Photographing Cars--> Advice

yeedub · 04-06-2009, 11:29 AM

Heres a few shots I took recently at an indoor autoshow. I used a polarizer and a hotshoe flash for fill.

Heres an older pic I took, the auto metering of the K10D just isn't the same as the K20D.

Mechan1k · 04-14-2009, 03:08 AM

Damn yeedub ... these are simplt amazing indeed.

Did you bounce flash in these??? Or just direct on at low power (diffused???)

yeedub · 04-14-2009, 05:12 PM

I had the flash direct with a diffuser on low power as fill. I really like the effect fill flash gives because I find the details such as headlights and emblems really pop out at you. It also keeps the darker parts of the car lit up to balance the overall lighting of the car

Donald · 04-19-2009, 06:51 AM

I have done a lot of car photography.

It is very difficult to get good shots at an indoor show. The physical layout and people make it difficult to frame a shot. Indoor lights' hot spot reflections are completely distracting and do nothing to enhance a photo.

Outdoor shows often have the layout and people issue, but patience and freedom to move around can often fix that. Also, the multiple hot spot light reflections either don't happen or can be dealt with by different direction.

Always look out for people. I got an awesome photo series of an old Pontiac only to find that the best exposure and composition had a clear reflection of a portly lady walking by eating ice cream.

Also, as mentioned above, these cars are cleaned, wiped, buffed, etc. This often leaves multiple miniscule threads or dust motes on the cars. These appear similar to oversharpening artefacts on large body panels' colour fields. I spend a lot of time at 400 - 1,000% zoom stamping them out, hours of work. On select images, it makes a huge difference, and for me, having done that work, I can see this lack of attention to detail on lots of shots other photographers put up with great pride.

1. Some distracting hot spots, a lot of little cotton cloth hairs.

2. Edited out, obvious at larger size, makes a good print.

cupic · 04-19-2009, 08:14 PM

Man Im getting my polarizer out next motor show that comes great series

cheers

iNVision ART · 04-29-2009, 01:13 AM

Having a nice UWA lens is real good to have but if you have just a WA lens, try taking multiple shots and stiching them together to get a sorta Ultra Wide Angle lens. Also being creative like shooting reflections and HDR is also another creative extension. Get some over the top or Aerial type shots to give it more of a dramatic feeling or rolling shots! I find myself to be a heavy Car/Motorsport Photgrapher and nature too.

Kevin1961 · 04-29-2009, 11:23 AM

Originally posted by Mechan1k

Circular Polarizer for sure .... it can be used to reduce harsh reflections in paintwork and get the paint a lovely deeper gloss effect without the bad reflections and flare.

Circular Polarizer good choice.

Kevin1961 · 04-29-2009, 11:28 AM

Originally posted by yeedub

I had the flash direct with a diffuser on low power as fill. I really like the effect fill flash gives because I find the details such as headlights and emblems really pop out at you. It also keeps the darker parts of the car lit up to balance the overall lighting of the car

Amazing Shots. yeedub.

skydragoness · 04-29-2009, 04:15 PM

Originally posted by edl:

Wow! I'd like to know how you managed that at dusk w/o getting run over like you mentioned.

Originally posted by Donald

I have done a lot of car photography.

It is very difficult to get good shots at an indoor show. The physical layout and people make it difficult to frame a shot. Indoor lights' hot spot reflections are completely distracting and do nothing to enhance a photo.

Definitely. I don't bring my camera to car shows, I just go to look for this reason. The lighting stinks and the gobs and gobs of kids and people is too frustrating for me.

Quote:

Always look out for people. I got an awesome photo series of an old Pontiac only to find that the best exposure and composition had a clear reflection of a portly lady walking by eating ice cream.

A good rule to go by for any kind of photography!

edl · 05-05-2009, 10:48 AM

Originally posted by skydragoness

Wow! I'd like to know how you managed that at dusk w/o getting run over like you mentioned.

This is the main intersection in Ginza district and there was a lot of foot traffic. Imagine hundreds of people crossing the street at every light. So I had to wander out in the intersection just a bit to get that photo - it wasn't too bad.

I wouldn't try it in the States though. We're all about running people over here

yeatzee · 05-08-2009, 09:39 AM

^ that was my personal favorite from my local rod run. Sadly the reflections are terrible, so make sure you look out for them before you shoot!

Bullitt Proof · 05-31-2009, 01:37 AM

I mainly shoot car shows and events here in FL. And I've experimented with all the things above too. Here are three things I carry at all times; a polarize lens, a wide angle lens and a tri-pod.

And a few examples of shoots I've done to give some ideas to you.

a wide angle lens (3-4 feet away):

a tripod (long exposure) night shot:

a rolling shot (40 mph)

And if you get brave and want to discover HDRI... here is one as well.

