F stop for auto shows: The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick...

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick but runs the hazard of not having the entire length of the auto in focus if it’s at an angle to the camera. Is there one f-stop recommended or would it be better to do a few bursts at various stops to get a blurry background? Or would a short tele help to add to bokeh?

FlaGator

Just practice by taking photos of your own car with various settings and at different viewpoints. Make note of the ones that work well for you and use those at the shows.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

FlaGator wrote:

Just practice by taking photos of your own car with various settings and at different viewpoints. Make note of the ones that work well for you and use those at the shows.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

FlaGator wrote:

Just practice by taking photos of your own car with various settings and at different viewpoints. Make note of the ones that work well for you and use those at the shows.

Good advice! Sometimes the obvious passes us by. But…keep be mindful of the lighting, assuming inside a building….

imagextrordinair Loc: Halden, Norway

gvarner wrote:

The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick but runs the hazard of not having the entire length of the auto in focus if it’s at an angle tothe camera. Is there one f-stop recommended or would it be better to do a few bursts at various stops to get a blurry background? Or would a short tele help to add to bokeh?

For 24 and 50mm side shots, F 5, strait on F4

At 200mm, F2 (prime) or 2.8 (70- 200 zoom)

Blurry or Bokeh is something assumed? Unless your at a car show, or the background is just plain bad sure, but location is most times a main consideration for the shoot.

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FlaGator wrote:

Just practice by taking photos of your own car with various settings and at different viewpoints. Make note of the ones that work well for you and use those at the shows.

Wise advice !!! But its toadally in conflict with UHH Sacred Tradition. Ignorant inexperienced guessing by the Clown Car Collective is always held in higher regard than such an easy simple direct solution.

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imagextrordinair wrote:

For 24 and 50mm side shots, F 5, strait on F4

At 200mm, F2 (prime) or 2.8 (70- 200 zoom)

Blurry or Bokeh is something assumed? Unless your at a car show, or the background is just plain bad sure, but location is most times a main consideration for the shoot.

Now THAT is 100% fully compliant with UHH Sacred Tradition ! The f/2 at 200mm is a real gem, especially the use of a Prime. Rawk on ! May your bokeh bubble on joyfully endlessly !

Bill_de Loc: US

User ID wrote:

Now THAT is 100% fully compliant with UHH Sacred Tradition ! The f/2 at 200mm is a real gem, especially the use of a Prime. Rawk on !

Not bad if you are shooting a hood ornament!

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I really didnt much care for that greenish look.

Whenz the last time you saw a green Benz ?

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selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

gvarner wrote:

The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick but runs the hazard of not having the entire length of the auto in focus if it’s at an angle to the camera. Is there one f-stop recommended or would it be better to do a few bursts at various stops to get a blurry background? Or would a short tele help to add to bokeh?

The f-stop should not be your primary concern.

If you are at an auto show and nobody else shows up you might have the option of a longer lens. Otherwise you need to get close enough to the car to keep people from getting in the way. That calls for a 35 to 40mm lens (full frame) and it doesn't leave you much background blur unless you open the lens.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

gvarner wrote:

The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick but runs the hazard of not having the entire length of the auto in focus if it’s at an angle to the camera. Is there one f-stop recommended or would it be better to do a few bursts at various stops to get a blurry background? Or would a short tele help to add to bokeh?

Great question. I'm gearing up for the annual Chicago Auto Show over the next few weeks, Feb 10-19.

My preference is either a 16-35 f/4 IS zoom or an 35 f/1.4 prime. Even though indoors, I expect the lighting to be good enough to capture full-frame 'wide' views around f/5, probably leveraging either the IS on the zoom or the relative light-wide of the prime on a DSLR without IBIS. The best way to 'blur' the background at wide(r) angles is to shot with the main subject close to the camera / foreground with selective focus on that primary subject.

The example below, even at f/1.4, gives more details in the background than one might expect from that wide aperture. Rather, work with your compositions and the timing of people around the vehicle, sometimes waiting several seconds for people to move gives better results over a run-n-gun of the cars and the randoms in the frame.

1924 Touring Moon by Paul Sager, on Flickr

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gvarner wrote:

The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick but runs the hazard of not having the entire length of the auto in focus if it’s at an angle to the camera. Is there one f-stop recommended or would it be better to do a few bursts at various stops to get a blurry background? Or would a short tele help to add to bokeh?

Hawgsters worship hardware, the shiny stuff you can hold in your two hands, and so youve naturally posed hardware questions. But most unfortunately this is NOT a hardware situation, a fact thaz only emphasized by the scattered nature of your hardware thoughts, stabbing blindly in various nonproductive directions.

Too many Hawgsters have a negative view of major PP. Hopefully YOU are not among them, cuz "the answer is out there". That is all.

rcarol

gvarner wrote:

The challenge at auto shows or in outdoor auto photos is to have the subject sharp and the background blurry. I know that a wide open aperture would do the trick but runs the hazard of not having the entire length of the auto in focus if it’s at an angle to the camera. Is there one f-stop recommended or would it be better to do a few bursts at various stops to get a blurry background? Or would a short tele help to add to bokeh?

I would take the photo using an f stop that insured the entire car was in focus. At this point I would not worry too much about the background. I would do my post processing in Photoshop. I would use the "Depth Blur" in Neural Filters to blur the background while keeping the car in focus.

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rcarol wrote:

I would take the photo using an f stop that insured the entire car was in focus. At this point I would not worry too much about the background. I would do my post processing in Photoshop. I would use the "Depth Blur" in Neural Filters to blur the background while keeping the car in focus.

AMEN !

Other less sophisticated editors can also do the job but work would proceed a bit slower.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

CHG_CANON wrote:

My preference is either a 16-35 f/4 IS zoom or an 35 f/1.4 prime.

I only use prime lenses and 35mm has been my usual choice. With 40mm I have to be a little more careful with framing.

I once made the mistake of using 24mm and got a result I didn't like.

24mm

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35mm
35mm...

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