Bicycle ride
Cycling Photos: Movement That Breaks Up a Static Grid
Movement, breaks up a static grid.
Scroll a dating app and count how many photos contain any movement. Almost none do. A photo of you moving through a place reads as caught rather than arranged, and the contrast against the rest of the grid does most of the work.
It implies a lot with no effort: that you are outside, that you get around, that you are fit enough not to think about it.
What to wear
- Everyday clothes rather than full club lycra, unless racing is the point you're making
- Something with colour, since you will be smaller in the frame than usual
- No helmet strap across the jaw if the face needs to read clearly, or accept that this is a full-body shot
When to shoot it, and the light
Late afternoon on a tree-lined road or path. Side light shows the motion. Flat overhead light makes a moving subject look oddly static.
The mistake that ruins this shot
Riding straight at the camera. A three-quarter angle with a glance toward the lens keeps both the motion and the face.
Where it goes in your profile
Fourth or fifth. It is variety rather than a headline, but the kind of variety that makes a profile feel like a person.