WNBR 2015

[HCharles.Crank]

Originally Posted by fdooby

I think I found the solution to the problem of being suspected of pervery at WNBRs. Talk to people. Say a few words. I don't mean go and chat up the pretty girls I spoke to loads of people in London and Brighton last time and had no problem whatsoever with any of the participants. But I did have people frequently wave and spontaneously pose later on when they recognised me from earlier.

It quickly became obvious to me that most of the riders dislike people being surreptitious or overbearing. The more overt your equipment, the better, I think It's also good to have a chat with the stewards. The riders see you doing so and I think this also puts them at their ease if they later see you snapping. Always have respect for people's personal space. Assume nothing.

The more pushy people were, the less they got. Brighton in particular was a great day. It's not often you have 19 year old identical twins insist you g
o and take pictures of them and their friends. I obliged, of course. Would have been ill mannered not to

Agree with Pedro - at the big rides, your first instinct is to run about snapping madly. That's pointless. You'll get good shots. And you'll get loads of walkthroughs and other frustrations. But just go for what catches your eye as if it were a carnival or any other event.

Remember that this is after all primarily a protest and awareness raising event. Wearing a pro-cycling or pro-green issues tshirt is a good idea. Something this simple marks you out as a supporter of the cause. By going about discussing the various issues with people, I found myself getting loads more shots than I had previously. It wasn't a ploy, it just happened like that and you find yourself understanding why people do these rides a lot better.

Of course, there are those who just like to get naked in public and fair play to them But I noticed over and over again that the people who were there to just ogle people and take bum and boobs shots got a very frosty reaction, as you'd expect really.

Well said!!!

[Pedro the Fisherman]

Yes, try and join in, if not on a bike just mingle and ask about the cause.

It's easy to spot the snappers that get people annoyed, they are so determined to get shots, they lose all aspects of normal politeness. I know a good number of ride organisers, having helped out for several years at the rides, just be social and 'normal', give respect to riders, don't photo girls undressing unless you are well away from them and if you ask for a photo and are refused, compliment them on their paint/ costume and say thanks anyway, 'have a great ride'!

If I get to a ride, that's what I'll be doing, anyway. The UK is just going into a two week period of warm weather, let's hope it's true!!!!

[terriuk]

Originally Posted by CuriousGuy

Does she post any WNBR pics ?

She has mentioned the WNBR rides, but I have not seen any by her..

[GirlsandBeer]

Originally Posted by fdooby

I think I found the solution to the problem of being suspected of pervery at WNBRs. Talk to people. Say a few words. I don't mean go and chat up the pretty girls I spoke to loads of people in London and Brighton last time and had no problem whatsoever with any of the participants. But I did have people frequently wave and spontaneously pose later on when they recognised me from earlier.

It quickly became obvious to me that most of the riders dislike people being surreptitious or overbearing. The more overt your equipment, the better, I think It's also good to have a chat with the stewards. The riders see you doing so and I think this also puts them at their ease if they later see you snapping. Always have respect for people's personal space. Assume nothing.

The more pushy people were, the less they got. Brighton in particular was a great day. It's not often you have 19 year old identical twins insist you go and take pictures of them and their friends. I obliged, of course. Would have been ill mannered not to

Agree with Pedro - at the big rides, your first instinct is to run about snapping madly. That's pointless. You'll get good shots. And you'll get loads of walkthroughs and other frustrations. But just go for what catches your eye as if it were a carnival or any other event.

Remember that this is after all primarily a protest and awareness raising event. Wearing a pro-cycling or pro-green issues tshirt is a good idea. Something this simple marks you out as a supporter of the cause. By going about discussing the various issues with people, I found myself getting loads more shots than I had previously. It wasn't a ploy, it just happened like that and you find yourself understanding why people do these rides a lot better.

Of course, there are those who just like to get naked in public and fair play to them But I noticed over and over again that the people who were there to just ogle people and take bum and boobs shots got a very frosty reaction, as you'd expect really.

Excellent advice, I was planning to speak to everyone casually, but didn't think about wearing something the would signal that I was a supporter of the event. Thanks.

[Corporal Jones]

Originally Posted by simonlintworm

I share the disappointment of other members about the Portsmouth ride. Let's hope it doesnt grow into an all-male sausage appreciation fest. I carry this concern for all rides in Britain in particular...Let's hope London can set the record straight.

I know that, British weather permitting, there are going to be a fair few women on the Southampton ride this Friday. I know three of them personally.

[qwertypaul]

Originally Posted by Corporal Jones

I know that, British weather permitting, there are going to be a fair few women on the Southampton ride this Friday. I know three of them personally.

Sounds promising. If you know some of the riders personally, how about some normal clothed shots of them along with the bike ride ones, that would be great.

[schlubby]

Originally Posted by GirlsandBeer

I'll be participating in my first ride in Portland and will try to take pics while there is still light out! I'll be wearing tight, short undies. Any tips for taking? (I'm looking at you Pedro and Klondike). I'm 30, fairly good looking and not obese or hairy.

I plan to have an ok camera - hxxp://store.sony.com/cyber-shot-digital-camera-rx100-iii-zid27-DSCRX100M3/B/cat-27-catid-All-Cyber-shot-Cameras?_t=pfm%3Dcategory

I hear they hate photographers at the Portland ride, but I think I'll be ok since I'm a participant. Will it be better if I go completely naked in order to take pics or will bring a participant in underwear be enough?

That camera has a top ISO of 25600, which means it should be able to take 1/60 second pictures (non-blurry), without a flash, in the kind of low light you have when the streetlights are half a block away. You should definitely not take my word for it, though. If you want to try flashless night photography, learn your settings and practice in the same conditions in advance (experience talking here ). Most subjects, like most other people, have no idea how far low-light sensors have come in the last 4 years, so they're not likely to take much notice of a camera pointed at them in darker places on the ride, if you're not pushing it too close to them and the flash never goes off.

Not to suggest you shouldn't do what all the others have said, but the extreme sensitivity of that camera means you have additional options.

Btw, I'd be remiss not to mention that using a higher ISO setting means your pictures look grainier and lose detail, so be wary of pushing it higher than necessary.

[Pedro the Fisherman]

Weather looks good for Southampton, tonight. If anybody is going, best photo opportunities are in the park at the start, as riders wait around and in the road just outside as a narrow gate causes a bottleneck!
You can get shots as they return, but as it's late by then and colder, people normally dress very quickly. Expect only a handful of fully nude student types, but often it's quality over quantity in Southampton!

[fred the red]

Any chance of some shots of the best part of the ride? thats when the riders undress, no-one ever seems to photo them taking their clothes off, would be nice!

[Pedro the Fisherman]

If you really want to get riders pissed off, try and take photos of them stripping! Only try to catch that with a long lens.