2 Flashes and '55 T-Bird.

 

 

<p>Any tips on how to improve?<br>

I was hoping my 2 580EXII flashes would do the trick (1 of which has to stay on camera to act as master). I don't think I had enough light, especially as it got darker. I used them with a white card, with the pull out diffuser and naked. <br>

I see that the ground is really taking away from the shots, I need to learn to see like the camera does. I wonder if you can buy big tarps to drive onto or something. I also need to watch for reflections of nearby objects (light stand, other cars, etc).<br>

Anyway, appreciate any feedback or ideas on good outside locations for car shoots. --greg.<br>

More shots can found at the *END* of this gallery:<br>

http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/Cars/West-Seattle-Car-Show<br>

--greg.<br>

<img src="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/photos/658335367_BdCgW-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" /></p>

<p><img src="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/photos/658329249_FzS5X-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="534" /><br>

<img src="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/photos/658334764_sKpZj-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="534" /><br>

<img src="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/photos/658321573_nLqRc-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="532" /></p>

<p> </p>

 

 

<p>Since you are shooting outdoors, there's not much you can do about the ambient natural lighting. It's going to vary from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute.</p>

<p>I would suggest experimenting with a screw-on Polarizer filter when shooting close to water. Take one shot without PF and one shot with PF and see which you like the best. The PF would substantially remove the reflections you see in pic #1. It can also enhance and somewhat deepen your colors. Also, try experimenting with a UV filter on sunny hazy days, like the last picture. Again take one pic with UV filter and one pic without, and see which you like more.</p>

<p>These are great shots, but the car looks a little under exposed IHMO in all the shots. I'm not sure if that is the look you or your clients wanted </p>

<p>Polarizer is a good suggestion, I had one with me of course and didn't think to use it.<br>

I would also agree that the car is under-exposed. I do indeed want it brighter. It looked alright in the LCD, but I really need to dial in a stop or so of more light.<br>

I will be shooting the same car in the same spot in a day or two, I will check back in with the results (weather permitting). If it is so-so weather we might have to get the top on it (rag top).<br>

I can play around because I am giving the car owner free prints in return for him bringing the car out and moving it around as I need it.</p>

<p>--greg.</p>

<p>Polarizer is a good suggestion, I had one with me of course and didn't think to use it.<br>

I would also agree that the car is under-exposed. I do indeed want it brighter. It looked alright in the LCD, but I really need to dial in a stop or so of more light.<br>

I will be shooting the same car in the same spot in a day or two, I will check back in with the results (weather permitting). If it is so-so weather we might have to get the top on it (rag top).<br>

I can play around because I am giving the car owner free prints in return for him bringing the car out and moving it around as I need it.</p>

<p>--greg.</p>

<p>I think you need a bit more light, yes, but you also need maybe to push the shots a little harder in post. I used the Nik Color Efex Tonal Contrast filter (local contrast adjustment) along with some other seat of the pants adjustments. Didn't worry about color fidelity or casts in the white paint, just wanted to pump things up.<br>

I think there's enough info in a couple of these images to yield good shots, especially if you used RAW for the captures.</p><div></div>

<p>You could set one strobe to act as a slave and the other as the master. Then get an off-camera flash cord and do a mod on it so you can use CAT5 cable to connect the two ends. Then you can have both strobes on stands with one strobe wired to the camera and one wireless slave to the wired strobe. This would let you cover more of the car by putting the strobes camera left and right just out of the shot. Search for this mod on the flickr strobist list. I did it for mine and I can now seperate my camera and first strobe up to fifty fett(longest length of CAT5 I have-you could go longer if needed).<br>

High speed sync would also be helpful if you are not already doing that. Lets you get the background via ambient and the object you want to include with the strobe(I am guessing you are already doing that?).<br>

I have little experiece with this but I would also think that a couple of assistants holding large reflectors and bouncing light onto the car would help.<br>

Be careful with the polarizer. Great for cutting reflection but you will lose 1-2 stops of light<br>

Shoot RAW so you can recover all the information possible in post.</p>

<p>You could set one strobe to act as a slave and the other as the master. Then get an off-camera flash cord and do a mod on it so you can use CAT5 cable to connect the two ends. Then you can have both strobes on stands with one strobe wired to the camera and one wireless slave to the wired strobe. This would let you cover more of the car by putting the strobes camera left and right just out of the shot. Search for this mod on the flickr strobist list. I did it for mine and I can now seperate my camera and first strobe up to fifty fett(longest length of CAT5 I have-you could go longer if needed).<br>

High speed sync would also be helpful if you are not already doing that. Lets you get the background via ambient and the object you want to include with the strobe(I am guessing you are already doing that?).<br>

I have little experiece with this but I would also think that a couple of assistants holding large reflectors and bouncing light onto the car would help.<br>

Be careful with the polarizer. Great for cutting reflection but you will lose 1-2 stops of light<br>

Shoot RAW so you can recover all the information possible in post.</p>

<p>Well, I said I would get back to you all, and here I am. I have been playing around trying to learn post production here. Attached is what I have come up with so far. Thanks again for all the great advise. This shot is still the same 'roll', I have not had good enough weather yet to go out and shoot it again.<br>

<img src="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/photos/664469573_kFYwG-XL.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" /></p>

<p>And here is one I tried a LOT of contrast.<br>

<img src="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/photos/664470642_h7g9N-XL.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>--greg.</p>

 

<p>I like the first one the best, but I'd try to keep some of the detail in the ground and not let it go so black.</p>

<p>Here's a good site with some car photography tutorials. The link is for post processing, but be sure to check out the rest under the Tutorials menu at the top of the page.</p>

<p>Have fun, these old cars are great.</p>

<p>http://www.carphototutorials.com/10_top_tips_for_post_processing_in_photoshop.php</p>

<p>Thanks for the link Howard. The shadows on those pics really did go to black, the originals don't do that so much, although I did darken them quite a bit. Check them out <a href="http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/Cars/West-Seattle-Car-Show/9714354_9zmPj/1/#664469573_kFYwG-A-LB">here</a>:</p>

<p> http://www.gregorywrightphotography.com/Cars/West-Seattle-Car-Show/9714354_9zmPj/1/#664469573_kFYwG-A-LB</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

--greg.</p>

 

<p>I've never tried it like this but it can work for weddings dresses. Expose for the car in regards to the flash, then drag the shutter for the background lights and detail. Basically leave the flash power and aperture the same but slow down the shutter to expose for the ambient light. You may want to bracket down to find the right tweak for the shutter speed. You may still need some post production work but I feel like this would be a useful experiment. I hope this helps out.<br>

Lee</p>