Nature photography is a good choice for those wanting to spend more time outdoors and enjoy the raw beauty of nature. It is a broad genre that includes wildlife photography, landscape photography, macro photography, weather photography, atmospheric forest photography, flower photography, and many others. You won’t be lacking interesting subject matters for sure.
However, taking pictures outdoor may be challenging. You have to find the best places and get there, carry your gear all day long, and keep photographing regardless of the weather conditions. As not everyone affords to hire an assistant or plan an expensive expedition, using a bike may come in very handy. Here are the main reasons why photography and biking are a good match.
Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash
Get Where You Want to Go Faster
The bicycle is a versatile and fast means of transportation. It can take you anywhere, from the park in your hometown to the neighboring city, the nearest forest, or the wilderness. There are bicycles for city roads, forest paths, and mountain biking. They take you where cars aren’t allowed or your feet give up.
At the same time, bicycles are silent and eco-friendly. They won’t scare your subject nor disrupt the environment. Not to mention the improvement they make in your health and mindset.
An Easy Solution for Carrying Your Equipment
Outdoor photography requires a lot of gear and equipment, not just the camera and lens. You should also consider the weight of water and food, rain protection for your and the camera, extra batteries and memory cards, a flash, a tripod, and so on.
Instead of carrying all these on your back, you can put them on the bike. Nowadays, there are plenty of cases and bags especially designed for carrying stuff on the bike.
A Nice Prop at Your Disposal
The bicycle isn’t just an easy way to get around and carry things. It is also an interesting subject matter than may look very good in your pictures. For example, you can use it as a foreground element to add depth to a landscape photograph. Or as a character of your travel photographs. Or to create contrast between natural and human-made items. There are plenty of ways to incorporate the bike into your visual stories.
Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash
Enhance Creativity
Pedaling is a meditative state. You can’t really think of much when you struggle to go uphill or fly downhill. Even when pedaling on a straight road, your mind gets empty and free. The repetitiveness of the movement and the physical effort create a good mindset for creativity. When arriving at the destination, you will be prepared for seeing the world in a new light. This creates unique compositions and helps you find your inner voice as a photographer.
Photo by Didier Weemaels on Unsplash
The relationship between photography and biking started a long time ago. The “only magazine for cycling photographers” was launched in 1897. It was called Cycle and Camera and had a large audience from the beginning. Of course, by then, the bicycle was one of the few means of transportation available. However, the on-growing market-inspired camera manufacturers design gear fitted for bicycles. In response, more photographers started to use bicycles to get to the next best photograph.
Today, you have all the benefits of technology. Light cameras, bikes for all conditions, padded bags, and GPS navigation. It is a combination of usability and enjoyment that delivers memorable experiences and unique photographs at the same time. Give it a try!
Cover photo by Rille Camera Strap on Unsplash