What I Learned

Learn your ‘comfortable position’ This is the name James gives to the natural shooting position of your body; he says it’s where you should be taking the shot you want when you’re panning with a moving bike. This is so you can ‘feel’ where to take the shot, even while you’re looking through the camera lens.

Let the lens rest in your left hand as far down the tube as possible, to steady it.

Set your camera up Many pros customise their buttons, such as backbutton focus instead of half-pressing the shutter; this has several advantages, including pre-focusing with auto-focus. With many DSLRS you can fine-tune the AF action; it’s worth exploring this feature to optimise it for high-speed motorcycle pics.

Think about composition before shooting Have an ideal in mind to achieve, rather than aimlessly hoping something magical happens.

Shoot one frame at a time to start with. Digital allows you to ‘spray and pray’, which might get a result but it’s better to learn how to get the shot you want deliberately rather than by luck.

Change settings one at a time Like a Motogp crew chief, you want to advance one step at a time to avoid confusion. So start with composition and ignore focus and exposure. Then work on getting the light right, then work on getting it pin-sharp.

Be your harshest critic Unless you post to social media, of course.

Buy better equipment and start all over again.