The Complete Guide to Cycling Photography: 10 Tips for Taking Great Photos While Riding

Why You Should Take Cycling Photos Seriously

Riding is great, but have you ever had this experience—

“I rode 150 kilometers up Wuling, and when I got home, I found only 3 blurry phone photos.”

A good cycling photo isn’t just about “documenting the ride”—it is:

• Social capital (FB, IG, and Strava all love great photos)
• A vessel for memories (10 years from now, you’ll thank yourself for taking the time to shoot properly)
• Self-motivation (seeing yourself riding in action is the best training motivation)

From gear, technique, and composition to Taiwan locations, this article provides a complete cycling photography guide.

1. Gear Selection

Three-Tier Options

Gear	Pros	Cons	Best For
Smartphone	Light, always with you, easy to share on social media	Weak telephoto, slow shutter	Beginners, daily documentation
Action Camera (GoPro, Insta360)	First-person view, waterproof, wide angle	Mediocre still-image quality	Documenting the ride, Vlogs
Mirrorless / DSLR	Top-tier image quality, interchangeable lenses	Heavy, extra gear to carry	Professional shooting, races

Common Setups Among Cyclists

• Average rider: iPhone 15 Pro / Pixel 8 (wide-angle + telephoto + night mode is sufficient)
• Advanced setup: GoPro Hero 12 (on the bike) + iPhone (group photos after the ride)
• Professional setup: Sony A7C II + 24-105mm + 70-200mm

2. Shutter Speed and Exposure: The Core of Action Shooting

Freezing Motion: Shutter Speed Needs to Be Fast

To capture a moving rider, shutter speed should be at least 1/800 sec, ideally 1/1000 sec or faster.

How to achieve this:

• Use shutter priority mode (Tv / S mode)
• Open the aperture wide (f/2.8 - f/4)
• Let ISO adjust automatically

Panning: The Key Technique for Motion

Principle: Use a slow shutter speed + tracking the rider’s movement to create a dynamic image where “the rider is sharp and the background is blurred.”

Settings:

• Shutter: 1/30 - 1/125 sec (slower = more motion blur, but harder to get sharp)
• Burst mode
• Continuous autofocus (AI Servo / AF-C)
• Keep your hands steady, rotate your body with the rider

Practice steps:

1. Start with 1/125 (higher success rate)
2. Gradually challenge 1/60, 1/30
3. Lots of throwaway shots are normal—a 1/10 success rate is already great

What About Low Light?

• Early morning / dusk is the golden hour for cycling photography
• Raise ISO: Modern cameras are still usable at ISO 3200-6400
• Open the aperture wide: f/2.8 or wider
• Flash? Avoid it—it will startle riders and ruin the natural feel

3. Composition: Giving Your Photos a Story

The Three Elements of a Great Photo

Based on teaching materials from the renowned sports photographers of the Sony Alpha Shimano team—

1. Sense of Place: You can tell where it is (landmarks, scenery, atmosphere)
2. Key Players: A clear focal point on the subject
3. Emotion and Effort: Sweat, facial expressions, muscle tension

A photo with all three = a great photo.

5 Composition Techniques

1. Rule of Thirds

Turn on the “grid lines” on your phone/camera and place the rider at the intersection points—it creates more dynamism than centering.

2. Leading Lines

• The white lines on the road
• Curves on mountain roads
• Bridge structures
• All are tools that guide the viewer’s eye toward the rider

3. Low Angle

Crouch down / lie on the ground to shoot, making the rider look more powerful. This is the most commonly used technique by professional photographers.

4. Backlight

With the sun behind the rider and you shooting toward the sun—

• Creates a silhouette effect
• The rider’s edges get a golden halo
• Especially suited for early morning and dusk climbs

5. Negative Space and Minimalism

Not every shot needs to fill the frame. A minimalist composition of rider + vast sky / vast mountains is often the most powerful work.

4. Selfies vs. Shooting Each Other

Selfies (When Riding Solo)

• Phone tripod + 10-second timer
• Insta360 / GoPro selfie stick
• Apple Watch remote shutter (iPhone)
• Pair with a drone (DJI Mini 3 Pro)—the ultimate option, aerial shots included

Shooting Each Other (Group Rides)

3 principles for shooting each other:

1. Designate one person as the day’s photographer (rotate each time)
2. Agree on shooting spots in advance (don’t stop on a whim)
3. Give time and space (don’t disrupt the group’s rhythm for photos)

5. Classic Cycling Photography Locations in Taiwan

Northern Taiwan

Location	Recommended Shots	Golden Time
Tamsui Riverside	Guandu Bridge, Tamsui sunset	17:00-18:30
Yangmingshan Xiaoyoukeng	Qixing Mountain silhouette	6:00 AM
Fengguizui	Mountain views, sea of clouds (winter)	6-8 AM
Beiyi Nine Bends Eighteen Turns	Aerial-style hairpin turns	Dawn/dusk

Central Taiwan

Location	Recommended Shots	Golden Time
Wuling	Hairpin turns on Provincial Highway 14A, sea of clouds	5-7 AM
Hehuan Mountain	Road sign (3275m), starry sky	Sunrise / nighttime
Sun Moon Lake Loop	Lake reflections	6-8 AM

Southern Taiwan

Location	Recommended Shots	Golden Time
Shouka	Provincial Highway 9 road sign	Dawn/dusk
Xuhai Alangyi	Pacific Ocean views	Sunrise
Kenting Longpan Park	Grasslands, coastline	Early morning / dusk

Eastern Taiwan

Location	Recommended Shots	Golden Time
Taroko Gorge	Swallow Grotto, Nine Turns Tunnel	Morning
Liushishan	Daylily flowers (Aug-Sep)	Early morning
Chishang Brown’s Boulevard	Mr. Brown Tree, rice paddies	Dusk

6. Post-Processing and Sharing

3 Must-Have Phone Apps

1. Lightroom Mobile (professional color grading)
2. Snapseed (free from Google, powerful)
3. VSCO (artsy filters)

Basic Color Grading Steps

1. Exposure: Adjust overall brightness
2. Contrast: Increase by 10-20%
3. Highlights: Reduce by -20 to -40 (avoid blown-out highlights)
4. Shadows: Increase by +10 to +30 (bring back shadow detail)
5. Saturation: Fine-tune +5 to +15 (avoid oversaturation)
6. Sharpening: +10 to +20

Social Media Platform Strategy

• Instagram: Square format, hashtags #cycling #taiwancycling #bike
• Facebook: Landscape ratio, pair with longer storytelling
• Strava: Embed directly into activities, tag friends

7. Etiquette When Photographing Others

1. Ask before shooting (whether it’s a group ride or strangers)
2. Share the original photos (if you take them, give them to the people)
3. Avoid capturing license plates, addresses, or other private information
4. Follow the organizer’s rules when shooting at races
5. Obtain portrait rights consent for commercial use

Conclusion: Cherish Every Ride Through the Lens

Cycling photography isn’t about turning you into a professional photographer—it’s about—

Making every ride worth remembering with images.

Ten years from now, you may forget how many kilometers you rode that day or how high you climbed, but a good photo will always remind you—the wind was perfect that day, the sunset was beautiful, and your companions were smiling right beside you.

Next time you head out, spend an extra 10 minutes pressing the shutter. Your future self will thank you.

Related Reading

• Cycling Photography: Tips for Shooting While Riding and Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Routes
• Cycling Photography for Beginners: Documenting Your Riding Stories with a Camera
• Cycling Photography Tips: How to Capture Instagram-Worthy Photos While Riding
• Cycling Photography Tips: How to Shoot Beautiful Taiwanese Landscapes on the Road