If you’re interested in learning the basics of photographing cars, I’ve got an e-book for you. It’s $1.99 until September 30, 2012 – then it jumps up to $3.99. You can check it out on Scribd.
car photography
All posts tagged car photography
Here it is the night before a big shoot I have planned at Las Vegas Motor Speedway tomorrow. The client is a calendar company that specializes in car calendars and they want my very own 2012 Jaguar XKR convertible in the book. I’m excited because I’m getting paid extra. Once for the use of my car and once for shooting the car. I also get the thrill of being on a race track. (Frankly the pay rate is so low that the racing part is my real compensation but what the heck? I love the smell of race fuel in the morning!)
Before any big shoot there’s a bunch of stuff to get ready. First I spent the morning detailing the car so it would be spotless for the shoot. Then this afternoon I went over my checklist for the shots I need – front, back, front right 3/4, front left 3/4, driver side, passenger side, motor, interior, etc.
I’ve also been in contact with the Las Vegas Motor Speedway track staff. Getting access to a super oval is never easy but fortunately – I got a guy on the inside so we’re in! There are actually 10 race courses at LVMS but a very lucky few get to drive the big oval. Sometimes I love my job!
We’re watching the weather because this is “monsoon” season in Vegas – that means this is the week we get some rain. It could help or hurt the shoot. We almost cancelled but we’re betting we’re safe as long as we start early. We have a 6:00 am call time. My diligent assistant Tom will be ready to work at Oh-dark-thirty. I have to leave the condo no later than 5:15am ready to go in order to be on time.
I have all those logistics figured out. Even though I take less and less gear with me on these shoots, I always end up taking something I don’t need. And I’m sure this trip will be no exception. But in any event, the next order of business is gear. I’ve got portable Motorola short range radios in case we decide to do some dynamic (moving) shots of the car. It’s much easier to communicate with the driver over a radio than with hand signals.
I’ve also got water and a first aide kit just in case.
Since I’m going to document some of this shoot for Photofocus readers, I need to have at least one camera shooting video and another shooting time lapse.* (*The time lapse will only happen if I can arrange a second assistant.)
I’m going with the Olympus E-P3 and a 12mm f/1.8 lens (EFL 24mm) for the video camera connected to a camera-mounted 3d Mitro mic. This setup will sit on an Induro CT-212 tripod with Induro BH-1 head.
I’m also going to shoot time lapse with a GoPro Hero2. These are great little time lapse cameras with a wide field of view. I”ll mount this on a Gorilla pod or wrap it around the catch fence on the track depending on what view I want. I might even set it up in the starter’s tower for a while. (I pre-set the GoPro’s to the proper shooting mode – i.e., video or time-lapse in advance, the night before and then label them accordingly. I also make sure they have clean, formatted cards, and are in their proper mounts in advance so I don’t have to futz with this while we’re chasing great morning light.)
I’ll also have another GoPro Hero 2 to use both in-car and mounted to the car exterior for some B-roll as a dash-cam. Once we finish the calendar shoot, weather permitting I’m going to put some track time on this baby. The “R” in XKR stands for RACING! I’ve diligently broken in the motor and now that it has 500 miles on it – it’s time to play. But back to work!
My main camera for the shoot will be the new Canon 1DX with the 40mm f/2.8 pancake lens, the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 zoom and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 zoom. I’ll have extension tubes and a teleconverter with me if I need to get closer than 11 inches or want more lens. I’ll shoot some video and some stills with the 1DX. The 1DX will be mounted to the beefier Induro CT-414 with BL-3 head. I’m also taking the Philip Bloom Slider in case I want moving video.
I’ll also shoot another Olympus EP-3 with 45mm f/2 (EFL 90mm) hand held for some of the beauty shots. It will work as a backup video or time-lapse camera should we need one. Tom is bringing a new 5D MK III so we will have plenty of cameras.
All my cameras are set to the appropriate ISO, shooting modes, metering modes, AF speed, image stabilization, white balance etc the night before. That way when I arrive, I only have to dial in small changes based on circumstances.
Of course I’ve also done all the basics: made sure I know how to get to the venue and sent a map to the assistants. Confirmed and re-confirmed our track access. Charged up the batteries, (for cameras, mics and short-range radios) formatted ALL the memory cards we’re taking, and pre-inserted formatted memory cards in each camera. I’ve made sure the cameras that needed straps have them and that they are properly installed. I also have backup batteries – including the 9-volts required for the stereo mics. I also tested the tripod legs and made sure all the tripod leg locks are in good working order.
