i would like to add some good areas where you can take. -on top of a building with skyscrappers -old broken down house -some areas of the park is nice -around the lake or the bridge of the lake
im reading a landscape photography book right now and i think some of the tips could transfer to cars: -the best time to shoot is in the morning at sunrise. i know, i know...but thats when all the dust in the air has settled and you might even find some mist/fog hanging around. plus fewer cars and people around. -when the sun dips below the horizon, you have about 2 minutes left of "normal" light. then the sky gets kind of "back lit" and the light turns gray and boring. -modifying the "rule of thirds" can lead to an interesting, and not routine, picture. my sig pic is lame because the driveway is lame -decide where you want the viewer's eye to land first when viewing the pic. thats make-or-break. -decide if you want the viewer to concentrate on one particular part, or if their eye should be allowed to "keep wandering." ill probably find more since im only halfway done with the book and have another landscape book to read. hope this helps
Regarding your sig pic, where did you intend this to be? My eyes wander directly to the wheel gap and I can't look away. *some more food for thought* - Pay attention any reflections on the car, obviously if your shooting with the sun behind you, you will get some orange glow. Double check and make sure you don't have things like other cars, a basketball, ugly chick, tripod/equipment, etc. in your shot. This is an area where a polarizer may do you some good. - Be aware of your aperture. Your aperture setting can easily, and mistakenly, draw or defer attention to a certain detail of your car. If your taking a pic of the entire car, use an aperture that keeps the entire car in focus. If you want to spotlight your new wheels, shoot with your aperture wide open to drown out the rest of the car and keep the viewer focused on what you want them to focus on. - Don't be afraid to move around. I'm not a fan of setting up shop in one location and adjusting my focal length for different compositions. I know a lot of us have a kit lens or wide angle lens. You can get some cool effects by getting closer and shooting wide (<18mm).
also desaturation is cool and sometimes medium contrast looks good, but don't kill it with the contrast.
A polarizer should be the FIRST thing anyone should get if theyre going to be taking photographs of any kind of relfective surface (unless youre going out using professional lighting and modification that costs thousands and a massive studio). Pretty much ANY place one would place a car will give it unwanted reflections. A polarizer wont get rid of all of it, but it will help MASSIVELY. Basic polarizers are cheap (although go up in price with bigger size) however I would recommend a multithreaded CPL (circular polarizer) as they allow in more light than others. CPLs give huge benefits elsewhere too though, especially when going to the beach, shooting in a downtown environment amongst glass buildings, etc. Id recommend one easily.
bumping old thread... but polarizer, do u just hold it in front of the lens? or u gotta buy for the specific brand of camera? just starting to get in to photography, thanks,
polarizers should be universal but you can screw them onto your lens. i have a circular polarizer so i can fine tune the effect. i bought it in my biggest lens size and have step down rings so it works with my other lenses. i would write more but it is kind of a complex subject.
Also, if you use it on a black car, you might end up losing some highlights/body lines unless the car is well lit. Black/dark cars are a pain in the *** to shoot. But as far as a cpl goes, you screw it on a lens and just turn/twist it while its on the lens [kind of like you are trying to focus manually] and you'll see the reflections fade. Im not sure if its just me but i have a Hoya CPL that when i use on my 70-200 f4L, the pictures come out dull and lose the vividness.
