NIKON WORLD

Post by Steve Temple

Last month Nikon World magazine featured Michael and his work with Nikon cameras.

Here's the story:

Michael Lichter, motorcycle and motorcycle-lifestyle

imaging studio wizard and location road warrior,

shot the studio setups for Nikon with a D3X,

then used the camera, along with his D3, for

the road work, an assignment for Wiley X sunglasses.

The beauty shots are bikes by legendary customizer Arlen Ness.

The road shots were made in Arizona in two days.

Working with the D3X for the first time: “Shooters always want more.

We got it. We’ve arrived.”

“The 85 tilt-shift gives me an extreme angle shot and keeps the

bike tack sharp, back to front. With the 45, I get low-angle shots

and a slightly wide view and shoot the bike from the back and get the

dramatic, big rear tire shot.”

“On the road, it’s the road—reflections, mirrors... looking

for what works,” Michael says. “But if you’re looking for

something in particular, you’re probably looking for

the wrong thing.”

“Spot meter, center-weighted, Matrix—I use them all.

But shooting riders can be like being in a field of black

leather. The meter doesn’t know it’s black leather.

I have to interpret reality for the meter. The interpretation

is called exposure compensation.”

Glass: Most often

AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and

AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED.

Recently working with PC-E Micro NIKKOR 45mm f/2.8D ED and

PC-E Micro NIKKOR 85mm f/2.8D.

Michael shoots from the bike with a wireless release rigged

to the index finger of his throttle hand, the D3 or D3X

in his left hand. Or he’s the passenger, backwards on

the bike’s rear seat. Or he’s harnessed to the dropped

tailgate of a pickup truck. Don’t even think about it.