Hi Fella's,

I'm a proper novice so bare with me....

I've got a Canon 350D and i'm struggling to take any decent pictures of my Car (wrx sti)..where am i going wrong? the main problem i have is "light" and where best to stand when taking a picture so the reflection doesnt spoil the lines of the car ..

Heres a few examples and you can see that i am very new to photography..these were all taken on the same day and the camera is on the "AV" setting ..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/Picture451.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/scoobyfront.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/Picture466.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/Picture472.jpg

Black shiney metal is tough.

See if you can get hold of a polariser, 100 quid for a good one, 20 quid for one that works of ebay (my choice :D)

These show before and after effects of polariser, red one shows differnet settings.

http://www.hankscorpio.net/forumpics/polarlambo1.jpg

http://www.hankscorpio.net/forumpics/polarlambo2.jpg

http://www.hankscorpio.net/forumpics/no_polar.jpg

http://www.hankscorpio.net/forumpics/yes_polar.jpg

Looks like there might be a little bit of shake in there as well, more stable stance and shorter shutter speed would help. Adjust the AV setting to be the lowest number it will allow with the lens you have.

Good luck and keep posting the results :D

Hi mate, welcome to the world of photography:thumb:

Couple of pointers.
Firstly, it may be the way the pic has been compressed, or perhaps some camera shake, but the car doesn't even look in focus.

And I'd have a good read up on 'Composition'. A bit of thought can turn a nothing photo, into a great photo.

Polorisers are also a good investment, but make sure you get a 'circular' one, as it won;t have any effect on your cameras focusing system:)

Take a look at these, shows how tough it is. These were taken by a professional car photographer (Evo, TG, Car etc) . Great pics but still full loads of reflections with the black body.

aston (http://www.stevecarter.com/astonV8.htm)

Oh, and also, don't just take a picture of the car where it stands. Put some thought into the placement of the car, and especially it's background. Make the car the main feature of the picture, not just something that's in the way of the scenery:thumb:

Nice Aston pic's.
Decide which are your favourites, then read up about the 'Rule of thirds', then look back at those photo's. You'll see why composition is so important:)

Thanks fella's..some sound advice there.

ps..Is the "av" setting ever going to produce a decent shot? i dont want to run before i can walk......

keep the camera in the 'simplest' mode at first...AV should be OK

a above - you need to get tighter into the shot so the car is the main focus
dont have the scenery butting into the car (i.e. no horizon or edge of grass etc. running into the car) in each of your photos theres a line running into your car
dont have anything except scenery in your pics - the photo is of your car not the lampost or dog, or house

but as above black is a bugger to get right
try early morning or evening shots when the reflections wont be as vivid

hope this helps

the 'AV' setting sets your 'Apperture', then the camera adjusts the shutter speed so that the photo isn't over or under exposed.
altering your apperture does the following.

A large apperture (Smaller number/f2.8 f1.8 etc etc) lets more light into the camera, meaning that you can use a faster shutter speed. Excellent in low light situations. It also reduces the range that is in focus. This means for example that you could have the car in shot, but the background would be out of focus. It's great for making the focal point really stand out. Unfortunately a large apperture requires a wider lens, so Telephoto lenses capable of large appertures tend to be on the pricey side.

A small apperture (Large number/f22 f32 etc etc) doesn't let much light in at all, so you have to use a slower shutter to get a decent exposure. But it does mean that you can have a large range in focus. Ideal for landscapes and large building photography. But no good if you need faster shutter speeds i.e. when photographing a moving target in low light.

That's a very basic run down. Hope it helps:)

A bit of steering lock often helps as well. Different angles - depends on the car, but crouch down low, heck lie on the ground if you have to, or get up high. The car doesn't necessarily have to be dead centre of the photograph, nor even a really big part of it if theres a nice bit of road or background.

Location
Composition
Pose (if cars can pose)

Fook me..my head is about to explode..

Thanks again for the advice..

a photo needs light to make it
light gets in thru the aperture, so: you can do it quickly thru a big hole (big aperture, fast exposure) or slowly thru a little hole (small aperture, slow exposure)...or at medium speed thru a medium hole
they give different 'looks' to the shot but they'll all give a shot
if you have the camera in 'manual', you can set either to suit, but I'd suggest you
stick to AV until you get composition tho..then start to play in manual

Av will be fine. Don't stress the how a camera works stuff for if it is a problem, I don't really think you've got exposure / technical problems. Well worth learning that stuff in time tho.

Have a look here:
Car Photography Tutorial (http://www.mattwatkinson.com/tutorial/)

Edit to note that the tutorial is by Matt Wilkinson - who shot the aston pictures. 'nuff said!

I've been reading up tonight and my 1st task is "Composition"

I'll worry about the rest when i've sussed this..

cheers

I've been reading up tonight and my 1st task is "Composition"

I'll worry about the rest when i've sussed this..

cheers

BM, you've got it with this post :) But there's no substitute for practise, learn, practise etc. Bit like driving well - the car is pretty much irrelevant. On track days, I've been overtaken by over-laden donkeys ;)

Richard.