We’re not using any artificial light on this shoot but will bring a reflector just in case we need a little kiss of light. We’ll also use diffusers and scrims in case we have too much light. We’ll also bring gaffer tape, buggy cords and several Gorilla Pods just in case we need to mount cameras in odd places.
On this shoot I have extra gear that serves both as props for the shoot and then functionally as protective safety gear should the track be open for practice laps. I have a full-face, Simspson Snell SA2000 helmet, Nomex flame-resistant clothing and gloves and racing shoes. The car is gassed up with 100 octane street-legal racing fuel. I have a fire extinguisher on board and am ready to run at race speed – although it’s highly unlikely I’ll be able to. But just in case. Track conditions, track fire and safety stewards, etc., all have a say in such things. But even fat guys like to go fast so I can always hope. If I am able to go at race speed I’ll keep the car under 150 just to be safe. After all Geico doesn’t insure against accidents on 19-degree banked racing ovals and this new Jag is a bit expensive and not something I’d want to have to replace out of my own pocket.
My assistant will help with operating cameras (and backups.)
The time to get yourself geared up and ready is the night before a big shoot – especially one that starts early in the morning. I’ll have some pics for you on the other side.
Tomorrow I’ll let you know how it all went.
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(NOTE: This photo was already licensed under an exclusive arrangement so therefore could not be included in my Creative Commons Non Com experiment. Sorry.)
Good writers know that you can say too much in a story. Rather than spend page after page in a book to describe a character, good writers will pick something simple to do the job such as, “He put on the same pair of boots and spurs his dad gave him in college.” It’s a cowboy. Simple.
The same can be true in photography. When photography is practiced at the highest levels, it serves as a means to tell a story. And sometimes, all you need to tell the story is one or two details.
Take this photo for instance. The picture above is from a shoot I did with my Jaguar XK convertible. And yes, I do have pictures of the entire car. But this one is one of my favorites. It just shows the front left quarter panel. But it’s obvious it’s a Jaguar and it’s obviously a convertible so people who know Jags know it’s an XK.
Sometimes it’s best to tease the audience. Just give them a tidbit. Pique their interest. Give them something to look at that engages their mind. Try it. It’s fun and challenging and rewarding and if you can figure out how to do it well, you will become a top-flight photographer.
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This Post Sponsored by:
Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests
Kelby Training – Use code KTSBA12 to save $20
BorrowLenses.com – Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc.
SmugMug – Professional Photo Sharing
Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else.
Copyright Scott Bourne 2011 - All Rights Reserved
I’m going to spend more time photographing cars over the next year and accordingly, I’ll be writing more about the experience. Even if you don’t shoot cars, you can probably learn something from these posts. I hope so in any event.
The photograph above was made in my new 2011 Corvette Grand Sport. It is unusual in that I didn’t have a client. I rarely press the shutter unless I’m getting paid up front, but in this case I decided to do some “spec” work and eventually hope to sell the image.
I wanted to get something that told the story of the Corvette’s mighty seven liter displacement engine while standing still and from inside the car. I decided that shooting the speedometer and tachometer would do the trick. I needed to be creative if the project would work. So I came up with this idea.
Every time you start the Vette, the word “Corvette” flashes on the information display underneath the speedometer. It is only there for an instant. Likewise, when the car starts, the speedometer and tachometer gauges peg to the right and then come back down to zero. I realized that capturing this might tell the story I wanted to convey.
The mere capture of the gauges wouldn’t be enough. To introduce the concept of speed, i.e., the result of all that power, I decided to use a slow shutter speed to capture the blur of the gauges as they spun. This meant I would need a tripod. Now imagine this scenario – a horizontally challenged photographer (me) trying to squeeze a tripod inside a small sports car along with a big, bulky Canon 1D MK IV with 24-70 F/2.8 L lens. Let’s just say that it was cramped!
I timed the shot so it would be later in the afternoon when the sun angle matched the way I had the car parked. I opened the driver-side door to let in some ambient light. I mounted the camera and lens on an Induro CT-214 tripod…the smallest real tripod I own. I used the Induro BHD-2 bullhead and a Kirk L-plate to mount the rig. I then carefully extended one tripod leg out the door. I sat another on the center console and the third between my legs. It was as awkward as it sounds. Fortunately I am so old that I don’t have to worry about doing something that doesn’t make me look cool. I live in that state so it’s no big deal when I do it in public. Turns out I was able to save face because nobody was near by.
