2012 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Shoot

[BlueMeanieTSi]

You can watch OnOneSoftwares online tutorials however they apply only to perfect effects. Bringing back the black areas a lot of people use the dodge/burn tools however I find it's easier to control if you create a new layer, set layer type to "soft light" then paint white (if too dark) or black (if too light) and then adjust opacity of the layer until it looks "real"

Everything else I've just kind of homogonized over the last 5 years of my own style in processing HDR (and some single images).

 

[bhop]

IMO, you need to use some off-camera lighting to help fill in the shadows.

Take a look at this flickr group for some inspiration.
Flickr: Automotive lighting & Photography

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

you CAN use some off-camera lighting to help fill in the shadows

- how that should read.

Learn to take great images with available lighting before making someone go out and buy big $ stuff to try and make their images better.

 

[bhop]

you CAN use some off-camera lighting to help fill in the shadows

- how that should read.

Learn to take great images with available lighting before making someone go out and buy big $ stuff to try and make their images better.

No, that's now what it should read. It NEEDS some kind of fill lighting, whether it's off camera flash, or bounced off reflectors.

 

[ScubaBrett22]

you CAN use some off-camera lighting to help fill in the shadows

- how that should read.

Learn to take great images with available lighting before making someone go out and buy big $ stuff to try and make their images better.

This is a tad off topic but I do use natural light a lot never use flash or strobes this is a picture of me when I went Urban Exploring my face was just lit up by the sun nothing else no reflectors no nothing.

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

So you're telling me that every single great car image ever taken has had fill lighting to make it work? That's BS.

What it needs is better control over the available lighting in the situation, if you decide to shoot so late in the evening or sunset that lighting is challenging then perhaps that's one option, another one is proper use of HDR.

I agree it NEEDS better control, but to tell the guy the only way he is going to fix it is to use off camera lighting - sorry, 100% disagree.

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

you CAN use some off-camera lighting to help fill in the shadows

- how that should read.

Learn to take great images with available lighting before making someone go out and buy big $ stuff to try and make their images better.

This is a tad off topic but I do use natural light a lot never use flash or strobes this is a picture of me when I went Urban Exploring my face was just lit up by the sun nothing else no reflectors no nothing.

They're going to tell you the harsh shadows on your face are why you need additional lighting.

 

[bhop]

you CAN use some off-camera lighting to help fill in the shadows

- how that should read.

Learn to take great images with available lighting before making someone go out and buy big $ stuff to try and make their images better.

This is a tad off topic but I do use natural light a lot never use flash or strobes this is a picture of me when I went Urban Exploring my face was just lit up by the sun nothing else no reflectors no nothing.

Well, that's a nice photo and I usually prefer natural light myself, but automotive photography requires different techniques than portrait photography. The curves, the reflective surfaces all present challenges that make it a little more difficult IMO. I'm not saying it's not possible to get nice photos of cars with available light, but if you want photos that 'pop' or that look like more than just snaps, then you need to step up your game. If you don't have a budget for external lighting, then use some reflectors. You can get a friend to hold up some white poster board to bounce light into the shadows in the bumpers and wheels.. that stuff's cheap. Or cover some posterboard with aluminum foil, etc.

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

This was shot 30min after sunset in natural light.

The paint is original from the 60s with no clear and it's never been buffed which is why it's flat looking.

 

[bhop]

This was shot 30min after sunset in natural light.

The paint is original from the 60s with no clear and it's never been buffed which is why it's flat looking.

That's a totally different lighting situation than the OPs shots. After the sun has gone over the horizon, or trees, you don't have all the harsh shadows that he had. That's how you were able to get away with not using some kind of fill light. I'd also recommend using a polarizer to help get rid of those reflections on the windshield.. unless you like it that way.

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

Shot with a Nikon 14/24 f2.8, there's no polarizer in the world that works with that lens and although I have thought about ND filters the rigging costs about half as much as the lens so I would rather just put that money towards another lens if I had it.

Plus that particular photo the reflections add to it I think.

To get back to the original concept I was telling him to pick better lighting conditions instead of telling him to buy gear and spend money to make the lighting conditions he's in work. which would you rather do? Spend a few $k on lighting or wait 3 hours...

 

[bhop]

To get back to the original concept I was telling him to pick better lighting conditions instead of telling him to buy gear and spend money to make the lighting conditions he's in work. which would you rather do? Spend a few $k on lighting or wait 3 hours...

That's cool.. i'd agree that better lighting conditions would help. I'm not trying to start any internet arguments, just trying to help the dude get nicer pics. Sometimes you don't have the option of choosing your time though. You also don't have to spend thousands of dollars. You can get Vivitar 285 HV flashes for around 80 bucks and some yongnuo triggers for around 50. I've been using my cheap triggers without issues for a couple years now. That's all you really need to start with.

But since we're showing some example pics, here's a couple of mine with off-camera fill lights. They're a little old at this point and looking back there are some things I might do differently, but anyway, you can see how it adds to the shadows.
EK Civic Hatch | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Fit with Ings+ | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

I like the first one.

 

[12sndsgood]

it can be done both ways. having lighting as an option helps in instances when you can't pick the time. me, i prefer sunset with the car lit up myself. but everyone is diffrent. its nice having options no matter what yoru doing.

 

[ScubaBrett22]

So I re-edited them using Photoshop and Topaz Adjust 4 tell me what you think about them now.