Broadmoor, your main problem with the example pics is that the car is the wrong colour :) You need to get a blue one with gold wheels, they are much more photogenic:
http://fp.wilky42.f9.co.uk/CAR/GRAPHICS/my_car_full_shots/IMG_1644.jpg

http://fp.wilky42.f9.co.uk/CAR/GRAPHICS/my_car_full_shots/IMG_1668.jpg

http://fp.wilky42.f9.co.uk/CAR/GRAPHICS/my_car_full_shots/holme-sunset.jpg

Good luck on your voygue of dicovery to the land of photography :)

Broadmoor, your main problem with the example pics is that the car is the wrong colour :) You need to get a blue one with gold wheels, they are much more photogenic:
http://fp.wilky42.f9.co.uk/CAR/GRAPHICS/my_car_full_shots/IMG_1644.jpg

http://fp.wilky42.f9.co.uk/CAR/GRAPHICS/my_car_full_shots/IMG_1668.jpg

http://fp.wilky42.f9.co.uk/CAR/GRAPHICS/my_car_full_shots/holme-sunset.jpg

Good luck on your voygue of dicovery to the land of photography :)


You have a point....however if i had a blue one i would'nt be taking pics ;-)

Pics 1 and 2 are great examples of the rule of thirds but the tree out of the roof spoils pic 1 IMHO

Lol at broadmoor, toche! :)

I was thinking of removing the tree, but I don't think the parish church would be very happy :)

You really want to "do" composition, read up on the Golden Triangle, it's like an expansion of the rule of thirds.
Nice starter with examples here:
Fotogenetic - 35mm Film and the Golden Rectangle (http://fotogenetic.dearingfilm.com/golden_rectangle_2.html)

Just an opinion of mine - I'd do the technical stuff first before artistic, the camera is only a tool, once you've got a handle on how to use it effectively, it'll be much easier to use artistically. The settings will become second nature.
A bit simplistic but a well practised builder with a drill will very rarely have to put any thought into setting a drill, he'll choose the right bit, speed, torque, hammer setting and get on with drilling a well composed hole :D

You can quite often rescue a well shot, poor composition with PS, cropping etc but you'll rarely rescue a poorly shot, nice composition.

You really want to "do" composition, read up on the Golden Triangle, it's like an expansion of the rule of thirds.
Nice starter with examples here:
Fotogenetic - 35mm Film and the Golden Rectangle (http://fotogenetic.dearingfilm.com/golden_rectangle_2.html)


I know it's only a typo mate, but it's the Golden Rectangle, not Triangle.

And it's trying to turn art into science, which doesn't work. The Rule of Thirds is a good and simple guide to composition. Easy - just position your main subject off-centre. Job done. Usually. It works for all subjects mostly, and all formats. It's really not worth taking the debate any deeper, especially as, IMHO, many of my favourite photos, by any photographer, completely ignore all conventional rules.

Just my view ;)

Richard.

Ooops, yes. Probably more freudian then typo (Must have been thinking of 80's blond page three girls at the time :D)

Couldn't agree more, that's why I put the do as "do". Over analysis can kill the fun in it.
I've always taken the view that I'm not creating art, I'm just recording things I see and do to help me out when senility kicks in. If some of them come out nice and others appreciate them that's great but I do this for me, for fun (and the occasional sense of achievement went it looks really good) and snaps do me just fine.

I find it helps to throw a scantily clad female in the pic, Like this one of mine

( my car & pic that is, not female )

:D


http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/69wrx/tonilou8.jpg

Ok.... After listening to what advice my new found friends on here said and a little reading/thought, i nipped out today to continue my learning process.I left it abit late in the day and the light was fading fast (lesson 2 perhaps: light conditions).

with "Composition" ringing in my ears i came up with these ...Have i learnt anything?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/ascoob.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/aaaaascoob.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/aaaaaaascoob.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/aaaaaaaaaaascoob.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/aaaaaaaaaaaaascoob.jpg

also a novice, but I'd say stand a bit lower, and crop the crap out. my efforts at cars (http://bbs.scoobynet.com/photography-360/561550-few-lamborghini.html)

Best to leave out distracting backgrounds I find unless you find a good location -- that sign hanging off the building doesn't do much for the image! In the second pic I would have been tempted to turn the wheel out to add a little something to it.

A couple of my attempts:

http://www.alwyngreer.com/subaru/sti-wallpaper2-small.jpg

http://www.alwyngreer.com/subaru/sti-wallpaper.jpg

LOL....i've a lot to learn then..I've been driving around looking for "Crap" to add to my pics..

The Cars the Star...i must remember this in future

the first blue ST~I is the better photo: nothing upsets the lines of the car
...in the 2nd pic the Armco ADDS to the bonent line, ruining the pic

imagine those pics - and yours - with a field and sky line (not a GTR) in the background

try using photoshop to ccahnge the background - even if its rough, you'll see the difference it makes to your pics

try taking some NITS/DUSK shots,
you may find its easyier to adjust everything,

e.g
As i fell my Nite pictures look great,
Day Pictures are O.K.

Just keep playing with the camera, But remember what the settings where on before you start changing things ;)

ok ok....i can see where i'm going wrong.

In this shot i should have waited till the crowds had retreated
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/broadmoor/Zexbomb.jpg