**RichardS** · 06-06-2009, 01:14 AM

This was taken in the street. Indoor car shows are there for photographing the girls on the stands, not the cars

What a great reflection

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smf · 06-07-2009, 02:34 AM

Here are a book title and some tips from my experience:

"How to Photograph Cars" by James Mann is a 142-page book (plus a one-page) index published by MBI Publishing Co. ISBN 0-7603-1243-5

I bought it in a bookstore, but apparently it also can be bought from the publisher. Here's a url:
How to Photograph Cars - by James Mann

Its chapters are Equipment; Basic Camera Techniques; Preparing The Car for the Shoot; Action Photographs; Motorsport Events; Groups of Cars, People and Cars, Studio Techniques; Restoration Photos; Shooting a Magazine Feature; Photographic Archiving.

Perhaps your local camera store, public library, car dealership or some other venue will host either your one-person show of car photos or a group's show — perhaps in conjunction with a car show. If the photo show is promoted with announcements at the car show and also in news media before and during the show, that could increase attendance.

Also:

Sometimes a person or persons (spectator or car owner) in the photo adds to the image. For example, at a recent outdoor show, a man lying on the grass in front of a custom car was peering at the undercarriage.

Consider photographing nostalgic items displayed on or in cars at shows. Some examples: stuffed animals, drive-in trays holding fake food and root beer glasses, and personalized license plates.

Take a camera to indoor shows despite the cramped conditions and poor lighting. Although my photos of a Bugatti Veyron won't be in any magazine, I'm glad I had a camera with me at the indoor show where the car was displayed. I might never see another Bugatti Veyron. I waited until no spectators interfered with the view.

Sometimes a car cruise is associated with a show. Cruises provide a chance to get photos of vehicles in motion and not crammed into a tight space, with one car interfering with the view of another. Also, sometimes cars can be photographed entering or leaving the show area, or lined up for the cruise.

Sometimes cars in the parking lot are as interesting as cars at the show. I got nice shots of a Ferrari in a grassy parking lot before a show.

If the car owner is near his or her vehicle, I ask permission to photograph the vehicle, and I chat with the owner. It is fun, and I learn neat stuff.

I'll make a DVD of car show photos and give it to nursing homes and perhaps a VA hospital or someplace else for the enjoyment of folks who can't get out to car shows.

Best wishes!

AM|Photography · 06-19-2009, 04:19 PM

So many great tips listed in here. My only stress point (since the reflections and lighting has been so well covered) is detail. I do a lot of shooting at Import meets where some of the smallest details on the car mean the most. It really helps to know your "stuff" when it comes to shooting cars. This way you can spot the rare and important things that most people would just look past. Looking at the car as a whole is great but when you break down the pieces you can really get a feel for the effort and detail which sometimes should be captured in the pictures. Happy shooting!!

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04-06-2009, 11:29 AM	#16
yeedub Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 78	Heres a few shots I took recently at an indoor autoshow. I used a polarizer and a hotshoe flash for fill. Heres an older pic I took, the auto metering of the K10D just isn't the same as the K20D.

04-14-2009, 03:08 AM	#17
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	Damn yeedub ... these are simplt amazing indeed. Did you bounce flash in these??? Or just direct on at low power (diffused???)

04-14-2009, 05:12 PM	#18
yeedub Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Vancouver BC Canada Posts: 78	I had the flash direct with a diffuser on low power as fill. I really like the effect fill flash gives because I find the details such as headlights and emblems really pop out at you. It also keeps the darker parts of the car lit up to balance the overall lighting of the car

04-19-2009, 06:51 AM	#19
Donald Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 329	I have done a lot of car photography. It is very difficult to get good shots at an indoor show. The physical layout and people make it difficult to frame a shot. Indoor lights' hot spot reflections are completely distracting and do nothing to enhance a photo. Outdoor shows often have the layout and people issue, but patience and freedom to move around can often fix that. Also, the multiple hot spot light reflections either don't happen or can be dealt with by different direction. Always look out for people. I got an awesome photo series of an old Pontiac only to find that the best exposure and composition had a clear reflection of a portly lady walking by eating ice cream. Also, as mentioned above, these cars are cleaned, wiped, buffed, etc. This often leaves multiple miniscule threads or dust motes on the cars. These appear similar to oversharpening artefacts on large body panels' colour fields. I spend a lot of time at 400 - 1,000% zoom stamping them out, hours of work. On select images, it makes a huge difference, and for me, having done that work, I can see this lack of attention to detail on lots of shots other photographers put up with great pride. 1. Some distracting hot spots, a lot of little cotton cloth hairs. 2. Edited out, obvious at larger size, makes a good print.

04-19-2009, 08:14 PM	#20
cupic Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia-NSW Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,824	Man Im getting my polarizer out next motor show that comes great series cheers

04-29-2009, 01:13 AM	#21
iNVision ART Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The 808 State: Hawaii. From Nikon to PENTAX to Canon to Pentax Photos: Gallery Posts: 71	Having a nice UWA lens is real good to have but if you have just a WA lens, try taking multiple shots and stiching them together to get a sorta Ultra Wide Angle lens. Also being creative like shooting reflections and HDR is also another creative extension. Get some over the top or Aerial type shots to give it more of a dramatic feeling or rolling shots! I find myself to be a heavy Car/Motorsport Photgrapher and nature too.

04-29-2009, 11:23 AM	#22
Kevin1961 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaga Southern Spain Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 67	Originally posted by Mechan1k Circular Polarizer for sure .... it can be used to reduce harsh reflections in paintwork and get the paint a lovely deeper gloss effect without the bad reflections and flare. Circular Polarizer good choice.

