Car photo shoot using speedlites.

[HighOutput]

Hey guys, I'm trying to setup a photo shoot with my 2008 Mustang GT California Special. I want the pictures to remember the car and I also want a picture of me next to the car for my 365 Challenge. I have good experience with my camera and my speedlites, but not setting a studio type lighting. I have the location picked out, I have the subject and the background figured out and an idea of the over all look. Here is my question… I have no studio lights, but I have two stands for my speedlites with 26" softbox, and I have the clear white umbrella's as well. I own 2 x EX600RT, 1 x EX430, 1 x ST-E3 and running my Canon 6D Camera. I'm wondering if the Speedlites will be enough and how should I set them up. The look I'm trying to achieve is in my industrial garage (70'x60'x20' Tall) with Mercury lights(probably be turned off for the picture). I'm an Total Lubricant distributor, so I was planning on surrounding the car with skids of oil, 2 skids high wall in the background, and may the same on the sides. I wanted to sweep the floor clean and wet the floor, for a nice effect (will this cause issues with reflection on the speedlites?) and park the car in a 45 angle for this shot. A lot of detail for a simple question, I know, but wanted to know if the flashes will cut it, and suggestions on the positioning. The oil containers are a bright orange, so the colour will definitely pop next to the car. I'm thinking of maybe a fog machine for effect, or maybe a bright light behind the car, out of view, facing towards the front. Any tips?

 

[Derrel]

Just like in biliards, the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection, so the lights need to be placed so that reflections HELP, not hamper. On something as large as a car, a 26-inch softbox is not much better than a bare, naked speedlight head. Seriously.

You will need to determine the amount of depth of field needed. With a short lens, whatever is closest looks the largest, especially at close shooting distances. My guess if f/11 to f/13 will pull enough DOF to get the majority of the scene into focus; but you MIGHT not want the background and the pallets stacked with oil to look supe-supoer sharp. Hard to say.

Keep in mind....you COULD shoot this in the room, darkened, and pop the flashes multiple times, to either light-paint the car in stages, or just to light up the set with say, three flash pops, in order to get the needed f/11 to f/13 f/stop.

A thought...shoot this dark room/open shutter, with three flash pops, 1,2, and then before the third, YOU step over to the far-side front quarter panel and stand right next to the car, and let the third flash pop light you up as a "ghost". Make sure to leave a BLACK, empty area behind you for you to stand, otherwise you'll have oil cans in your ghost.

 

[scotts2014se]

I dont see an issue. Play with the exposure and aperature to get what your looking for. Maybe consider multiple shots lighting the car and background in different sections then layering them in PS, this will be a good way to eliminate the reflections of the speedlites not only in the water but on the car as well. I tried a fog machine and found it to resemble smoke rather than fog, so you might want to try dry ice.

 

[HighOutput]

Thanks guys, I think the painting with light solution might be easier, but I will clean the shop during the day, and commit myself to a whole evening of shooting. Maybe I should wait and order those AlienBees B800's after all. I won't be able to get to it this week, but hopefully next week I'll be able to show you some results.

 

[Braineack]

multiple exposures; no "painting".

I'd try to setup your light source, take a shot, move it, take another, and do it until you'd have enough to evenly light the car. Then do yourself. stack the images.

similar to this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pgdesignscouk/9208255901/

where you can see he kept the light source in the stack when he was lighting the far side of the car. (shame the blue car is cut off)

here's one with an owner: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pgdesignscouk/8192090751/ similar technique.

he throws in light painting on a long exposure as well to get that nice line down the side of the car, his website: PG Designs - Portfolio

 

[Village Idiot]

Or do a composite.

Photograph the car with a tripod and light each section individually then put them together.

Just please don't do what all the new aspiring car photographers do for their "professional" photos. They tend to set three lights up at the corners of the car closest to the camera and fire them at the ground and call it a day. At that point, all you're doing is lighting the bottom portion of the car.

If you're using a white garage, the best thing to do is to light the garage and not the car. Unless you're shooting a non-reflective paint surface, the concept is one of lighting a mirror, just one that is colored. The paint reflects the surroundings. If you shoot bare speed lights at the car, you'll get points of light in the paint with very little lighting unless it's reflected off the paint then off the wall. That's almost zero if you're lighting a black car. If you're using a softbox, you'll get a reflection of the softbox, which isn't entirely bad if it's large enough to create the accents where you want it. What's better than a softbox? How about and entire ceiling or wall?

 

[cynicaster]

. What's better than a softbox? How about and entire ceiling or wall?

I agree with this, but I think that due to the limited power of speedlights, it would be a delicate balancing act to determine how close to position the speedlight(s) to the ceiling. Too far away and you just don't have enough light coming back and you'd need to crank the ISO (especially if using f/11-ish apertures). Too close and your effective light source would be an ellipse not much bigger than the frontal area of the softbox.

Regardless, I'm interested to see the results because I'm a speedlight guy and have not tried anything like this before, myself.

 

[HighOutput]

The ceilings and walls are a shade light shade of Grey, but its a dark garage. I don't think bouncing the light will be effective, given the height of the ceiling. What would your recommend for a lens? I was thinking originally of using my EF24-70mm f/2.8 USM II , but I think I might have to get closer to the car now by using my EF16-35mm F/2.8 L USM II. Starting to think that this will be tougher than I thought.

 

[HighOutput]

I had sometime this morning to sweep the floor and hose it down. I then setup the oil, as I was planning for the background, so you guys can get an idea of what I was going for. I was planning on turning the lights off for the shoot and use some kind of high powered light behind the car. What do you think?

 

[Braineack]

shoot the BG before you pull the car in. light is as you wish, I'd probably go multi-exposure here as well.

I'd be using a single strobe, no ambient, and multiple exposures stacked/composited (camera stationary, f/11, locked settings/focus) if I were doing this. I'd probably only light paint to get highlights down the side of the car/fenders.

You you are going to light paint, you're still going to end up with a multitude of exposures to combine, combined the best parts light up: http://www.pgdesigns.co.uk/blogInner.php?blogID=11&id=11

 

[HighOutput]

Would you take the plastic wrapping off the skids, to minimize glare?

 

[CAP]

Whats in them? Nuclear waste ?

Run its a trap !

 

[robbins.photo]

Whats in them? Nuclear waste ?

Run its a trap !

Hey pal, it's not a trap till the fish headed guy says it's a trap.

 

[Derrel]

Whats in them? Nuclear waste ?

Run its a trap !

Hey pal, it's not a trap till the fish headed guy says it's a trap.

 

[IzzieK]

I had sometime this morning to sweep the floor and hose it down. I then setup the oil, as I was planning for the background, so you guys can get an idea of what I was going for. I was planning on turning the lights off for the shoot and use some kind of high powered light behind the car. What do you think?

I know this may sound stupid but how using about a couple of builders' lights, shut them off or move it as you 'shape' the car?