Car photography background

[Primoz]

In the near future I'll be shooting a car and since I've never done this before - I've been quite eager to do my homework and find a location that would work...

I want the background to be interesting, but I don't want it to be too busy to take away attention from the car...
The dilemma I am facing is: Should I go with an exciting picturesque location or just try to keep it simple and leave the attention on the car?

I took some test shots near a castle that definetily qualifies as a very exciting location... But I couldn't get a shot with the castle in the background that would work as a car background...

I feel that with a car on the path would be just too much of everything....
What do you think?



I think this might work better, but I am still not perfectly happy with the perspective...


Could you give me any tips on how to ensure images come out clean such as:
http://madvertisingblog.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/cgicar.jpg?w=510
Exciting, simple background!


What focal lengths does one normally use when shooting a car? I mean telephoto is nice, because it keeps the lines nicely straight and real, but you just can't get much sky in the frame with a telephoto...

Thanks for the advice!

 

[KmH]

just try to keep it simple and leave the attention on the car?

Yes! Keep the background simple and attention on the car.

 

[12sndsgood]

What is your focus? for car shot I try and keep the car the main subject and have little to distract it. for an automotive envirement picture i try to find a background that works with the car and will have equal focus without taking away from the car. It really is done on a case by case decision. in the two pics you chose i would probalby go with the second one if im focusing on the car. the first one can work but it's really going to depend on where you are able to get the car in relationship to the building.

as for focal length, again it depends on wether the car is the focal point or my surroundings. a lot of time i'm using my 70-200. as for the sky if i flip my camera into portrait mode I can get a lot of sky.

 

[gsgary]

What about a series of sweeping bend in the mountains

 

[Mike_E]

DSLR Tips Workshop: How to blur action shots for the impression of speed

Just sayin

 

[gconnoyer]

*DISCLAIMER* - I'm not a pro by any means, but I do almost all of my shooting with cars, still posed shots, or motion at a track. I'll do my best to stick to talking about backgrounds as well lol

With cars (as everything else in photography) it's your taste and opinions as well as the car owners. I always try throw mine out and also get input from them on what they would like to see.

I'm just going to answer your questions (or attempt to) directly so I don't go off on a rant and act like I know it all lol. Answers in red text...

One thing that always looks awesome with cars, is rolling shots. Even with a distracting background, it becomes more about the car when you have motion blur.

I want the background to be interesting, but I don't want it to be too busy to take away attention from the car...
The dilemma I am facing is: Should I go with an exciting picturesque location or just try to keep it simple and leave the attention on the car?
I took some test shots near a castle that definetily qualifies as a very exciting location... But I couldn't get a shot with the castle in the background that would work as a car background...
For cars, you want a plain background so you don't distract attention from the car. I like to get something with alot of contrast so that the lines of the car really stand out from it. As far as "exciting background" goes, it needs to be mentally exciting, and not overly stimulating and distracting to the eye. Something that makes you think about driving or what that feels like. Like someone posted below, a windy road in the background.



I think this might work better, but I am still not perfectly happy with the perspective...
Attachment 26808
Where you can get away with an interesting, exciting background, is if you make it out of focus. It will still add what you're looking to do with the picture, but not take away from the car.

Could you give me any tips on how to ensure images come out clean such as:
http://madvertisingblog.files.wordpr...icar.jpg?w=510
Exciting, simple background!
I don't personally like this picture at all. It's clearly two images stitched together, and looks like 100% CG animation. If this is what you're wanting to do, get a picture of the car on a completely plain background, and be really good at photoshop and place it onto a background.

What focal lengths does one normally use when shooting a car? I mean telephoto is nice, because it keeps the lines nicely straight and real, but you just can't get much sky in the frame with a telephoto...
Depending on what look you're trying to achieve, you really can shoot at whatever focal length you need to. I try and stay above 28mm or so because on my lens under that it gets a little distortion. Unless I'm at the track, I pretty much shoot everything with my 24-70.

Again, just my opinion on the matter and I am by no means a pro or am the end all on automotive photography.

Here's a few stills, rollers, and track pictures.....for credibility? lol (and picture whoring)









Also, try and shoot on an overcast day. Otherwise you'll get stuck with glare, blown out paint(especially on white cars), dark hard shadows, like this..

 

[PlanetStarbucks]

^^^ Nice post with good examples.

I think there's another question: What car? I think that also should have something to do with it. The manor in the first post feels like it needs a vintage Aston or a 1954 Mercedes SL. Likewise, I don't think you would put those cars in an industrial area either. Or maybe you do, because that's the statement you want to make.

 

[gconnoyer]

I think there's another question: What car? I think that also should have something to do with it. The manor in the first post feels like it needs a vintage Aston or a 1954 Mercedes SL. Likewise, I don't think you would put those cars in an industrial area either. Or maybe you do, because that's the statement you want to make.