04-29-2009, 11:28 AM	#23
Kevin1961 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Malaga Southern Spain Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 67	Originally posted by yeedub I had the flash direct with a diffuser on low power as fill. I really like the effect fill flash gives because I find the details such as headlights and emblems really pop out at you. It also keeps the darker parts of the car lit up to balance the overall lighting of the car Amazing Shots. yeedub.

04-29-2009, 04:15 PM	#24
skydragoness Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Delaware, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 163	Originally posted by edl: Wow! I'd like to know how you managed that at dusk w/o getting run over like you mentioned. Originally posted by Donald I have done a lot of car photography. It is very difficult to get good shots at an indoor show. The physical layout and people make it difficult to frame a shot. Indoor lights' hot spot reflections are completely distracting and do nothing to enhance a photo. Definitely. I don't bring my camera to car shows, I just go to look for this reason. The lighting stinks and the gobs and gobs of kids and people is too frustrating for me. Quote: Always look out for people. I got an awesome photo series of an old Pontiac only to find that the best exposure and composition had a clear reflection of a portly lady walking by eating ice cream. A good rule to go by for any kind of photography!

05-05-2009, 10:48 AM	#25
edl Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Francisco Posts: 457	Originally posted by skydragoness Wow! I'd like to know how you managed that at dusk w/o getting run over like you mentioned. This is the main intersection in Ginza district and there was a lot of foot traffic. Imagine hundreds of people crossing the street at every light. So I had to wander out in the intersection just a bit to get that photo - it wasn't too bad. I wouldn't try it in the States though. We're all about running people over here

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05-08-2009, 09:39 AM	#26
yeatzee Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Temecula Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,675	^ that was my personal favorite from my local rod run. Sadly the reflections are terrible, so make sure you look out for them before you shoot!

05-31-2009, 01:37 AM	#27
Bullitt Proof Inactive Account Join Date: May 2009 Location: Panama City, FL Photos: Gallery Posts: 11	I mainly shoot car shows and events here in FL. And I've experimented with all the things above too. Here are three things I carry at all times; a polarize lens, a wide angle lens and a tri-pod. And a few examples of shoots I've done to give some ideas to you. a wide angle lens (3-4 feet away): a tripod (long exposure) night shot: a rolling shot (40 mph) And if you get brave and want to discover HDRI... here is one as well.

06-07-2009, 02:34 AM	#29
smf Pentaxian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Midland, MI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,083	Here are a book title and some tips from my experience: "How to Photograph Cars" by James Mann is a 142-page book (plus a one-page) index published by MBI Publishing Co. ISBN 0-7603-1243-5 I bought it in a bookstore, but apparently it also can be bought from the publisher. Here's a url: How to Photograph Cars - by James Mann Its chapters are Equipment; Basic Camera Techniques; Preparing The Car for the Shoot; Action Photographs; Motorsport Events; Groups of Cars, People and Cars, Studio Techniques; Restoration Photos; Shooting a Magazine Feature; Photographic Archiving. Perhaps your local camera store, public library, car dealership or some other venue will host either your one-person show of car photos or a group's show — perhaps in conjunction with a car show. If the photo show is promoted with announcements at the car show and also in news media before and during the show, that could increase attendance. Also: Sometimes a person or persons (spectator or car owner) in the photo adds to the image. For example, at a recent outdoor show, a man lying on the grass in front of a custom car was peering at the undercarriage. Consider photographing nostalgic items displayed on or in cars at shows. Some examples: stuffed animals, drive-in trays holding fake food and root beer glasses, and personalized license plates. Take a camera to indoor shows despite the cramped conditions and poor lighting. Although my photos of a Bugatti Veyron won't be in any magazine, I'm glad I had a camera with me at the indoor show where the car was displayed. I might never see another Bugatti Veyron. I waited until no spectators interfered with the view. Sometimes a car cruise is associated with a show. Cruises provide a chance to get photos of vehicles in motion and not crammed into a tight space, with one car interfering with the view of another. Also, sometimes cars can be photographed entering or leaving the show area, or lined up for the cruise. Sometimes cars in the parking lot are as interesting as cars at the show. I got nice shots of a Ferrari in a grassy parking lot before a show. If the car owner is near his or her vehicle, I ask permission to photograph the vehicle, and I chat with the owner. It is fun, and I learn neat stuff. I'll make a DVD of car show photos and give it to nursing homes and perhaps a VA hospital or someplace else for the enjoyment of folks who can't get out to car shows. Best wishes!

06-19-2009, 04:19 PM	#30
AM\|Photography Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Photos: Gallery Posts: 41	So many great tips listed in here. My only stress point (since the reflections and lighting has been so well covered) is detail. I do a lot of shooting at Import meets where some of the smallest details on the car mean the most. It really helps to know your "stuff" when it comes to shooting cars. This way you can spot the rare and important things that most people would just look past. Looking at the car as a whole is great but when you break down the pieces you can really get a feel for the effort and detail which sometimes should be captured in the pictures. Happy shooting!!