I practiced several camera angles and decided that zooming out to about 40mm on the cropped sensor camera was just right. I made my ISO 250 and my aperture F/13. I set the shutter speed to 1/6 of a second but needed 1.5 stops of negative exposure compensation to hold the highlights. At 1/6 second you can see why I needed the tripod.
Then I practiced making the photograph while starting the car. It proved to be just about impossible to get the shot I wanted in one take. I had to press the car start button with my left hand while using the index finger on my right hand to trip the shutter. I made about 60 photos before I got the right framing, exposure and blur in the gauges. However it was absolutely impossible to get the gauges and the word CORVETTE to line up. I decided to made a separate exposure of the word CORVETTE lighting up on the dash and then simply composited that layer over the original photograph in Photoshop to make the final image.
The whole process took about 1.5 hours. Way too long in my opinion but heck, when you’ve wanted a Corvette since you were a baby, no amount of work is too much work if you want a great shot.
Hopefully you’ll see this on a calendar or poster soon. In the mean time, I hope hearing how my thought process went and what I did to capture the image helped you in some way.
And if you are into cars, please stop by my new blog, CarLoves. One exciting new feature at that site is a place for you to post all your favorite car photos. SmugMug built a custom solution for it that is pretty cool. You can rate and comment on other photos and the most popular are automatically ported over to a separate gallery that will eventually auto-populate a widget on the blog’s sidebar. Stop by and upload your favorite car photos if you like.
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Post & Photo by Joe Farace – Follow Joe on Twitter
The weather is starting to get warmer and you know what that means? Car shows! The only thing more fun than driving cars is photographing them. Cars make great subjects and often gather together in car shows making possible to photograph lots of them at the same time. To make interesting photographs at a car show, you gotta love cars. A passion for your subject is always a plus and enables you to look beyond the surface of a car to see its essence, its soul.
Tip #1: Before taking pictures try to talk to the owner. You don’t need to be an expert; just be curious and polite. Most owners can talk for hours about their cars because there never was a restoration project that didn’t have some interesting twists and turns.
Tip #2: Do not make photographs with the hoods—or bonnets if they’re British—raised. Many owners like to display the cleanliness or sparkling chrome underneath, but that’s not the best way to photography a vehicle because it breaks up the car’s lines. Since he or she is probably nearby, ask the owner if they would close the hood so you can make a photograph. In exchange, offer to give them a print or send them a file for their facebook page.
Tip #3: It’s a good idea to remove show placards such as the identification cards placed on the dash or under the windshield wiper. Ask the owner before touching any part of his or her car! It’s best to have them do it, so ask politely.
Tip #4: Be sure to make images of parts of cars. Don’t be frustrated by the lack of space and crowded conditions found at shows. Use that to your advantage by finding small details, such as the delicate nature of a Bugatti’s grille or the sensuous lines of a street rod’s fender and capture them in sharp focus.
Tip #5: Get close to the car. Begin by working in close and gradually back off until extraneous non-car details or people start to appear in the frame. Make sure your zoom lens allows close focusing. I once purchased a wide-angle zoom lens only to discover it didn’t focus close enough to do me any good.
Tip #6: Explore unconventional views of the car. Tilt the camera to provide a dynamic image. The crowds at most car shows—although they are some of the most polite people you will find anywhere—make it almost impossible to use a tripod so I seldom bring one.
Tips #7: Dress for success. Dress comfortably and wear the kind of clothing you won’t be afraid to get dirty when trying to get an interesting camera angle. For outdoor shows, be sure to wear a hat to keep the sun off your head and be sure to wear sunscreen (see above photo.)
Tip #8: Take advantage of the best light get to the show early and stay late. As cars began to leave, space opens up allowing you to photograph entire cars as well as some of the environment.
Tip #9: When photographing cars late in the day, ask the owner to turn on the parking lights to add a subtle glow to the side marker, taillights, and turn signals.
Tip #10: Next to your camera and a good wide-angle zoom lens, the most important thing to bring to a car show is lots of memory cards or film. You never know when you’ll get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to photograph a rare or exotic automobile.
Joe is the author of “Creative Digital Monochrome Effects (http://amzn.to/echu3G) published by Lark Books.
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