Automotive Photography

[Carl Beck]

There's more to photography than a fancy camera or clicking off photos.

True

I had the pleasure of spending many hours with Mike Muller and Peter Brock as they photographed my cars for various publications. Mr. Brock spent about 5 hours shooting, restaging, reshooting and waiting for exactly the right angle of sunlight etc. Likewise Mr. Muller.

I would have to say that both of them are "Professional Photographers". So both of these men seem to have the talent, skill and experience necessary to compose photographs that someone else will pay for.

One thing they both have in common - very fancy camera's, clicking off photos. Hundreds of them per photo session. Both are using digital cameras as well.

I don't care how good you are at composition - if the camera doesn't support and indeed enhance your skill - you won't get the results you should. There is a reason professional photographers pay big bucks for the equipment they use.

The best thing about the new digi-cams and DSLR's vs film cameras - is that you don't pay a penalty for taking hundreds of pictures. You can afford to try many different things to enhance your learning curve.

Bottom line today - buy the best DSLR you can afford. It will support the growth and development of your personal skills - rather than hold you back. There are some amazingly good DSLR's in the $650.00 to $850.00 range today - - and they will be useful for anyone for several years to come.

8 to 10 meg pixel digi-cams, that you can carry in a shirt pocket - also deliver amazingly good photo's for still images etc... They are now down in the $200.00 to $300.00 range...

"Damn it Jim, I'm an Engineer not a Photographer!"

FWIW,

Carl B.

D40x

SureShot 1000

CoolPix 950 (now 6 or 7 years old)

[hls30.com]

True...

"Damn it Jim, I'm an Engineer not a Photographer!"

FWIW,

Carl B.

D40x

SureShot 1000

CoolPix 950 (now 6 or 7 years old)

hahahhahaha!

Will

[TomoHawk]

Good points, Carl,

It's just that (some people) think that their $1200 fancy digital camera (DSLR or otherwise) will have some kind of psychic ability to fix the photo for them, when all they need to do is to take a step to the side (to hide a tree, pole or shadow) or to step back, or maybe even get a ladder or get closer to the ground to get a really good photo. Fancy cameras only allow you to make better use of what you already can do.

.... And then there's the guy or girl ( I see this constantly) at the car show who's taking photos with a camera phone... I really hope that these people don't go home to show off their 'photographs.'

Again, thanks to Chris (26th) for bringing up this topic at the perfect time.

[TomoHawk]

Will,

I haven't had much trouble with digitals being able to stop the action, like on your spinning wheel, but it's the other moving things that were oroblems, like trying to catch the finish line action at a Pinewood car derby. After many tries, I noticed that you can't stop the action exactly at the finish line, so panning the camera with the cars helped, and then you get a blurred background with still cars.

[hls30.com]

Will,

I haven't had much trouble with digitals being able to stop the action, like on your spinning wheel, but it's the other moving things that were oroblems, like trying to catch the finish line action at a Pinewood car derby. After many tries, I noticed that you can't stop the action exactly at the finish line, so panning the camera with the cars helped, and then you get a blurred background with still cars.

Yep,

I had that exact problem taking pictures of the Zs crossing the finish line at Daytona!

Will

[mgood]

Stopping action is all a mater of shutter speed. You can use a slower shutter speed if the action is approaching more direct on to your camera position. If the action is vertical to camera position the faster the speed the faster the shutter has to fire. So, a high asa or iso and a wider open f-stop to achieve the higher shutter speed (some cameras as high as 1/8000). Or, you could also use a flash (fire duration is around 1/5000) to help stop fast action, but then your are stuck at a flash sink of max on most cameras of 1/200 sec. with a 35mm type camera (film or digital).

Now if your are using a medium format film or digital camera you can sink the shutter up to 1/500 sec.

All 35mm type cameras film or digital react the same. The only difference with some is that they have a 1.X multiplier for the lenses, depending on the brand. I have a Canon 20D and it has a 1.6 multiplier and also a 5D and it is full frame, no multiplier. With the cameras that have the multiplier you need to remember that you need to multiply your lens mm by the multiplier to get the minimum shutter speed for a given focal length.

Like this: lens of say 100mm with a multiplier of 1.6 would = a working lens of 160mm, this would result in a minimum of a 1/160 shutter speed to eliminate most all camera shake. This shutter speed might not stop the action though.

[Arne]

...but then your are stuck at a flash sink of max on most cameras of 1/200 sec. with a 35mm type camera (film or digital).

That's one of the reasons I bought a Nikon D40 over the D40x/D60. The D40x/D60 have a flash sync speed of 1/200, but the D40 is 1/500.

[26th-Z]

Michael,

How do you think my 550EX flash will work on a 5D?

[26th-Z]

Here are som tips from photgrapher Kerry Drager in his article: "How to Photograph Car Shows".

Go early and stay late. In fact, visitors often can get into an event before the "official" start time – while car owners are setting up shop.

This allows you to take advantage of the early-morning light and the casual, pre-show atmosphere. Likewise, day's end may even yield some last-minute, warm-light images.

The soft-and-even light of an overcast day is ideal for recording bright colors and fine details – just be sure to minimize the amount of overpowering white sky in your picture.

In midday sunlight, shooting success hinges on flexibility: For instance, in the morning, a subject may be engulfed in shadows, but in the afternoon, the same vehicle may be shining in sunlight.

At car shows, I put all of my lenses to work: from wide-angle to telephoto to macro. Other items:

• A polarizing filter boosts colors by reducing glare. But preview the effects first to determine how much polarization – or how little! – you want.

• Pack a small notebook in order to jot down the car's make and year, and any other interesting tidbits.

• A tripod lets you use a low ISO for the best color and image quality. When operating in tight corners and in big crowds, however, a tripod can get in the way.

[mgood]

26th-Z the flash is made for a Canon camera then it should work. I don't use TTL flashes because of the subject failure. That means that the flash will try to make dark colors middle gray and light colors middle gray, so you get over exposure on dark and under on light colors. I use a flash with a thirister for the exposure and shoot on manual.

[TomoHawk]

Don't forget the many of us ( AFAICT) are using digital cameras. I still use 35mm and 120 film sometimes tho.

[sblake01]

I just point and shoot. Haven't seen a roll of film in years.