Comments and feedback about Autoclub photo shoot: Our local area Mazda Miata club president reached out to us members looking for who are photography enthusiasts, Pros, whatever, for...

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

Our local area Mazda Miata club president reached out to us members looking for who are photography enthusiasts, Pros, whatever, for advice and help. He is looking to organize a club photography shoot for us members and their cars. Now my experience, and I told him, is the lighting and setting location which affects the reflections off the car. This is something he is looking to do and seeking advice on setting, location type etc. So, me being dude with a couple of cameras, told him I would reach out to 'big guns' for some feedback. So here I am posting this post looking for thoughts, feedback, comments, just throw be some bones Hoggers on whaddya think ?
Sir Bruce tha loose.

KTJohnson Loc: Northern Michigan

I think that #1 would be to have it outside if possible. Inside lighting reflections are usually horrible & hard to overcome.

Also, a park-like setting instead of city/shopping center parking lot is also preferable. My opinion.

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

KTJohnson wrote:

I think that #1 would be to have it outside if possible. Inside lighting reflections are usually horrible & hard to overcome.

Also, a park-like setting instead of city/shopping center parking lot is also preferable. My opinion.

Thank you my brother and I agree, from my experience shooting my cars this is the best.
Bruce.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

--Bob

KTJohnson wrote:

I think that #1 would be to have it outside if possible. Inside lighting reflections are usually horrible & hard to overcome.

Also, a park-like setting instead of city/shopping center parking lot is also preferable. My opinion.

User ID

KTJohnson wrote:

I think that #1 would be to have it outside if possible. Inside lighting reflections are usually horrible & hard to overcome.

Also, a park-like setting instead of city/shopping center parking lot is also preferable. My opinion.

For the usual photo cliches that is true.

(Download)

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

User ID wrote:

For the usual photo cliches that is true.

Yes the your last shot of the Miata ass end is a good example of reflection issues facing us photographers. It does make it hard to tell if there are dents and flaws.

bikinkawboy Loc: north central Missouri

If you really want to make them look sharp, hose them down with water before you shoot, especially early morning or late afternoon light.

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

bikinkawboy wrote:

If you really want to make them look sharp, hose them down with water before you shoot, especially early morning or late afternoon light.

Hey, never heard of this but it is a great offer, I will try this one my car and let you know how it goes.
broose.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

To my eye car shots look better if the background is not busy and if there's not excessive glare.

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

R.G. wrote:

To my eye car shots look better if the background is not busy and if there's not excessive glare.

Yes bro, excessive glare is a problem here in the Texas sun. I have found that slightly shaded areas work best. I have two Miatas and going to sell my precious 2001 SE, So I need good pictures and I do have some now that this has come up I need to take more. All these comments are very helpful. Thank you bro.
Boose.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

riderxlx wrote:

Our local area Mazda Miata club president reached ... (show quote)

If you analyze many of the high-end car advertisements in magazines, online and on TV you will notice that many of them are made out-of-doors under a somewhat overcast sky, in open shade and early or late in the day near sunrise and sunset. This kind of lighting produces even lighting, void of hotspots and distracting reflections, and if the vehicle is strategically placed, the good, even and smooth highlight will emphasize the LINES of the car or truck.

I realize that on the day of the shoot, you may not have exact control over the weather situation or the location of each car, where possible, you can look out for the aforementioned lightg conditions.

Obviously, the attached image, extracted from the Mazda website, is a studio shot but as you can tell from the shadow under the car, the soft ligh is coming in from overhead and is emphasizing the lies of the car with good specular highlights. If the natural skylight is available, you can easily replicate the kind of lighting effect. Slight backlighting from above is effective as well.

Try to keep the background simple and uncluttered or a scene in keeping with the age of the car.

Use a normal or slightly longer than the normal focal length to avoid distortion of the car's shape and lines.

If you shoot at sunrise or sunset and can pick up dramatic skies- that can work too. Even if there are reflections in the windshield or the paint job, that can be a nice effect.

If the event is organized by your club, you may be able to find an ideal location as per background and lighting.

Some years ago, I was called in to design a cyclorama and lighting system for shooting cars on a floating background. We bounced over 10,000 watt-seconds off of a white ceiling and further diffused the light with giant sheets of sailcloth sewn together- all to simulate a soft sky lighting!

You can try it out in advance of the shoot. If the Fall colours are out in your neighbourhood- which would be
nice, take a drive in the country on a good day and do some test shots!

Old dude with some "big" guns here. Well- I do still work out 3-time each week but the muscles ain't what used to be "guns", nowadays, and have taken on a new meaning!

Good luck on the shoot- sounds like fun!

User ID

riderxlx wrote:

Yes the your last shot of the Miata ass end is a good example of reflection issues facing us photographers. It does make it hard to tell if there are dents and flaws.

Yes thaz very true yet I hope its visually obvious that in my photo the various reflections are the reason for the photo.

stu352 Loc: MA/RI Border

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned using a polarizer to help minimize unwanted reflections.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

E.L.. Shapiro wrote:

If you analyze many of the high-end car advertisements in magazines, online and on TV you will notice that many of them are made out-of-doors under a somewhat overcast sky, in open shade and early or late in the day near sunrise and sunset. This kind of lighting produces even lighting, void of hotspots and distracting reflections, and if the vehicle is strategically placed, the good, even and smooth highlight will emphasize the LINES of the car or truck.

I realize that on the day of the shoot, you may not have exact control over the weather situation or the location of each car, where possible, you can look out for the aforementioned lightg conditions.

Obviously, the attached image, extracted from the Mazda website, is a studio shot but as you can tell from the shadow under the car, the soft ligh is coming in from overhead and is emphasizing the lies of the car with good specular highlights. If the natural skylight is available, you can easily replicate the kind of lighting effect. Slight backlighting from above is effective as well.

Try to keep the background simple and uncluttered or a scene in keeping with the age of the car.

Use a normal or slightly longer than the normal focal length to avoid distortion of the car's shape and lines.

If you shoot at sunrise or sunset and can pick up dramatic skies- that can work too. Even if there are reflections in the windshield or the paint job, that can be a nice effect.

If the event is organized by your club, you may be able to find an ideal location as per background and lighting.

Some years ago, I was called in to design a cyclorama and lighting system for shooting cars on a floating background. We bounced over 10,000 watt-seconds off of a white ceiling and further diffused the light with giant sheets of sailcloth sewn together- all to simulate a soft sky lighting!

You can try it out in advance of the shoot. If the Fall colours are out in your neighbourhood- which would be
nice, take a drive in the country on a good day and do some test shots!

Old dude with some "big" guns here. Well- I do still work out 3-time each week but the muscles ain't what used to be "guns", nowadays, and have taken on a new meaning!

Good luck on the shoot- sounds like fun!

If you analyze many of the high-end car advertisem... (show quote)

Thanks for sharing your extensive experiences !

r1ch Loc: Colorado

stu352 wrote:

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned using a polarizer to help minimize unwanted reflections.

Yep, this.

Also read this

https://shotkit.com/car-photography/

Number 13. in morning or evening, no background, no reflections.. Shoot down at car.