It takes a lot of work to create those sweeping action shots of cars and bikes with blurred backgrounds and a sense of speed. Most photographers normally use a chase car or a camera mounted to a pole, followed by hours in Photoshop. Matthew Jones came up with something else: The Human Rig.
After skating around Southern California with a childhood friend, it dawned on Jones that rollerblades could be the perfect way to capture motion without fussing with another car or a complex rig.
Here's what he told FStoppers:
With shooting action on blades I feel that it provides a directly irreplaceable connection with the subject. There is no shouting at your chase car's pilot to speed up, or slow down. And there are no window pillars or door frames confining you to a designated shooting space. Forget replicating the sense of motion in Photoshop or tirelessly editing out a bulky rig - the freedom is completely yours, and the decision to jump from left to right, high to low, or even speed up at a moments notice is entirely up to you. And best of all, it's all natural.
The results are pretty stunning, with Jones using either a rope tied to the bike or just gravity to keep pace. Avoiding big cities and adding some protective gear is probably in order to skirt a Darwin Award nomination, but at low speeds on a deserted road, it gets the job done nicely.
Photos: Matthew Jones Photography