped for a great shot. 

Finally, don’t be afraid to interact with people when it comes to event photography. Capture the life and soul of the place you are photographing and the people—and enjoy yourself!


Learn to control your camera and use your brilliant brain with my Masterclass in Photography. It will give you the skills and confidence to work quickly and efficiently in order to capture incredible photos in a buzzing environment.

Until next time...