Challenger

minicoop1985 · Mar 8, 2016

Looking for your thoughts and opinions here.

Challenger by Michael Long, on Flickr

10 images, with either a strip box or reflector on my Flashpoint. I might have bumped the focus ring EVER so slightly in there somewhere-it's a little soft for my taste. Otherwise that could be due to the noise. Long exposure (the initial shot) plus Leaf Aptus=nope.

minicoop1985 · Mar 8, 2016

Updated the OP with an improved shot.

LarryLomona · Mar 8, 2016

I like it a lot, but the two lights on the ceiling, the fence and the paper takes away from it

tirediron · Mar 8, 2016

To be honest, this really isn't working for me. A dark/night scene would NOT be my first (or second, third, or even fourth) venue for a black car. There's a whole chunk of the car on the driver's side from the roof to the hood just over the front wheel that essentially disapears. The highlights are wayyy too hot and specular for my taste, and the surrounding is really pulling my eye away from this shot.

I would hall this back into the pixel room, crop horizontall right though the middle of that beam to remove the light-ish ceiling and two lights, and verticaly just to the right of the chain-link compound and then drop the highlights (a LOT) and lift the shadow's a bit.

minicoop1985 · Mar 8, 2016

http://www.thephotoforum.com/threads/challenger.397267/#post-3599190

Challenger crop by Michael Long, on Flickr

Is this a little better? I didn't see the paper until you pointed it out.

@tirediron , I think that's the style of shot I was going for. Hot highlights just along the body lines, just enough to give the black car some shape in the night. Black cars are a challenge at night, but they can be done. Here's my inspiration:

http://johnhartmanlightpainting.com/files/stacks-image-723926d-2558x1440.jpg

I did it completely differently (flash vs light painting), but was aiming to achieve a similar result.

minicoop1985 · Mar 9, 2016

Did a complete revamp of it. Didn't know you could erase the background... lol.

Challenger Revamped by Michael Long, on Flickr

FotosbyMike · Mar 9, 2016

I don't think it is a bad shot but a few things I would do to improve it.
- Light the interior, if you look at the sample image you posted he did the same
- I am not a fan of the ground refection in the drivers door
and last I would have loved to see the headlights and/or fog lights in the puddle of water

minicoop1985 · Mar 9, 2016

I agree about the interior. It could use to be lit, but for some reason I didn't think about it. Anyway, the headlight/foglight has been a point of contention. Some people are for removing it, some are against it, so I went with removing it for this version. I did tone down the reflections quite a bit, but I don't think I even CAN remove them entirely without hours of work.