Tips for Taking Pictures of Your Ride!

[Dom]

Want to take great photographs of your ride? Here are some tips to help you get the shots that will get your car noticed.


1. Use a good camera.
Forget the disposable types and find a 35mm single lens reflex or high-quality digital camera. Disposable and "point-and-shoots" use a wide-angle view, so your subject will appear smaller than your eye sees it. With a good camera, you can get closeup shots of decks, amps, and components.

2. Buy the proper film.
The general rule is that high-speed film (the 400-800 stuff) works best for low-light shooting, like outdoor photos at night. The lower speeds (100-200) work best with a lot of light. Experiment with different F-stop settings (those numbers on the lens labeled F8, F11, etc.) — the higher the number, the smaller the opening and the less light allowed. Try taking one shot at each F-stop (usually F2.8 through F22) and make notes linking the exposure number to the F-stop. Once you get the prints back, you'll see which F-stop worked best. (Remember to note the weather, light conditions, and sun position.)

3. Clean your car.
Really.

4. Check the sky.
Shoot your photos in the early morning or early evening, when the sun is low in the sky. You want the sun to complement your car and its equipment, and not wash it out. Cloudy or overcast skies are often the best: plenty of ambient light, but no direct rays.

5. Location, location, location.
Find a spot that enhances your ride and doesn't distract from it. Park at least 15 feet from the background to create depth (this will also throw the background slightly out of focus, bringing more attention to your car).

6. Interior Shots.
Take dash photos from outside the car, using the tripod and shooting through an open window. Also try shots from the rear seats. (Shots taken from driver and front passenger seats usually suffer from lack of clarity.) Watch for any shadows from the sun coming through the windows. If it's too much, throw a dark blanket over the windshield. If you're using a flash, take your shots from an angle (rather than head-on) to avoid hot spots. Also, take one of each shot without flash. If you've got a wall of subs, show them all — pull your seats out for the shot. (And remember — if you can see fingerprints or grime on your gear, so will the camera.)

7. Developing your photos.
Most chain drug/grocery stores do a decent job on development. If you get serious, check the Yellow Pages or Internet for a reputable photo lab.


Remember your goal: grab someone's attention. Take your time, experiment with unique shots, and have fun.



From, Crutchfield.com

[Zim]

cool

[Dom]

You, know, if I was a mod I would stick this thread.

[Zim]

dont worry, i took care of it for ya

[SpectorV]

dont take pics of your car with yourself in it, no one wants to see your dumb ass... so stick to behind the camera pictures... also stupid looking girls block the car... keep them on the side lines as well, if i want to see a skimpy girl ill go to www.google.com

[timpryor]

Remember to get low, not too low unless your car is dropped. As well as cutting your wheels(rims facing you). These two things will give it a much more agressive stance.

[RedV6Stang03]

dont get caught in the reflection of your car

[Dom]

Make sure to get all the excess wax and polish off you car too. And, if your big on the tire wet, make sure it doesn't run either.

[SpectorV]

dont forget to take the lens cap off the camera also.

[Rellik]

Also... There is nothing like a good ground shot

[Warfire80]

we can see that

[Dom]

Quote: dont forget to take the lens cap off the camera also.

Don't forget the camera.

[WhiteStang99]

or batteries.

[Dom]

Or the car.

I've seen it happen.

[Herbstang]

Wish I had read this before I took my pics !!! Great info

[V6 MAMI]

I Took These Myself And I Think I Did A Good Job, What DO YOU Think???

OH AND THAT'S ME

[WhiteStang99]

Nice car. I say get rid of the date though. You could look at file properties if you need to know the date for some reason later.

[SpectorV]

try taking some out side and in the open before sun set, with the sun to the side or behind you.

Take em up until its to dark for them to be worthwhile and you can pick the best ones from em.

[Riversnake]

Almost ALWAYS a good rule to follow: Look down at your feet before you take your picture; your shadow should be (at some degree) in front of you aka sun to your back. This puts light on the side of the car you are photographing thus eliminating the shadows on your car. Sometimes for effect this does not apply:

Learn to use your camera's different settings (no auto focus sometimes) and your quality will improve greatly.

Pay attention to little things: in this shot, windows should have been up-DOH!!

[Brent]

Very nice picture

[ridenmystang]

Are we dealing with a bunch of dummies or what! hahaha

[Zim]

^^ ??

[bbunt302]

Yes, most of us are indeed idiots. I know I am!

Quote: Originally Posted by ZimStang ^^ ??

I believe she is referring to such lines as "Dont forget the camera", "or batteries", and my personal favorite: "dont forget to take the lens cap off the camera also."

[DarkShadow]

I forgot my shoulder strap once. I had to go back home because I didn't have it.

[Samir]

Some good tips.

I'll also add some techniques I've learned over the years.

Some of the best shots you can get will be with a tripod and with creative use of lighting. This shot was just under a light in an almost dark parking lot:

Don't be afraid to play with the flash at night. Usually the flash will bring up elements you didn't want there like rust, dust, etc. But most cameras have a "slow" flash setting that allows the flash to work in conjunction with existing light to form a more cohesive shot. This one is a good example of that:


Use of the zoom to flatten images.This is apparently the way a lot of the pros take pictures. The resulting image is very flat, but can be very detailed or vibrant depending on the image and shot. Here's an ok example of this:


Don't be afraid of getting close and using macro. I rarely see this technique, yet it mimicks much more expensive techniques. This shot was literally about 2 inches from the pulley:

[timpryor]

another tip, maybe this is just me but i HATE seeing windows rolled down, or even worse one rolled down and the other up GRRRRR.

[Brent]

Those are some excellent shots Samir

[EVIL-G-NIUS]

Very good thread I'm a 35mm fan myself pictures will be posted soon on the rebuild of the recently aquired 2000 v6. Thanks for the tips and good pics