Hello from Portland, OR

yella81celica · Mar 28, 2015

Hello my name is Adam and Ive been browsing the forum for a little while and thought it was time to finally join. Currently I just take pictures at car meets. I need to get back out to our local drift track to take pictures. I really want to try to push myself this year and get more involved and not have this be just a hobby. I want to get up close and personal on the local tracks around me.

W.Y.Photo · Mar 30, 2015

Hey Welcome to TPF

Your post reminded me of this video: I think it will be helpful in getting you started.

TwilitLens · Mar 30, 2015

Hi Adam! Congrats on taking your first steps. Best of success to you in developing both yourself and your abilities.

yella81celica · Mar 30, 2015

Good video. I want to get better with moving subjects/ panning. I know that my local drift track will be the best place for that or even the local autocross events.

Here are a couple of my pictures. These are my friends cars.

yella81celica · Mar 30, 2015

W.Y.Photo · Mar 30, 2015

You've got some creative compositions there!! I really like the idea of the Glass Ball or marble image. How'd you pull that one off?

Btw, Nice last name!

yella81celica · Mar 30, 2015

Haha Thanks! You too! Its a glass/crystal ball.

yella81celica · Mar 30, 2015

I like using the crystal ball for a photo shoot. Not out on a track or car meets. I really need to push myself and go out and take more pictures.

yella81celica · Mar 30, 2015

Here are a couple pictures from a Mini Truck meet. I'm coping pictures from FB as I'm not hooked up to where my originals are. Let me know what you think.

This one shows that its going to be chopped.

I like this one except for the hood strut.

W.Y.Photo · Mar 31, 2015

I recommend that you post some of these up for Critique in the gallery forums. Helpful tip: If you post one image at a time its easier for people to give helpful feedback.

JoeW · Mar 31, 2015

Welcome. Portland, OR is one of my favorite places on this planet--very cool, unique, a gazillion great photo opportunities. And then when you get out of the city...the Columbia River Gorge, the Oregon Coast...yikes!

If you like to shoot cars and want to build on this, here are a couple of thoughts..find out about local car enthusiast clubs (like Porsche and Corvette, etc.) and find out when they have their meet-ups. You can build up a modest website and then start marketing yourself to owners who are selling high-end or classic cars. Or another option is to sell calendars to car and mechanic shops (plenty of cheap software to produce a calendar but you provide the photos...either your pictures or cars from the client). I knew a photographer who did this with motorcycle shops (got a model to pose with the bikes) and sold calendars to all of the area shops (they'd give them away to customers or as promotional pieces so they were hiring him for the photos and to create a calendar template--they'd then insert their logos and promotions).

As for Portland itself, you've got a bunch of great open-air markets that are just superb for street photography. Any city with a river running through it has lots of good possibilities. I loved the art museum the last time I was there and got some nice shots inside the museum. The Rose Test Garden and the Japanese Garden are to-die for...just world class venues to either shoot or take a model or couple and do quick shots in.

You sir, have got a great play space to play with your photography in.

yella81celica · Mar 31, 2015

Ya. I've been looking at the the local track schedule to see what other groups and new shots I can try. Last year I was able to attend a local BMW meet. Lots of classics up to current day models.