Advice on first car shoot

largelylivin

I'm photographing a group of 3 classic corvettes for an aquaintence. I've never really shot cars before. :scratch These cars have been restored to better than showroom condition. Outdoor meadow setting. I can essentially control time-of-day and assumed that 2-4PM gave me good sun angles and avoided any morning dew that 9-11 might get me. She basically wants classic car calendar results.

I've heard people talk about wetting down cars but I'd think that the water would bead-up faster than you can get a pic or two taken. Also, the owner is very proud that these cars have "never been rained on". Yep. Fanatical.

I've been thinking about some extra more experiemental shots.

1. I plan on borrowing/buying a fish-eye for some wraparound chrome effects and so I can fit three 'vete noses in a straight-on shot.

2. The owner is a bit over-the-top beautiful like the kind of women that model at car shows but early 40s. She seemed interested in the idea of some reflection shots but nothing direct or like sprawling across the hood. Lol, I did use that example to see what she was interested in.

Any "basics" for car shots?

aj986s

I'm not a pro, but here's some suggestions:

1. Consider some high-angle shots. Maybe bring along a step-ladder. Or mount the camera on a monopod/tripod, and hold it up high over your head.
2. I like to shoot closeups of badges, wheel center caps, and other details that may be attractive or unique to the car.
3. Don't forget interior and engine bay opportunities.

largelylivin

Good advice!

aj986s wrote:

I'm not a pro, but here's some suggestions:

1. Consider some high-angle shots. Maybe bring along a step-ladder. Or mount the camera on a monopod/tripod, and hold it up high over your head.
2. I like to shoot closeups of badges, wheel center caps, and other details that may be attractive or unique to the car.
3. Don't forget interior and engine bay opportunities.

See, it never hurts to ask.

I hadn't thought of high-angle shots and wouldn't have had a ladder on me. Good idea.

I think I'd better bring the flash too.

Thanks a bunch.

pathfinder

A few thoughts off the top of my head.... I do not shoot cars, so take these suggestions with a large grain of salt - they may be worth less than what you are paying for them:D

Can you find a large, shadow area along a wall of a building?

You could park the car in the shadow, and use a large frame to hold up a large nylon or cotton scrim and shoot a flash throught the scrim to create a very large softbox effect. Some folks shoot a flash through an Impact diffusion panel to create a large softbox effect.

One of the challenges of shooting highly reflective cars and chrome bumpers, is to control specular reflections. A good diffused flash and a polarizing filter may help.

Hard flash lighting can also be used to good effect - check out some of the car mags for ideas for lighting.

The step ladder sounds like a good idea. Also shooting very low from street level with a right angle view finder.

Think of off camera flash in the engine compartment and interiors also. Balance the flash carefully against the ambient light level.

Bayer-Z28

I, however, think low angle works WONDERS for cars!!! It can make a junker look good! Immagine what it can do for a REALLY nice car!


Such as...



I'll load a couple more to give you ideas..

mr peas

Use your 70-300mm Sigma. Start at 70mm, zoom to 300mm, manual focus, then revert back to 70mm. Take your shots with that from a far, close, etc.

Using flash, you can use flash to light the car from different spots. If you only have one flash, you can set the camera to manual, stop down to f16-f22, trigger the camera, then as the camera exposes for the photo, walk around the side of the car you're trying to capture and set the flash off once twice or as many times as you may need to light up the car.

This can be done in daytime and night. Just takes a few tries to get the perfect combination of flashes and settings on the camera.

High angles are good, so are low angles. Just try to mimic the angles and vantage points you see in magazines.

Get creative with the flash, lighting, you can even use a flashlight to 'paint' certain areas of the car.

Good luck!

Some examples:













Always try to have fun with it. ;D

largelylivin

Thanks for the examples
Mr Peas and Bayer: thanks, good shots and good food for thought. Bayer: nice touch with the butt on the ground - that'll be me!

I 'gave up' car mags years ago because I love those shiney things but could never afford a 'habit'.

I've never tried painting with a flash. This sounds like a good opportunity.

Any suggestions on achieving a reflection of a person or body off the car? My owner is intrigued by the idea as I am with her. It will be daylight so I figured that I could flash her while shooting on the shady side of the car, chrome, whatever. Would a reflector be more controllable? I also thought I could position her so that the ambient light bounced off her while I shoot from behind her, shadyside again.

mr peas

largelylivin wrote:

Mr Peas and Bayer: thanks, good shots and good food for thought. Bayer: nice touch with the butt on the ground - that'll be me!

