Riding With Style Photo

Photographer’s Note

I came across this image from last year recently when adding a few newer images to the same file and thought it rather fun. I'd recently bought a new lens that I was testing out as I walked the main street in downtown San Anselmo when I came upon this brightly colored BMW motorcycle at the curb. At just that moment the owner arrived and prepared to depart. I was standing so close that with this fairly long lens this was just about all I could capture. But I like the feeling of power suggested by the elements in this image. I hope you enjoy it.

kludwig20, rafid76 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2006-07-05 3:10

Striking color. The light and the bokeh remind me strongly of your "Bling!" photo. The bokeh above the man's arm is superb.
Would you like to drive one yourself? I would!
I hope your lens is giving you a lot of fun, and that the tests came out what you hoped for.

RGatward (19737) 2006-07-05 3:41

YEs, I agree, it is fun. It got something of the glossy mag ad about it, I like the sharp focus on the hands only, even the logo being slightly off. Apart from the slightly OE part of the guy's jacket, this looks like it would cut the mustard in the ad frat. Since you shot this in RAW, there's a really cool technique for dealing with this, which I got from Oochapen, look at 'standing room only' where I describe it.

Burnham (2426) 2006-07-05 7:13

Hi Cutis. Rinie says this reminds me of the Bling shot, it also reminds me of some of your earlier posts, I surpose that makes sense since it was taken a while ago :o) and I really like these close frames, and daring crops. Somehow this made me think of the same cropping but with part of a horse and cowboy instead, I think it is his jacket sleeve, looks kind of cowboyish. I would be tempted to clone out the little bit of sticker in the bottom, because I cannot see what it says, so I don't know if it brings anyuthing to the picture, nit picking, I know. The light is the best part (that brings me to think of sunsets and cowboys again ;o) I really like the highligths on the gloved hand and jacket.

But Curtis this sort of colourful image almost asks you to give it an elegant frame, have you stopped using frames completely? ;o)

erdna (5348) 2006-07-05 12:39

A nice shot of a very expensive two-wheeler. You have it sharply focused on the hand but it dropped off at the motorwork emblem and everything below the hand. Is that intentional?

Andre'

avigur_11 (21271) 2006-07-06 19:56

Hi Curtis,
This is so siple but so effective and strong, The position of the BMW logo, the contrast of colors and the nice direction of light, Ialso like the gloved hand on the trotle, I can almost here the engine whimming. Beautiful.

I am glad that you chosed a sqare format here. Great job.

rafid76 (2611) 2006-12-22 17:00

great pov, i really like the angle too, slightly tilted. i used to ride but japanese, you can beat the price difference, but now i live in a cold cold country and had problems storing my toys so no more all sold on ebay :(