Photoshoot tips

[roadblkx]

Going out with a friend to shoot with our two cars (he has a '95 Avalon that he has fixed up lol). I have a great camera. Looking to take really nice pics around my huge church which used to be a hotel. There are some cool spots. Anyways, I've never given my car a photoshoot or anything. Any tips on types of angles etc. And cool things I can do to make it different/better?
Examples of cool shots would be nice too. Thanks. It will be done in the daytime if that makes a difference.

[Maverix]

Make sure there are no other cars in the view, or business signs. Also, I noticed that a picture looks better if you take it as close to the ground as possible. It makes it seem more bigger and shows the viewer the focus of the shot.

What other photographers tend to do is blur the background, and make the car sharper. I personally don't like that because I enjoy looking into the setting.

[wolferj-RIP]

This year's calendar submissions;

http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24234


Might give you some ideas. Many different angles and backdrops. Just be creative...

[aceyx]

Using natural light, the times around morning and evening are best suited for good photographs. In the hours surrounding mid-day, the light is "flat," and doesn't add a lot of interest to your subject. The same goes for overcast days.

For framing your subject, do a little research on the "Rule of Thirds," it will tend to draw the eye equally to all aspects.

Also remember that most people tend to scan a photo from left to right.

[tiFreak]

make sure bright sunlight doesn't reflect off any of the body panels or windows wash out that part of the car

EDIT: see my sig for a good example of what not to do

[jordanmc]

natural light is def best.
For the commercials and real magazine shoots they will light the entire car with multiple lights all grouped together in one big light.
The goal is to cut down on reflection. Indirect or dispersed light is best. Aim for a cloudy day.
The pros who shoot cars in studios with unnatural light (which is like everything you see on TV and in print) will go so far as to have some PA spread Vaseline over every curve and corner to cut down on reflection.

here is a good example for you.
this car was shot with a multitude of lights at a variety of angles:


this one is a studio enviornment shot with multiple lights grouped together behind a diffuser, lit from directly above the car (you can see how the light tends to "block" out areas as opposed to the first car where you can pick out multiple reflections.

[jordanmc]

i want a z3 or z4, they look fun

[J!m]

All good advice so far.

First rule: don't be afraid to take a lot of shots.

Second rule: just because it looks good to your eye, doesn't mean it will look good in a photo.

Third rule: Fill flash.

Use natural light to your advantage; however bring along a big white bed sheet to reflect some light onto the darker areas (like lower body panels), and a low-power fill flash (with diffuser) can really make some details 'pop' that you might want to draw attention to. Be aware of the suroundings. It is common to be so focused on the subject you totally miss the obscene grafitti in the background...

Mainly, go with the first rule. Stop down to f11 or so, and set the shutter speed according to the light meter rading. If it is slower than the inverse of your focal length, you will need a tripod and cable release (which is a good idea regardless).

I assume you can search "car photography" and get a bunch of tips too...

[Mikel]

Originally Posted by Maverix

What other photographers tend to do is blur the background, and make the car sharper. I personally don't like that because I enjoy looking into the setting.

That's called a narrow depth of field and is done by setting a lower aperture. It's purpose is to quickly bring the viewers attention to the subject (the car) by eliminating a distracting background. I'm not saying you have to or should like taking pictures this way. I just wanted to give the other side and explain that it's not a bad thing either.


btw roadblkx, do you have a slr or a point and shoot camera?