Automotive Post Processing

Mot · May 29, 2012

After getting myself a copy of Photoshop CS5 I decided to start editing some vehicles, one of the main reasons I realised that I needed PhotoShop!

I am a total Photoshop novice and I am finding few in-depth tutorials relating directly to automotive editing. I have plainly been looking at other images and trying to work out ways of doing the effects I see in Photoshop.

I have not had an opportunity to shoot images deliberately for any style of processing so used a lack lustre image that I found in my Lightroom Catalogue!

Ignoring the background what improvements can you see and where do you feel it needs more work? Where have I gone too far and where needs boosting? Personally, after posting I feel that the glass looks too tinted and the effect could be reduced.

What I really want to know is the general workflow for editing vehicles. When editing portraits you might brighten the eyes, whiten the teeth, remove spots, tidy hair and even soften skin but what are the common processes for vehicular photography? Any tutorials will also be greatly appreciated!

Here's an animation to make it more obvious what I've done! Ignore the GIF related loss in quality.

dxqcanada · May 29, 2012

I don't know much about PP on automotive shots ... but I do know that lighting the car properly, and controlling reflection is the most important thing you can do when initially shooting the image.

tirediron · May 29, 2012

Why did you not use a polarizing filter when shooting this?

Mot · May 30, 2012

tirediron said:
Why did you not use a polarizing filter when shooting this?

I did.

I'm not directing this as you tirediron, but, it's not as if it's a magic filter that rids the world of all reflections. After reading several car related threads I'm just finding that the only suggestion is "Use a CPL". There's simply some circumstances where a polariser won't help. I chose to cut the reflections in the windshield; it wasn't effective on the paintwork.

I want to know if anyone has any techniques that help remove reflections when they were unavoidable in the image? Just anything that I asked in the original post.

dxqcanada · May 30, 2012

Yeah, there are too many different surfaces and angles for a CPL.
I will have to say you did a nice PP on it with the info you have picked up already ... sorry I cannot be more helpful.

BlueMeanieTSi · May 30, 2012

After I apply my sharpenig to my images I go back and add additional sharpening to wheels/tires, headlights, marker lights, and sometimes radiators/intercoolers if you can see them.

ScubaBrett22 · May 30, 2012

This may help you this has tons of tips and tutorials I use great stuff.Car Photography Tutorials - Our TOP 10 tips for post processing using PhotoShop

bianni · May 30, 2012

If you're familiar with layers, layermask and the pen tool, you can trace one panel or area with the pen tool on another layer and make the path into a selection. Use the eyedropper tool to copy the darkest and the lightest color of the area you have chosen and apply this with the gradient tool. use dodge and burn to fine tune and decrease the opacity just a bit. with layer mask, you can erase portions that cover the door handles, insignias, etc.

here's a sample

BlueMeanieTSi · May 30, 2012

IT definitely evens out the reflections but at the same time it also makes the paint look a little faded and "old" IT works for that photo because of the background and the way it was procesed but I wouldn't do that on a car that has mirror paint.

Mot · May 30, 2012

Thanks for the responses!

dxqcanada, that is helpful. It hopefully means I'm not overdoing it.
BlueMeanie, I'll definitely try that; I'm sure it will bring out the finer details nicely!
ScubaBrett, thanks for the link. I looked through it and have bookmarked it for later use!
Bianni, I'll start looking into layer masks more. I've used them for skin softening but didn't think about using on the cars. Thanks.

Thanks everyone!

Kerbouchard · May 30, 2012

Kelby Training has an entire series on Automotive shoots and the processing for it. You can get a 24 hour trial period to watch them and see if it is something you want to subscribe to. You don't even need to give them any credit card info for the trial.

Post Processing for Automotive Photography | KelbyTraining.com

Mot · May 30, 2012

Kerbouchard said:
Kelby Training has an entire series on Automotive shoots and the processing for it. You can get a 24 hour trial period to watch them and see if it is something you want to subscribe to. You don't even need to give them any credit card info for the trial.

Post Processing for Automotive Photography | KelbyTraining.com

I never realised he had a section for that! I've started buying some of his books, I have Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It, and have been looking at others to buy like the CS5 guide and Compositing Secrets. Unfortunately the books, while not particularly expensive in reality, are still not within my affordability range being a student. It's also unfortunate they don't have an automotive book.

Thanks for the link.

Kerbouchard · May 30, 2012

Mot said:
Kerbouchard said:

Kelby Training has an entire series on Automotive shoots and the processing for it. You can get a 24 hour trial period to watch them and see if it is something you want to subscribe to. You don't even need to give them any credit card info for the trial.

Post Processing for Automotive Photography | KelbyTraining.com

Click to expand...

I never realised he had a section for that! I've started buying some of his books, I have Light It, Shoot It, Retouch It, and have been looking at others to buy like the CS5 guide and Compositing Secrets. Unfortunately the books, while not particularly expensive in reality, are still not within my affordability range being a student. It's also unfortunate they don't have an automotive book.

Thanks for the link.

No problem.

Yes, the books are quite expensive, and to be honest, so is the online training. It is not a subscription I keep up, but every few months or so, I will subscribe for a month to catch up on the newest videos. The online training really is top-notch.

PNWSGM · May 30, 2012

Without really reading any of the replies..

One thing that is useful when shooting automotive photography, that I have noticed, is a polarizer. It will help a lot with what you have edited out.

As far as in photoshop editing, one thing that has helped me a lot with automotive photography (basically the main thing I shoot) is shooting in raw and then being able to adjust everything that needs to be post shot. It is much easier to work with a raw then it is a jpg in photoshop.

Kerbouchard · May 30, 2012

PNWSGM said:
Without really reading any of the replies..

One thing that is useful when shooting automotive photography, that I have noticed, is a polarizer. It will help a lot with what you have edited out.

As far as in photoshop editing, one thing that has helped me a lot with automotive photography (basically the main thing I shoot) is shooting in raw and then being able to adjust everything that needs to be post shot. It is much easier to work with a raw then it is a jpg in photoshop.

If you had read any of the replies, you would have seen that the OP did use a polarizer and did shoot in RAW...