Yorkshire was buzzing with the sound of sporting adventure this weekend as The Tour De France got started in Leeds and continued on through Yorkshire, providing plenty of interesting photo opportunities, that can be turned into customised prints.

At the last count, close to 26,000 Instagram photographs had been marked with the #tourdefrance hashtag and there are no doubt thousands more shots of the cycling action that have been taken by amateurs and professionals alike on smartphones and DSLRs.

If you were one of the crowds taking in the action frame by frame, you might want to take a look at this competition from the Yorkshire Evening Press. You’ll need to be quick if you want to enter as the competition ends at 8 pm tonight (July 8^th).

If you’ve not yet managed to catch Le Tour or have been bitten by the bicycle bug after checking out the champions at the weekend, you can find the full route and details on the official website here.

Below you’ll find five top tips for perfecting your cycling photography ready for future action, along with some easily customised canvas ideas for making use of any images snapped so far!

 Cycling Photography Tips For Customised Prints

 1) Selecting a fast shutter speed will freeze the bike sharply, producing clearer images.

2) Choosing a slower speed and panning smoothly to follow the bike will capture a little blur in your images, giving momentum to the shot. Using a smartphone can produce a similar effect.

3) If you were among the crowds at the weekend you’ll have likely seen a lot of photographers up ladders and standing on ladders and walls. Vary the angle when you shoot to take in different perspectives – but be careful not to get in the way of riders!

4) Be aware of the route and find a winning position. In particular, try and seek out an inside spot on a downhill bend as this will allow you to capture the cyclists and their faces as they approach.

5) The cyclists, their bikes and their brightly-coloured tops are very eye-catching but there are plenty more subjects to snap. Yorkshire was awash with coloured bunting and bright yellow bikes this weekend, not to mention enthusiastically-cheering supporters, food stalls and stunning scenery lit up by the sun, so make sure you set the scene for the photographs you take.

Check out our blog on the basics of sports photography.

 Making the most of cycling photos

1) Make a storyboard of your Tour experience by transferring a selection of images to our small canvasses.

2) Capture the bustling excitement of the race with a panoramic canvas, allowing you to showcase more of the action at once.

3) Choose a twin-split or tri-split customised prints to convey the impact of Le Tour on a place that is familiar to you, juxtaposing photographs taken on the day with stiller, calmer images of a typical everyday scene in the same location.

Are you particularly proud of any images you managed to snap of the Tour De France this weekend or in the past?