In our quest to bring you all the best information to improve your riding experience, farkin.net scours the globe to talk to the people who know the game. To follow up his feature gallery of Sea Otter photographs on farkin.net, we picked the brains of professional photographer Shawn Spomer on what we weekend hack photographers can do to improve our photos of the sport we all love.

Name: Shawn Spomer
DOB: 1973, December
Currently Residing: Redding, CA, USA
Years Riding: 10 or so
Years Shooting: 15...seriously for about 3
Bikes you own: Right now just a Dirtworks Slalomander. Ironhorse SGS Pro shortly
Disciplines you ride: Anything. I just like having fun, but I go in spurts
between slalomy stuff to DH stuff...whatever's handy.

Farkin.net: How did you first get into photography?

Shawn Spomer: My parents hacked around when I was really young, so I had memories of that. In 10th grade I was given a little point shoot as a gift and just had fun wasting film trying to copy skateboard magazine shots.

F: What elements are important to you in a good photograph?

SS: Personally I enjoy turning shots that show dirt flying, knobs digging in and facial expressions. scenery is nice and dramatic lighting always helps. It's completely subjective, but I really like good railer shots.

F: What tips can you offer the average weekend snapper for improving their mountain biking photos?

SS: I think the one thing i notice when cruising sites like pinkbike.com, where lots of eager riders show their photos is that the subject is often really small. The hardest thing for me to learn was getting in tight. I was scared of that for a long time. Once I got over it, a lot changed.

F: High quality consumer digital cameras (3+ megapixel)are getting cheaper and in many cases now cost less than an entry level SLR, is digital now a better medium for the average photographer to learn to shoot with, or is film still the way to go?

SS: I think for learning and experimenting, digital would be the way to go. I have an older 2 megapixel camera that I toy with, and it helps a lot. If you're determined to be serious, film vs digital may be a little stickier debate.

F: What cameras do you own and what situations do you use each one for?

SS: 2 Nikon f4s bodies (one got blown up when I got hit at Telluride UCI last year, but it still works fine without a flash). One dedicated to the longer lens, one for shorter lenses and/or flash work.

F: What are your film reccommendations for different lighting / action situations?

SS: I'm not very versed in a variety of films because I was recommended Fuji Provia 100f and that's what I use almost exclusively. Sometimes 400 if it's needed and occassionally velvia. for portrait or print film work, Kodak Portra varieties. I'd like to try the Agfa Ultra 100 too.

F: I've noticed a lot of your daytime photos make use of  fill flash to
really make the rider stand out from the background, what tips and techniques can people learn to more effectively use flash for
daytime shots?

SS: Fill flash (using it in daylight to help reduce shadows/contrast) helps with detail and brings the subject to life. In lower light, the flash can help you control your shutter speed as well. Learning to control your flash for your needs can be a technical task. Read
books on technique, ask experienced photographers and shoot A LOT. Document your settings to see what works and what doesn't.

F: Do you think camera gear makes a lot of difference to photographs, or can anyone take a good photo on any camera?

SS: Yes and no, but I lean towards no. The eye and vision for the shot is more important than "the best camera". Working with what you have may do more than buying what you think you "need". Also, there's a lot of work that goes into the shot AFTER the fact. Not faking it, but enhancing and getting it dialed.

F: What would you reccommend as a body / lens combo for someone who wants to start taking better / more serious photographs? 

SS: Ebay has TONS of stuff that is used and may be older, but it's quality (if you're appropriately cautious). Determining what you want to shoot will help with your choice. Sturdy equipment and good glass in your lens will make the difference.

I chose an f4 because I couldn't afford an f5. Now I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything. Lenses are important and compatibility for upgrading in the future should be factors in your choice as well.

F: How important is a good subject to you? I find just about all my good photos are of good riders, can a less able rider be made to look good in a photo, or are we all destined to look like hacks?

SS: Pretty important. I think exciting, aggressive riders are fun to shoot. Ross Milan (a U.S. ripper who will be comin' up soon) is super fun because of the faces he makes...just aggro.
Shooting an expert or sport rider can yield just as good a shot as a pro if they're pushing their limits.

F: I've noticed you have a fair whack of published photos with various magazines, what have you learnt over the years about approaching publications with your photos?

SS: I'm new to that arena, but all the experienced people i've talked to have said it's 80% relationship, 20% photograph. It's work to get attention, and I don't really work too hard at it. I like taking the photos and I've been lucky to have some people notice my work.

F: How hard is it for a good photographer to make a living in the mountain bike industry? Do any photographers make a living from MTB for that matter?

SS: Good question. If I tried to make a living from MTB photography I'd be long dead! I think everyone in the MTB world shoots elsewhere, and I hope they do! Variety can only help...whether it's other sports, studio work, landscapes...whatever.

F: Anything you'd like to say to aspiring lensmen and women out there?

SS: Practice, read books, look at photos you like and figure out why you like them, then copy the style. Look outside of the MTB world for inspiration.

Thanks for the interview! That was fun, even though I feel like a dork
giving advice...I'm always asking for advice! Oh well, if it inspires others, cool.

Shawn's photos have definitely been an inspiration to me of late and hopefully you dig them too. Don't forget to check out Shawn's website, http://www.164productions.com if you want to see some more of his awesome MTB photography.

Discuss this Interview here.