Being a cycling photographer

Here is a brief extract from a feature that I wrote on cycling photography - which is not as straightforward and defined as most think..

The term cycling photographer is something that from the outside may well seem straightforward – just like a sports photographer. However, as with so many things in life, once you delve deeper you’ll realise that it’s a whole lot more complex.

To start with there is generally a huge difference between the biking images produced by a specialist cycling photographer compared to those of a general shooter or a multi-faceted sports photographer. Even if it is only true fans that notice may this, the differences really do stand out. An all round sports photographer tends to go for a generically pleasing image, which in most cases would not cut it with a specialist cycling publication or its readers because there is often little knowledge of the fine detail – imagine seeing a surf pan shot, and then noticing the surfer is wearing 80’s Speedos and thongs and on flat water. To many it may not be apparent, but the devil is indeed in that detail.

Specialist cycling photographers are also likely to be highly passionate and knowledgeable about their sport too, and that means that they are probably also long standing cyclists. This definitely gives them a feel for the sport and a much greater understanding of things such as the lines that a rider may take, what equipment and clothing is up to date, and what looks natural, which are huge factors.