Updated for Dec. 4, 2006

Evening Shadows

Here are some highlights of photos I took on Sunday, Dec. 3 on Skyline Boulevard in the Windy Hill area south of Alice's Restaurant. The days are getting short and the shadows long. Thankfully, we've had excellent weather with the highs in the low 60s and lots of sun. The rain has mostly stayed north of the Bay Area where they're getting record rain and snow falls. Next weekend looks to be gloomy but if the weather's nice on Sunday I may journey up the hill for more photos.

Click on the pictures for larger versions. Use backspace arrow to return.

Check the link to my store on the right to see if I got a photo of your skooter.

Who says Vespas can't cruise?

Two-up on a BMW

Bombin' Buell

Heading South

Update for Nov. 5, 2006

Practicing for Laguna Seca Click on photos for larger versions. Use back button to return

OK, I'm only a week late getting these pix up. I won't go into the details, but let us just say that anytime you put a new computer into service there're going to be problems. Here are some shots on the 5th that I took from a different vantage point. Some bikers ended up with strained necks, no doubt, as they tried to figure out what the guy with the long lens was doing up on the bank.

The days are getting short and the sun is low in the South, so finding spots on the Boulevard to shoot bikes is a challenge. I like this spot, even though it creates some nasty contrast challenges for pix of bikes heading north (see the photo above, for example). This is the Windy Hill area about three or four miles south of Alice's Restaurant where I'll most like be on days when I'm able to get up to the Boulevard this winter. If you were riding in this area between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 5 I may have gotten a shot of you. Check in my Photo Reflect storefront by clicking on the link on the top right of this blog.

Check here to see when I plan to be shooting. Hope to see you there.

Robert Jones aka SkooterShooter.com

Warning: Failure to use at least one hand

while operating this vehicle can lead to injury or death

Laid back and lovin' it

Minimalist in the headgear dept.

Stand up and take a bow

Phil Out for a Sunday Ride

Enjoying the Scooter Life

Best Helmet Art Award

It's Super Scooter

I say, it's a good day to be out and about

Ahh Yes

Update for Oct. 12, 2006

I didn't fall off the end of the Earth, but I've been busy and out of town a lot in the past few weeks and had to put the SkooterShooter on hold for a while. I'm trying to find out how this weekend is shaping up and will post a schedule Friday or Saturday or both. Thanks for checking in.

Robert Jones
aka SkooterShooter.com

Update for Sept.17, 2006

Surf 'n' Turf
It was sunny and warm on the Boulevard Sunday, a great day to ride. Lots of bikes were about, including this surfer/biker dude who has the best of both worlds.

If you were up there today, take a look at my store by clicking on the link to the right.

The late summer sun created a lot of new challenges, but also introduced some experimentation with the sun and shade.

If you're wondering about the quality of these photos, take a look at this enlargement I made of a small part of a photo I took Sunday. This has been reduced in resolution to 72 ppi to make it Web friendly. The actual photo is 150 ppi and is 3008x2000. OK, I don't get everyone this sharp due to a lot of things, like not panning properly, but my percentage is pretty good. I'm using one of the best lenses Nikon makes to shoot these.

More of the day's highlights below. Click on the photos for larger versions.

I won't be photographing Sept. 23 and 24. Hope to be back on Sept. 30 or Oct. 1. Check back for my schedule.

Ride safe,

Robert Jones aka SkooterShooter.com

Highlights for Sun. Sept. 17, 2006 Click for larger versions

Lookin' Good

Hot Honda

Strictly Business

Cruisin' on the Road King Classic

Concentration

BSA Rocket 3 Ready for Launch

Mohawk Motard

Will be shooting Sept.17, 2006

This is a late notice, but thought I'd put it up anyway. I'll be on Skyline Boulevard taking pix tomorrow, Sunday Sept. 17. I'm planning a different strategy. I'll start off about 9:30 a.m. one mile south of Skyline's intersection with Calif. 92, which is the road to Half Moon Bay. There are a few nice sweeping curves there and if the light is right in the morning, maybe some decent photo weather. I will probably move on to Woodside Road just east of Alice's Restaurant somewhere around noon and call it off after 2 p.m. unless a lot of bikes are still moving around.

Got my bike back this weekend after two weeks of being stuck in Chico due to a busted a rear wheel so look for the red Harley Road King Classic. Ride up if you get a chance and check back late tomorrow afternoon to see if I shot your skooter.

I will not be shooting the 23rd or 24th due to an out of town trip. Check back on Sept. 29 to see if I'm going to make the Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 weekend.

