Shoot an action photo

Challenge 1 Paul Brewer

Welcome to the ShamXross track in Keynsham, Somerset, for the penultimate race of the season. It may be the last weekend in January, but the weather is more spring-like: mild and windless, it’s great for the spectators, but the cloudless skies aren’t going to be favourable to our two photographers. As we are shooting around midday, the sun is high in the sky and casting very harsh shadows.

“I faced away from the sun to get blue sky in the background,” says Paul. “Getting down low allowed me to exaggerate the height the riders were reaching, and having tried a range of shutter speeds, 1/100 sec worked the best.

“In Lightroom, I added more saturation and vibrance, adjusted the tones a little to give the image a little more depth, and made a crop.” Expert opinion

Well thought out and executed by Paul, the slow shutter speed gives the shot motion and is fast enough to keep the rider sharp.