nzdavid Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 What gear for shooting excusive cars in an exclusive setting? (Lamborghini, Bentley, MG TD replica, that kind of thing. You know, the kind of cars most Leica owners drive.. OK, I have a Ford...oh, and a Vespa!) End use for pictures is a glossy brochure. 100 ISO film, but slides or prints, and what film? M6 plus which main lens (I'll take all): 28, 35, 50, 90? Any other tips? Thanks in anticipation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawrence_bochkis Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Depends on what the environment is? An exclusive setting could mean a Concours d'Elegance outdoors, or it could mean a private showroom, or someone's private garage....all things will require different perspectives. Off the cuff, I'd say you'll be needing the 90 for details from a few feet, plus a wide like the 35 or 28 for full views of the cars. The 28 will be the most useful for interior pictures, or even possibly under the hood shots. If you could borrow a 15 for interior shots, that would be even better. There won't be much you can get in the frame from the driver's seat of a Lambo with even a 28, but if you sit in the back seat of a 2+2, you might be able to get some nice perspectives. If you do get a 15, try to sit right in the middle of the back seat on a 2+2, and position the frame so it is exactly in the middle of the two seats, preferably with the head rests JUST out of frame. It makes for a cool perspective, and a very "ambiance" style shot. As for film, you'll want relatively high contrast and saturation, because in any setting, there will be both glare as well as flat spots in color, etc. So take some Provia, and possibly some of your favorite black and white. It would also be helpful to get some high speed film, for interiors and motor shots, because shadows will always bug you no matter where you are, when you're talking about cars. Anyway, that's my nickel's worth of contribution. That will be 10 cents please. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_.1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 I'm not a pro, but I like to see a car that's undistorted by a wide angle lens- so a 50mm sounds good. But, I'm sure you'll want some dramatically distorted renditions- like those shots aimed at the front corner with a wide angle lens- so maybe your 28mm? It would be cool to get some shots of some of the gear-head bits and pieces- you know like cam covers, inboard suspension, chromed headers, red start buttons, etc., so maybe your 90mm as well. Come to think of it, you'll need all of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_evans4 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 For shooting "exclusive" carporn such as this in a location from which you can conveniently exclude other people, I think you should be using a monorail or similar with tilt and shift, lots of lighting gear, and a very, very solid tripod. (Not that I have any experience of this myself.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ky2 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 A tripod, a flash, and sharp-focus flash light. Frame the car, focus, leave the camera on the tripod mount, and stop down to maximize DOF. Exposure should be set to several seconds, if not 1/2 a minute. Paint the chrome with your flashlight, and add some strobe shots from either sides, and BELOW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Large format gear is definitely the most appropriate gear for car porn. Failing that use a Canon TS-E lens or a Horseman VCC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony_brookes5 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 The famous motor racing journalist Dennis Jenkinson once said - some time in the late '50s - that no Porsche was complete without a Rolleiflex in the car. He used his Rollei for all his photographs but they were technical and candid shots, not glamour. My Porsche has a Leica III in the glove box for the snatched pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk_teetzel Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 I wouldn't go wider than 28mm due to distortion and don't forget your polarizer if you are outside. 28,50,90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_werner1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 <i>My Porsche</i> <br> Now we know... <br><br> Cheers,<br> Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony_brookes5 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Peter - it's 50 years old next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk_teetzel Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 356? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony_brookes5 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Kirk - Yes<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk_teetzel Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Sigh! Some day I'll have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_werner1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 <center><img src="http://petermcwerner.com/Photos/Mercedes_800.jpg"></center><br><br> Anthony - I cannot compete - mine was only 40 years old last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk_teetzel Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 The only photo I have of my BMW E9 before I started ripping it apart It's only 35 years old.