Items List

1 – Yamaha WR250R w/ ProMoto Billet rear rack
1 – Pelican iM2100 Storm case
1 – 1/4″x12″ rod from your local hardware store
1- Ratchet strap
1 – Cabinet Drawer Rubber pad (optional)

Case Mounted

The goal was to mount my Pelican case without drilling holes in the case. Here you can see what the final install looks like.

Installation

I strategically drilled the holes in the back of the Pelican case.  The way I did it was I drilled three holes, two straight through the right side of the case, then only one on the left side. The left hole I drilled about 1/8″ lower than the right so it would put tension on the rod and help keep it in place. I’m going to see how this holds up, if I need to I can always drill the other side and slide the rod completely thru the left.

One thing to consider when selecting a ratchet strap, make sure its not too long or else the rounded bottom of the ratchet will hit your bike’s rack or seat. The one I used is about 3.5″ long. Of course this will all depend on your rear rack setup and the case you are using. Using a dremel I ground off the pin holding the short strap and hook off the ratchet. Slide the rod through the two holes on right side of the case, then thru the ratchet and now thru the left side.

Next I looped the strap thru the handle of the case and weaved it thru my rear rack and then back into the ratchet on the other side.

For my rear rack it worked best to have the ratchet at the front, the bottom of the ratchet did not hit the rack this way.

Now ratchet that thing down snug, I was surprised how well it strapped down.  Here’s a video showing the finished product.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dismounting the Case

Click here to view the embedded video.

As BigDog commented below, I did take his advice and add a small piece of cabinet drawer rubber padding underneath the case. It worked very well and it helps keep the case from moving or scuffing the rear rack.

In comes the Pelican 0910 Memory Case. This little dude is awesome, I recommend this case for anyone that needs to protect their SD cards while on the go. Just the fact that it’s made by Pelican really says a lot, it’s super compact and very sturdy.  I think this will be just what I needed until I fill it up, then I’ll have to snag another one.  Got it from Wal-mart online for $16.

Click to Zoom

The next little item I’ve always seem to need but never bought, is a small tabletop tripod.  After doing some research online, I decided on the Sunpak Mini-PROPLUS/B which has a compact ballhead.  Due to the compact size and the versatility to handle all of my cameras, this one fits the bill for my needs. After using it a few times, it seems sturdy and allows me to extend the legs in 3 different lengths. Got this on B & H Photo for $20 bucks. Check out the photos..

Next up… design a mount for the Pelican M2100 case to attach to my ProMoto Billet rack on my WR250R! And here’s what I came up with: Pelican Case Mounting

Click here to view the embedded video.

This little dude is free, it works great and I’ll be able to get those cool angle low shots while riding.  I can even bend the legs around a tree limb or fence post if I need to. So here’s what I came up with:

Here’s all you need to make your own little tripod. The black washer nut piece you don’t really need. I just added it cuz I found it and was going to use some sort of nut to be able to tighten down the legs onto each other.

My Flip Mino weighs 3.3 oz and this little thing holds it up with no problems.  I could easily use stronger gauge wire for a heavier camera.  You can buy tabletop tripods for cheap, but this little contraption will last for ever, need a new leg just cut a new piece of wire and slap it on. I love when a plan comes together!

But first, a little about what I use and do.  For right now when I’m on the trail I use an older point-n-shoot Olympus C-5000Z 5MP.  It has some manual settings which is nice but typically I just use some auto settings and make it better in post. Typically every photo I take before its uploaded anywhere I adjust the contrast & levels in Photoshop CS4.  Most image editing tools allow you to do this, including Picasa & Picnik.  Here’s a before and after shot using the Olympus (click photo to zoom):

Before (Details: 1/250, f/5.6, 7.8mm, ISO 50):

After, a little Contrast / Levels change

Now here’s a similar shot with my good camera, a Canon Rebel XTi. It’s Canon’s entry level DSLR but is loaded with goodies and unless I take photos for a living, I can’t see needing a whole lot more than what this camera offers for the price.  I mainly use two lenses, Canon EFS 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS and a Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens.  This little 50mm is the best money I’ve spent on a lens!

Here’s a similar shot with my Canon XTi 17-85mm:

Before (Details: 1/250, f/5.6, 26mm, ISO 100):

After:

Now this shot is not the best example to show the differences here, but this is what was going on in my backyard at the time!  As you can see the Canon, even in the before shot, has a much better white balance & contrasted photo.  There’s not a huge difference between the Canon’s before & after shot.

Here’s a few shots I took with the Canon DSLR that you just can’t do with a standard digital point-and-shoot camera.

If I could suggest only a few things to make your photos better, it would probably be these: framing & lighting.

Framing

Use the Rule of Thirds, which will allow the photo’s surroundings to help tell the story you are capturing. Also, when I frame a shot, I quickly look all around the view finder, making sure there’s not some weird object that throws the shot completely off.  The photo below is a good example of letting the surroundings be a part of the photo. It puts the viewer on location with the subject and it dramatically adds more to the photo than if the subject were centered.  On this shot I pulled the subject to the left edge a bit further than the normal but, I wanted Brayden’s eye to be the focal point of the shot.  For me, that tells it all!

There are times though, that the subject makes the shot look much better if it is centered.  As you can tell in these examples:

Lighting

In my opinion, lighting is like the sound of the photo.  Just like in a feature film, the shots can be good, the actors can be great, but without solid sound effects & scores, it feels very empty.  Lighting is the same way.  It adds so much to the photo and is probably one of the most over looked aspect for beginners.  There’s so much on this topic, so I think I’ll just show you a few examples and move on… Lighting is crucial, take advantage of it.

Last night I was reading a very good Ride Report on ADVrider.com and noticed the writer took very good photos. He had to be a seasoned photographer or just has a lot of hours looking through the lens. Then at the end of the report, he wrote a very nice photography primer post, some technique and tips for anyone taking photos, whether with a point-and-shoot or a nice DSLR.  I recommend reading thought it, as well as his ride report! Thanks Gregor.

Good luck and get creative with your shots.  Snap some shots at different angles, low and high. Play around with your camera and get to know it, and know it well!  If you have a DSLR like the Canon or Nikon.. do yourself a favor and put the dial on Manual and never ever turn it to anything else!  This will force you to learn the techniques of good exposure, shutter speed and focus.