Robert Jones aka SkooterShooter.com

Update for Sept. 9, 2006

The above picture sums up the way it was on Saturday on the Skyline. Time to break out the raingear, or at least the leathers. I dodged fog most of the day. First I went to Windy Hill. There's a reason it's called that. The fog was roiling up the sides of the mountains and a mist was blowing so thick that you couldn't see a bike more than 50 yards out. The trees were dripping like it was raining. Lousy photo weather. Then I went down La Honda Road and got a few shots. But I soon figured that most bikers weren't heading to the Coast with all that fog so I ended up on Skyline just about a mile south of CA 92, which is where I snapped the above photo. Meanwhile down in the valley two miles away the sun was shining bright. That's why we love this place.

See some highlights below. If you click on the photo, you'll see a larger version. Don't forget to see if I got a picture of you in my store by clicking on the Photoreflect link on the right.

Havin' Fun

KTM Motard

Just for Kicks

CHiPs Looking Sharp

Meowwrr

Pack on the Move

Splashy

Aug. 26 Photos are Up

Ross the Boss on his R6
Photos I took today on Skyline Boulevard and Woodside Road are now in the store, which you can reach by clicking the list to the right. I will post some highlights of today's shooting tomorrow night. I won't be shooting on the Skyline Sunday, Aug. 27 or on the Labor Day Weekend. Got some riding to do on those days. I may be back on post Sept. 9 and 10. Check back for an update.

Robert Jones aka SkooterShooter.com

Shooting on Saturday Aug. 26 -Maybe Sunday

First off, thanks to everyone who ordered photos last week. If you haven't already received them, they should arrive any time now.

I'll be on Skyline Boulevard, in the Windy Hill area about three miles south of Alice's Restaurant on Saturday. I plan to get there about 9:30 a.m. to take advantage of the lighting there. From there I'll probably move to Woodside Road just east of Skyline about about 11 a.m.

Why do I do all this shuffling around? Lighting. Some people have asked why I don't shoot at particular locations, such as the twisties on La Honda road. I'd love to, but the lighting is bad. Our clear blue Calif. skies are wonderful to look at, but they create serious contrast problems for photography. Slightly overcast or hazy days are a lot more forgiving for shooting fast-moving bikes.

Shooting in the shade in the Santa Cruz Mountains is like working at night. Contrast is the shadows is almost non-existent, leading to flat photos. One solution, flash photography, is out of the question for safety reasons. Many of the curvy areas are either in the dark or in areas where the sun and shade create a mottled effect that just doesn't look good in a photo. Bright sun isn't much better. Here you have too much contrast, which creates a lot of shadows on the bike and the biker's face. Here again, a powerful flash would fill the bill, but it's a no-no distraction as far as I'm concerned. I would only use flash for a set-up shot where the rider was expecting it. As you can tell, none of my shots are set up. It's much more exciting to take pictures of bikers and their skooters doing it naturally.

Light angle is also an issue. It's always better to have light coming from the side to illuminate the rider's face and bike details. That usually rules out shots in the middle of the day. But that's when most bikers are out riding in the mountains. So you pick your spots carefully and do what you can with the contrast issues, which usually means some post-shooting work on the computer.

Sunday is a toss up. I may be up on a poker run in Sonoma and Napa that day. If not, I'll post here tomorrow or Saturday night whether I'll make it up on the Skyline.

Hope to see out on your ride.

Robert Jones aka SkooterShooter.com

Indian Summer

The Indians were out on Skyline Sunday. Several vintage bikes like these two flatheads, as well as some new models were sporting about at Alice's.














The old And the new. Hope the new Indian Co. keeps rolling.

Update for Aug. 20, 2006

I shot on Skyline Boulevard exclusively. The fog was blowing across Windy Hill and it made for a nice backdrop until it burned off about 11 a.m.


All was not well, however. I was using a new lens that features vibration reduction and it turned out that I wasn't happy with many of the shots. They simply weren't sharp, which is a disappointment since that was the main purpose for buying the lens. I'm assuming at this point that it's operator error and that I did something wrong. I also forgot my reading specs today so I didn't notice the problem in the previews on my camera. Anyway, I discarded a good quarter of the shots I took because of blur. I apologize if yours was one of the victims. Take a look to see if you made the cut at the store by clicking on the "SkooterShooter Biker Photos" button at the upper right.

Arley on his Harley -- Hope I spelled your name right

Blondes on bikes have more fun

All it needs is wings -- Awesome BMW sidecar racer

A Beemer for all occasions

Raging Triumph

Vintage BSA Thumper

Sophisticated

Think I'll get off and walk