I 'gave up' car mags years ago because I love those shiney things but could never afford a 'habit'.

I've never tried painting with a flash. This sounds like a good opportunity.

Any suggestions on achieving a reflection of a person or body off the car? My owner is intrigued by the idea as I am with her. It will be daylight so I figured that I could flash her while shooting on the shady side of the car, chrome, whatever. Would a reflector be more controllable? I also thought I could position her so that the ambient light bounced off her while I shoot from behind her, shadyside again.

You can probably pull this off but it will depend on the type of car, the amount of reflective surface and how much of her body you would like to show.

If I was going to pull off a reflection off the car to show a human aspect of the car, I would take a candid photo of the owner sort of walking or looking elsewhere and taking her photo from a reflection of a mirror, glass, or body panel (flat preferably so that there will be no distortion). For example, maybe have her be outside the car positioned in a way that you can shoot her from the inside, from the drivers side showing the wheel, but in the sideview mirror, have her reflection on it, but she cant be looking at the mirror otherwise it will lose the candid look-moment. That would show both the car and the owner yet still look as if its candid. Another way I would pull this off is to have her stand next to a certain emblem and have you shoot from above her or next to her, aimed primarily at the emblem, but her reflection right next to it, but have the emblem be the main focus.

Lots of ways to do stuff like that, but it should be tastefully done. A reflection of someone without thought of composition just ruins the feel of a photo, it has to be premeditated. Think it over and be creative. Ask her what part of the car she likes most and try it around there. But def do an inside car shot with her in the side view, its the easiest one to pull off, plus most dramatic.

Cant wait to see what you come up with, good luck!

pathfinder

mr peas wrote:

Use your 70-300mm Sigma. Start at 70mm, zoom to 300mm, manual focus, then revert back to 70mm. Take your shots with that from a far, close, etc.

Using flash, you can use flash to light the car from different spots. If you only have one flash, you can set the camera to manual, stop down to f16-f22, trigger the camera, then as the camera exposes for the photo, walk around the side of the car you're trying to capture and set the flash off once twice or as many times as you may need to light up the car.

This can be done in daytime and night. Just takes a few tries to get the perfect combination of flashes and settings on the camera.

High angles are good, so are low angles. Just try to mimic the angles and vantage points you see in magazines.

Get creative with the flash, lighting, you can even use a flashlight to 'paint' certain areas of the car.

Good luck!

Some examples:













Always try to have fun with it. ;D

Mr Peas

Did you use flash for all of these pictures? Even the third one?

Nice use of lighting for subject and background seperation.

As you demonstrated so well, get the flash off the camera

mr peas

Not on the 3rd one, just available light on that one.

The last one it was just a ceiling bounce.

Yeppers, off camera flashes can save you in a tough pickle.

mercphoto

largelylivin wrote:

I can essentially control time-of-day and assumed that 2-4PM gave me good sun angles and avoided any morning dew that 9-11 might get me.

Wrong time of day. How can having the sun overhead help you any? You are photographing primarily the sides of the cars, correct? But the sun is shining on the tops at 2PM.... Go near sunrise or near sunset.

Use a circular polarizer. Primarily I aim for a clear windshield unless reflections elsewhere are particularly bad. Bring a tri-pod and a shutter release cable. Use a flash for interior shots, perferrably off-camera using a flash cord. Experiment with locations for the flash as you shoot inside. Beware of large contrast shots: white car on black asphalt is just one example. You might have to adjust the exposure compensation and make a decision about whether you blow a highlight or plug a shadow, or take two exposures and mask them.

Bayer-Z28

largelylivin wrote:

Mr Peas and Bayer: thanks, good shots and good food for thought. Bayer: nice touch with the butt on the ground - that'll be me!

I 'gave up' car mags years ago because I love those shiney things but could never afford a 'habit'.

...................

Thanx.. It was unintentional. I didn't even think that shot would have came out that good.. Even with the WB off.. IMO: I think it loos like a painting. It was stunning seeing it on the computer for the first time.. I don't PS any of my pics. Try to get them as good as you can with just the camera. No DSLR in my hands yet... -Soon tho.