Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:48 am
Basic Tips 1 for car photography beginners.
First; buy your camera! 
Thinking of shooting some pics of your car?
Here's a few tips you could use;
When looking through the camera lens at your fave automobile and about to take a shot, STOP!
View;
Before you click the shutter, take a moment and look around the image in the viewfinder.
Is the car fully in the picture (assuming that's what you want)?
If not, then move away until it is. (or just use 'zoom', if you have one).
If it is already, then does it fill the (viewfinder) frame?
No?
Then move forward, (or, again, zoom in/out if possible), otherwise you'll have loads of grass/tarmac/people in the frame instead of your lovely car.
Simples!
Positioning;
Don't take side shots unless you're after showing us (and everyone else) the side of the doors/quarter panels.
Try instead, taking it from a 3/4 viewpoint. i.e. so the shot includes BOTH the front of the car (let's say) and the side.
If you've got damage on one side of the car, then obviously, just shoot the side that isn't.
However, instead of doing all the usual shots, why not try 'spicing it up' a bit?
For instance, try turning on your headlights. You could even turn the wheels in a half-lock, and maybe, (if it's not raining), even showing it with he doors open.
Maybe you could take a few details of the car as well, (say a close-up of the wheels for example).
If you've got lovely gold-plated bolts on your split-rims, then it's be a shame not to see them if you don't get close enough.
Effects;
If you're feeling very adventurous, try tilting the camera at a angle, (but not too little, or it'll look like you've made a mistake getting your horizon level, which is also important if you want to take a level shot, so look around and check if the camera IS level. Try using a spirit level if you have one, though some digital cameras sometimes come supplied with a handy 'on-screen' display that you can use instead to make sure the shot is level). Conversely, don't tilt too much...ditto the shot will look like a mistake.
Lighting;
Unless you're very adept at using the flash, I'd probably recommend you don't.
Instead just use natural daylight. Again, avoid artificial lighting as this can lead to odd colour casts and doesn't help showing the correct colour of your car, (unless, that is, you don't mind and even, perhaps, it could make the car look even better).
The best thing to do, is look in amgazines to see how the professionals do it...even if you just copy their ideas, you can't go far wrong.
Above all, make sure your reflection isn't showing in the final shot, (it rarely looks good), besides which, you're taking the shots of your car and not yourself, right?
Oh, and If you're shooting with digital, the main thing is to experiment and see what works and what doesn't...you can always delete the 'duffers' later.....and by that, I don't mean your parents (or do I)!
I'll post some of mine at a later date to try and illustrate....that is, when I've access to the pics on my PC again!
Share and Enjoy!
Thinking of shooting some pics of your car?
Here's a few tips you could use;
When looking through the camera lens at your fave automobile and about to take a shot, STOP!
View;
Before you click the shutter, take a moment and look around the image in the viewfinder.
Is the car fully in the picture (assuming that's what you want)?
If not, then move away until it is. (or just use 'zoom', if you have one).
If it is already, then does it fill the (viewfinder) frame?
No?
Then move forward, (or, again, zoom in/out if possible), otherwise you'll have loads of grass/tarmac/people in the frame instead of your lovely car.
Simples!
Positioning;
Don't take side shots unless you're after showing us (and everyone else) the side of the doors/quarter panels.
Try instead, taking it from a 3/4 viewpoint. i.e. so the shot includes BOTH the front of the car (let's say) and the side.
If you've got damage on one side of the car, then obviously, just shoot the side that isn't.
However, instead of doing all the usual shots, why not try 'spicing it up' a bit?
For instance, try turning on your headlights. You could even turn the wheels in a half-lock, and maybe, (if it's not raining), even showing it with he doors open.
Maybe you could take a few details of the car as well, (say a close-up of the wheels for example).
If you've got lovely gold-plated bolts on your split-rims, then it's be a shame not to see them if you don't get close enough.
Effects;
If you're feeling very adventurous, try tilting the camera at a angle, (but not too little, or it'll look like you've made a mistake getting your horizon level, which is also important if you want to take a level shot, so look around and check if the camera IS level. Try using a spirit level if you have one, though some digital cameras sometimes come supplied with a handy 'on-screen' display that you can use instead to make sure the shot is level). Conversely, don't tilt too much...ditto the shot will look like a mistake.
Lighting;
Unless you're very adept at using the flash, I'd probably recommend you don't.
Instead just use natural daylight. Again, avoid artificial lighting as this can lead to odd colour casts and doesn't help showing the correct colour of your car, (unless, that is, you don't mind and even, perhaps, it could make the car look even better).
The best thing to do, is look in amgazines to see how the professionals do it...even if you just copy their ideas, you can't go far wrong.
Above all, make sure your reflection isn't showing in the final shot, (it rarely looks good), besides which, you're taking the shots of your car and not yourself, right?
Oh, and If you're shooting with digital, the main thing is to experiment and see what works and what doesn't...you can always delete the 'duffers' later.....and by that, I don't mean your parents (or do I)!
I'll post some of mine at a later date to try and illustrate....that is, when I've access to the pics on my PC again!
Share and Enjoy!
Don't just think 'outside the box'....throw the box away!
