Car's Console

[misterdiego]

Hello guys,

I have a little bit of a technical Challenge here. I was hired to do a single shot of a car's interior (just as the one attached) but I am not sure about the lightning techniques I should apply to obtain a similar result (I work with a set of Nikon SB 700's and soft boxes). I will certainly appreciate any suggestion or lights (pun intended) you can throw on this matter.

Thanks a lot!

 

[JoeW]

I like the lighting in the photo. With all the glass and chrome, it's going to be very easy to get a lot of reflection and hot spots. You might want to look at a clamp for your camera (just clamp it on to a seat or widow) than shoot with ambient light at a narrow aperture (for a wide DoF) and a slow shutter exposure.

I'm not wild about the composition. The roof support was the first thing that grabbed my attention (and that's probably the LAST thing you want viewers to focus on). You've centered the steering wheel like a POV for the driver--unless that's a requirement of the client, I'd either position the camera further to the left (which runs a risk of some distortion) or crop the photo to take out some of the left side (door/window) and windshield. Think of a triangle between the steering wheel, the console and the HUD that goes from the middle left-upper right-lower right as a way to compose the photo rather than just centering the steering wheel.

 

[bribrius]

I like the lighting in the photo. with all the glass and chrome, it's going to be very easy to get a lot of reflection and shot spots. You might want to look at a clamp for your camera (just clamp it on to a seat or widow) than shoot with ambient light at a narrow aperture (for a wide DoF) and a slow shutter exposure.

I'm not wild about the composition. The roof support was the first thing that grabbed my attention (and that's probably the LAST thing you want viewers to focus on). You've centered the steering wheel like a POV for the driver--unless that's a requirement of the client, I'd either position the camera further to the left (which runs a risk of some distortion) or crop the photo to take out some of the left side (door/window) and windshield. Think of a triangle between the steering wheel, the console and the HUD that goes from the middle left-upper right-lower right as a way to compose the photo rather than just centering the steering wheel.

how does one effect the other? sorry to intervene btw I just haven't quite understood how that works.

 

[480sparky]

.........a narrow aperture (for a wide DoF) .........

how does one effect the other? sorry to intervene btw I just haven't quite understood how that works.

Smaller lens apertures create more/wider/deeper Depth of Field.

 

[Designer]

I don't know if you can get the seat back out of the way far enough to get this shot. IMO, whoever took this shot had the seat back removed for the shot.

Anyway, I suggest bouncing both speed lights off the car's "ceiling". Or you can try ambient light as JoeW suggested. Notice how dark the lower part of the photo is? I think adding light is the way to go.

Another possibility is to position two soft boxes outside the car, aiming in through the side windows. Be sure to consider the view out the windshield, too. It looks as if the other photographer set up a white reflector at the front of the car. Or it could be all PS in post.

 

[misterdiego]

Thank you guys for the valuable advice! I just took a photo today to test and the best choice was placing both lights on each side on the doors as Designer suggested. The outcome was good enough.
Tomorrow I am scheduled to shoot the real thing, I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks!