Lens Choice..

[redangel]

As a favor to a friend I am going out to shoot piccys of a vintage motorbike. It is located in a storage where Id prefer not to change lenses...I have a 70-200, kit 18-55 and a 50mm prime....what should I go armed with? Thinking of making a collage. Would be grateful for input here, thanks.

[Kirislin]

If it's in storage it might be confined spaces, in which case you might need the 18-55 but I'm not sure how well that would cope if the conditions are poorly lit. If you have a bit of room to step back I'd probably suggest the 50mm assuming it's either 1.4 or 1.8

Hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge with chime in for you.

[~*Shell*~]

If it was me, I would be going the 50mm but it depends on how much space you have as Kirislin said!

[huga]

Ditto what the others said. Take the 18-55 and the 50mm.

[PossumCorner]

As a favor to a friend I am going out to shoot piccys of a vintage motorbike. It is located in a storage where Id prefer not to change lenses...I have a 70-200, kit 18-55 and a 50mm prime....what should I go armed with? Thinking of making a collage. Would be grateful for input here, thanks.

As size reference shots, these three from the Childrens Hospital Ride a week ago were taken with a 50-200 lens, set at 55mm. I started this shoot with a 100-300 by mistake, and had to hare back to the car for a shorter lens. Start off with the 50mm but do have your others within reach if you need to change, especially the 18-55 if it is very close quarters. (These 55mm shots were on the street, they're not cropped).

Surely he can wheel it out of storage to give you better light and a decent background. I wouldn't go much below 50 because you don't want wide angle distortion unless looking for arty. You don't want flash if you can help it because of reflection-glare from the metal. If flash is a must, at least peel a layer off a Kleenex and put it over the flash to diffuse it.

I'd suggest you also take the 70-200 for some shots stepping back a bit: the compression will give you a different (good) perspective of chunkiness. (I'll hunt about for a longer lens shot to add here to show difference). Use a tripod or monopod if possible, as the metal highlights show up camera-shake if hand-holding more than most subjects.

This is at 120mm

and this only at 100mm but also trying to show more of the compressing a longer lens will give you.

[Linda K]

would use the 50 & the 18-55 - use the wideangle to get in really close to the front bit of the bike, and get some great shots due to the wide angle distortion effect

[PossumCorner]

.... get some great shots due to the wide angle distortion effect

Thing is, the client doesn't always appreciate distortion, and the client is "the money" (whether they are paying or not), it's a he who pays the Piper thing which was why I suggested not doing it. The bike's owner might love arty shots, but would want some as-it-is shots to document a vintage machine.

RedAngel another little thing I forgot re car and bike photography to be watched for/aware of - owners do not like photographer's reflection in the chrome. It's considered 'bad work', like in a car advert in a glossy mag you never see the photographer's reflection, because it is again a distraction from the machine being the important element. If going arty and not just pj, don't forget some lying-on-the-ground shots to give it height.

[redangel]

Thank you for the replies. LOL PC I learnt all about reflections taking some Christmas tree shots (glass balls reflective) for my Christmas cards this year! The idea would be to get an all over shot of the bike then specific angles, showing badging, wheels and instrumentation...thus a collage effect. Being vintage the bike is matt...not hi gloss like the lovely modern ones.

[Linda K]

client may not like, but they may - of course you find out what they want, and what they intend to use it for, but if you look at a lot of the motoring magazines, and even on shows like Top Gear, they use that all the time, and once you have grabbed the money shots, why not experiment a bit