Picture Questions

[sleeper300]

well i was taking some pics of of my car and i can never get any how i want them. i am always looking for my pics to come out as if my car were at a photo shoot, or something of that nature

so i was just wondering if you guys have any tips and taking pics


thank you

[Phlip]

Whisked away to oftopic, this conversation is.

[Andrew Bohan]

what kind of camera do you have? and what kinds of places are you shooting in?

[A Spec Products]

proper lighting and good angle

http://www.squidd.org/imagevue/upload/

check the link, that foo can take pics :)

hes also a member here who could probably help you out with some pointers

if not, then check out www.jtuned.com and take notes

[nistech]

^^^ yah squidd is the shit but he has a really good camara so i think that helps

[S13SilviaGirl]

Good camera helps, angle, and setting..If the setting isnt right, then the pic will look like crap. Framing is a HUGE point too. Make sure the car is framed right...with a nice background. Post up some pics (errr links to them in the pic thread) and let us see what kind of pics you are currently taking.

[95Blue240sx]

Good camera only = good quality pics. Practice with your camera. I usually laydown and do some JDM picture taking to get the pics I want. The key is to take HELLA(NorCal) pics and just pick and choose. Post some pics and let us help.

[TheSquidd]

Hahha thanks Logie! Get chu aero on we'll shoot the gay machine.

Anyway, yeah, a "good camera" is worthless without composition, lighting and a little imagination. I started with a Minolta dImage, pretty standard point and shoot, minimal settings, like 4 megapixels. I took pictures with that that look as good as if not better than the pics that come out of my D70 / D100 I have now.

In fact, the guy at work that shoots studio for us showed me a photo album of pictures he took with a disposable film camera, amazing shots! Equipment is only 10% of what goes into a photo. I find it only necessary to upgrade equipment when it is holding you back. Like right now I have no portable lighting system, and my photography definitely lacks because of it.


An extremely helpful resource is www.automotivephoto.com

You may have to register to view these, but there's tons of great info here:

Location Shooting Tips (http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/shooting-location/3371-post-up-some-tips.html)

Car Prep for Location Shooting (http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/shooting-location/3174-car-prep.html)

"Rig Shots" *for cheap! (http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/shooting-location/2923-rigs-shots-cheap.html)

Shooting Interiors (http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/shooting-location/2931-request-advice-interior-shots-lets.html)

Break down of an excellent s13 Shoot. (http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/shooting-location/2904-drift-car-location.html)

Shooting White Cars (http://www.automotivephoto.com/bulletin/shooting-location/2180-shooting-white-cars-share-your.html)

Anyway, basically just go on automotivephoto.com, goto the "Shooting Location" forum and browse around, you may have to change the "From The" option on the bottom to get the older posts.

And, since I'm a photo whore, Woot for this weekend!

http://www.squidd.org/Images/NHRA/DSC_0003.jpg

http://www.squidd.org/Images/NHRA/DSC_0046.jpg

[95Blue240sx]

The second pic is badasssssss

I usually find my stuff in magazines. I recently picked up a Popular Photography and Imaging mag. I didnt have to, i basically read it in the store, but its good to have in possesion to refer back to. This month they were talking about action shots and what not. How fast the shutter should be for animals, which can be directly used in automotive, ie drift events.

So just reading helps and dont worry too much about your camera. Learn how to use what you have. Mess around with white balance and whatnot and see what you can learn. Best thing is read the manual it came with. If you are really into photography, take a class. Ive taken one, and i want to take more, but i really need to concentrate on my "real" classes first.

[topsecretgold]

lighting has been huge for me as far as still shots...i can take pics on a cloudy day and they look like ass no matter what the angle...and then on sunny days at the right time they can turn out great...sometimes even at night the right artificial light can make shots turn out amazing...oh yeah and above all else--wash your car first.

[ramblux]

Shoot in RAW and you can make it look like any time of day you want. :)

[TheSquidd]

lighting has been huge for me as far as still shots...i can take pics on a cloudy day and they look like ass no matter what the angle...and then on sunny days at the right time they can turn out great...sometimes even at night the right artificial light can make shots turn out amazing...oh yeah and above all else--wash your car first.



Typically, the best lighting is found on a clear day at sunrise, and sun set, right before the sun appears / disappears behind the horizon. You get those beautiful colorful reflections and even lighting with no harsh shadows.

For example:

Not mine:
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/1152/dsc2561b2fk.jpg

Really helps with white and black cars, gives them color via reflection of light. These shots are typically best shot with a tripod as they are in low light, and use a long shutter speed to get the necessary exposure. Practice the angles and locations before sunset as you only have 30 minutes to an hour to take the pictures before the sun is completely gone.


I actually enjoy overcast and cloudy days, they give you the same effect. No sun means no highlights or harsh shadows. You just need to figure out how to expose properly, use the correct white balance and post process correctly. Typically you will need to increase the saturation levels on your subject, and perhaps add a little contrast.

Old photo of mine on an overcast morning:
http://www.squidd.org/imagevue/upload/content/Automotive/2005%20-%20Gold%20Civic/03-The%20Back%20Is%20Gold%20As%20Well.jpg

Also , get to know and love the clone stamp tool. As I just noticed right now the above image has a piece of paper stuck in the girders in the background. I didn't notice this when I shot it, and somehow missed it when I post-processed it, and now have to remove it.

Remember, most photos don't look that good straight from the camera, 90% of my shots are post-processed throughly. It's extremely important to remove imperfections and distractions from the scene and make crop to make the best composition for the photo. Film photographers have a dark room, we have Photoshop.

[timlush]

good info guys :D