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony_brookes5 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Peter - that's when Mercedes-Benz built them properly, not like today - although I think they're trying to get back to their old quality. Trouble is they have got to work through all the damage that Jurgen Schremp did. What did you take the picture with ? Nice clean sharp image. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony_brookes5 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 A propos Dennis Jenkinson here he is with his Rollei and Graham Hill<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svante.johansson Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 David, <br> <br> I once had a chat with the photographer that made most of the product shots for Volvo Trucks (and also for SAAB) <a href="http://imagebank.vtc.volvo.se/asset_server/get_asset_image.asp?idasset=5711&src=Lowres&filename=T-3602-00.JPG&dsnpart=vtc_photos">in this style</a>. He used a 4x5 and slide film, but I think that camera and film were among the things he worried the least about. <br> <br> He told me that he used at least two weeks for the preparation of the shoot, in particular the design of the lighting. In order to have highlights at the right places huge white sails were used. The setup required several days in a hangar sized studio, while the actual shot could usually be performed during a day. Exposure times were several minutes. <br> <br> For tips on techniques that are more easily copied I have found the following book excellent: "How to Photograph Cars - The enthusiast's guide to techniques and equipment" by Tony Baker, ISBN 1 85960 855 8. <br> <br> <br> <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/1649218"> <img border="1" alt="Click for details" src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/1649218-md.jpg" /> </a> <br> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_werner1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 <center><img src="http://petermcwerner.com/Photos/Maybach_010_800.jpg"><br><br><i>First Public Presentation of the Maybach 57S at the Geneva Auto Show - March 2005<br>Sony Ericcson V800 Phonecam</center></i> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_werner1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Anthony,<br> <i>What did you take the picture with ? Nice clean sharp image.</i> <br><br> <a href=http://www.alpareflex.com>Alpa Reflex - Macro Switar 1.9/50</a>. I took it a couple of years ago, scanned it in today from a 4x5 print and massaged it a bit in Photoshop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 I`m getting old as I remember when the silver bathtub and gold Mercedes were new. Friends parents purchased new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_lee2 Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Nice car, Kirk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_nesbitt Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 I try to attend the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the companion Concorso Italiano, as well as assorted weekend auctions ($3.6 mil for a 1937 Talbot Lago this year!) and antique automobile races on the Monterey Peninsula. I usually shoot both digital and film with a Leica III using a 50mm collapsable 'cron. Old cameras are much admired by owners of old cars, I've found. Widest lens I use is 28mm. I enjoy recording the spit-and- polish cars, super-serious judges and crazy gearhead owners with some literal precision. Others go for wild distortion and exaggerated angles, often with great results, but that's not my style. Macro close-ups of long obsolete details can be especiallly rewarding for me. If you're attending a serious car gathering, you'll find the owners cooperative, so long as you don't touch the merchandise. If there are crowds, a tripod only seems to slow things down. Outdoors there's usually plenty of light, even though the coastal mornings at Pebble Beach are always heavily overcast. As has been said, in bright sun a polorizer is a great asset to kill unwanted reflections. It can try your patience to wait for an opening in the crowd to reveal a particular classic you'd like to shoot. So I try to arrive early, before several thousand fans are swarming the 18th fairway where the cars are parked. Don't forget to look for the lonley wives on the sidelines, kids who can't believe their eyes, older folks reliving their youth and celebs. Jay Leno. Sterling Moss and Ralph Lauren are regulars at Pebble, for example. If you're working in a showroom or private collection, most of these thoughts don't apply. In any event, good luck. It can be a wonderful photographic challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_brewster Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 What Svante said. Lighting is the most difficult aspect of shooting carporn. 4x5, transparency film, and lots of lighting is what the ad people use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirk_teetzel Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Don't forget, macro shots can be a nice alternative if you can get the overall shot you want. Turns out, the medium format Great Wall DF-4 camera uses the LTM for its lens. These were taken using the 135 Hektor. Not good examples, but examples nonetheless. <img src="http://members.roadfly.com/teetzelk/File0509.jpg"> <img src="http://members.roadfly.com/teetzelk/File0510.jpg"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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