Photographing Cars. Pics C&C

gconnoyer · Dec 9, 2011

First off, I'm fairly new here. Only posted a few times, just been doing a lot of reading.

Does anyone know any good articles/tutorials on photographing cars. I have a lot of friends that have taken photography classes, and have been doing it for a long time. I try to go to them for C&C about my pictures, and it seems like that what I think looks good, is actually bad. (If that makes sense)
So I guess I'm looking for some tips on composition.
I understand the "mechanics" of the camera for the picture, just lacking in composition it seems.

Also suggestions on a basic editing program would be good.
I don't need anything crazy to add objects or completely change a picture. I really just don't have ANYTHING right now.

Here are a few of my shots that I think are pretty good....Let me know what you think. Again, I don't have any sort of editing program so they're all untouched.

Friends Cars

1)

Greg1 by gconnoyer, on Flickr

This one needs cropped for sure, maybe zoomed out a little bit to get the entire hood.
2)

DSC_7800 by gconnoyer, on Flickr

Mine. A few shots from different sets.

3)

DSC_9590 by gconnoyer, on Flickr

4)

DSC_0315 by gconnoyer, on Flickr

5)

DSC_0341 by gconnoyer, on Flickr

On this one...the shot really turned out bad because the sun went down FAST and I didn't have time to setup. I shot a few pictures just to see how the spot would look. Whats everyone think?

_NKN1488 by gconnoyer, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gconnoyer/6480913469/

fokker · Dec 9, 2011

A few too many pics to really give proper c&c on them, and they aren't numbered which makes it hard.
A few points: The first one would have been better off being shot from a lower angle, ie closer to the ground.
The sunset one is probably the best and has a lot of potential, but I feel you needed to add a bit of light on the front of the car. If you have a tripod it's easy to do this, just set up for a long-ish (15 seconds or so) exposure and shine a torch or something around the areas of the car that need more light. If you have a flash unit, even better as you can pop off a few flashes around the car to really light it up while still exposing the background nicely.

gconnoyer · Dec 9, 2011

Thanks for the tips.

Fixed the OP.

5 pictures for C&C. And just looking for an opinion on the setting of the last.

SCraig · Dec 9, 2011

The fourth and fifth are pretty good.

The first one has a distracting background with power poles sticking up everywhere. Sometimes they are unavoidable but usually they can be avoided by changing position. Also an overall yellow tint.

Second is similar in that it has a distracting background an an overall yellow tint.

In the third, which is the subject? The sign or the car? The sign grabs my eye first because of the contrasting colors. Also that yellow tint again, and did you mean for it to lean way down to the right?

About all I've got time for right now.

gconnoyer · Dec 9, 2011

SCraig said:
The fourth and fifth are pretty good.

The first one has a distracting background with power poles sticking up everywhere. Sometimes they are unavoidable but usually they can be avoided by changing position. Also an overall yellow tint.

Second is similar in that it has a distracting background an an overall yellow tint.

In the third, which is the subject? The sign or the car? The sign grabs my eye first because of the contrasting colors. Also that yellow tint again, and did you mean for it to lean way down to the right?

About all I've got time for right now.

Thanks.

The first and second were the 1st week or so I was shooting with the camera. I was doing something goofy with the WB I guess?
With some sort of editing program I could remove the light poles.

The second was just at a car show, so not much I could really do as far as moving the car/changing the background.

For the third, my goal was to capture both. I guess I should have changed the DOF and blurred the sign a little? I wanted it to still be readable.
As far as the yellow tint here....there was a storm coming in from my back and was making the sky a crazy color. I guess I should have adjusted the WB accordingly, but I thought it looked good.

Omofo · Dec 9, 2011

#4 is good. Remember to stay low when shooting car pics.

PaulFromthePrairies · Dec 9, 2011

For 1 & 2 you are photographing the shady side of the car which tends to hide detail and make for bland photos. Reposition the car or shoot the parts that are better lit.

I like 3 but the tilted horizon is too distracting. Also positioning the car further from the background grass/gate would improve the shot.

I like 4

5 has no real focus point for me. Just incomplete elements, you see a bit of the windshield, a bit of the tire, a bit of the headlight. Pick the feature you are trying to highlight.

I like 6 it just needs a bit more light.

Paul

gconnoyer · Dec 9, 2011

Omofo said:
#4 is good. Remember to stay low when shooting car pics.

Thanks!
I took a few low, and they just werent doing it for me for whatever reason. With this set, I RUSHED to get there in time and didn't have my tripod. I was on my way home from somewhere and just decided to do a quick shoot.

PaulFromthePrairies said:
For 1 & 2 you are photographing the shady side of the car which tends to hide detail and make for bland photos. Reposition the car or shoot the parts that are better lit.

I like 3 but the tilted horizon is too distracting. Also positioning the car further from the background grass/gate would improve the shot.

I like 4

5 has no real focus point for me. Just incomplete elements, you see a bit of the windshield, a bit of the tire, a bit of the headlight. Pick the feature you are trying to highlight.

I like 6 it just needs a bit more light.

Paul

Thanks Paul.

In retrospect, I definitely should have rotated the car in 1 and 2. This was kind of midday, and I was afraid that the sun would wash everything out with it being harsh as well as a white car.

For #3...I didn't even notice the tilted horizon until you said something. But since you said something, thats all I can concentrate on now. I'll remember to pull it away from the background next time.

For #5...The focus was supposed to be the wheel/tire. How would I go about isolating that more, while still capturing the car?

#6 was an impromptu deal. I was driving and just saw what I though was going to be a good setting. I snapped maybe 5 pictures just to get some opinions on the setting. 30-45mins earlier and the lights wouldn't have been on and the sun would still have been up enough for some light.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.