I agree with that^
Although it will probably be hard to find a corresponding background or setting for every car.

But, what kind of car is it?!?!

 

[TheFantasticG]

Personally I like car shots that have very simple (read: not busy or close) but complimenting backgrounds in terms of color, etc. I use to be hard-and-heavy into cars.

This guy is what I consider an expert at shooting cars: Andrew Thompson - his name is VisualEchos on NikonCafe.com - Powered by vBulletin

 

[Primoz]

Thanks for the responses... It's a super-efficient futuristic all-carbon-fibre electric car, made as a project by engineering students of University of Technology in Graz.

I wanted to include the castle since it's a town landmark and would contrast the modernity of the vehicle. But now I realise it won't work well - it's the time of year when all that's left of trees are ugly brown branches and I want a smoother, softer background in case they want to add a logo later or use it for other purposes such as posters... So I guess I'm just better off with some pretty skies =P

The car looks like this =D:
http://tera.tugraz.at/uploads/RTEmagicC_panther.jpg.jpg

@TheFantasticG - The Links you posted really are superb - many inspirational photos there =)

BTW: I also made a test shot of my own car to see what kind of light I'd like on the car and when exactly to do it... What do you think? (please ignore the background - I know it's horrible - I just did this test shot on a parking lot to check out the light...

 

[mjhoward]

If you're looking for some tips, I would definitely try contacting mar1u5

I really enjoy his work, however, he his very skilled with photoshop. His automotive stuff: Marius Aasheim

 

[12sndsgood]

interesting car for sure, for me the things that would come to mind is just a wide open parking lot with not much as far as background, let the curves and lines of the car stand out. then i'd go for a few rolling shots as it goes by a gas station. just enough blur so you realise its just blowing by a gas station without stopping. I dont think i would do much of an envirement shot with this style of car myself. i could see a few nice shots at night if you have the lighting to maybe backlight it. but of course i always love to do night shots myself so i'm biased lol.

 

[STIC]

...

 

[Ray12]

In figuring out a background image ...and in planning an image treatment...I would ask the following questions:

1. What is the end use of the image? Promotion, Reputation Building, Magazine Coverage, Yearbook page, School Use only?

2. Who is the customer?..and what do they need? What image concept will they profit from? Ask the car builders and the school administrators what they need the image to accomplish for them

3. What needs to be said by the image? Whats the message that the image needs to create? What impression needs to be generated by your image? Is this car just new or neat? Does the image need to say that this car is the thing of the future. Will investors be looking at your picture? When I see your image...What do I conclude about that car??

All 3 of these kinds of questions will help you to determine what the image foreground and background of this car should look like....and how you should treat the shoot. Is it OK to just use your own personal favorite idea or preference...or is there a larger image decision making group involved?

In point 1...end use...how the image is intended to be used will give you a big clue as to the background. Is it a casual image? Does it need to say classy or environmental? Would futuristic be too hoakey for your audience with this car? Where is this image going to end up...and will it accomplish the purpose you intend with that audience?

In point 2...what does the customer need? Who is your customer? You, the design team, the school, a sponsor? What does the owner of the image need to have said and what purpose does he want it to accomplish and what are his sensitivities and goals for the image. He may suggest a feeling or a theme or a sensitivity he has to avoid...or better yet...ask him for a written statement of his goal and purpose and intent for the image with who is the audience and what end result does he need to make!! That will tell you alot about the picture you need to take.

In point 3....what needs to be said about the image...from the owners point of view and the audience need point of view. Does this image need to show car innovation primarily? Does the image show how this car could fit into a world like ours today in a real urban use and setting? Do you just need to make everything splashy and advanced about this image...then maybe a computer generated image might be right...or totally wrong. Does the owner of this car need to be uber rich...or is this car envisioned to be a staple of the middle class.

My commercial side might be showing here...but usually asking these kinds of questions about a photographic assignment will almost automatically eliminate certain kinds of shots...and almost certainly suggest other kinds of image requirements.

If this is just a hobby shot...then just do whatever makes you the most thrilled and have great fun doing it!!

Cheers,

PS: There are thousands of car and different background images in the Google and Bing image search engines. Good to use to spark an idea or get some concepts to show the car owners.

 

[Ray12]

OOPS: Forgot to mention.

Many images you see of cars are images that have been cut out and extracted from another shot... and composited over a perfect stock background. So any shot in the school parking lot might work... as long as you liked the lighting of the shot...then you could take many different angles and heights so your shot would eventually blend in with your yet unknown background. (Make sure you shoot so you see some daylight under the car body...its terribly hard to cut out the bottom of a car that is dark, then blends into a deep shadow under the car...and then blends into black tarmac after that. Finding extraction edges on black and black and black is no fun!)