Bit of advice for planning a car shootBasic

[Otispunkmeyer]

EDIT: Why the faff do I have Basic written at the end of my title? I didn't put that there!

Hi guys

so been procuring a few things, namely some extra speedlites and remote triggers and gels because I want to have a proper go at getting into strobe photography. Not just with cars, but thats probably where I am going to start. Because I like cars. Also need to get a torch still for light painting and I got the gels so I can play around with casting other colours instead of just white.

Im not doing a shoot per se, me and friend are literally just going to suck it and see with a lot of memory cards and a bag full of AA batteries. IMO its the only way to properly learn what works, what does't, what you can play with to get the effect you want. But I still wouldn't mind having a bit of a head start so we're not out all night fannying about.

The next point is the car... and I'm afraid (from reading around) that its probably the worst type of car to start doing this sorta photography on. Its a black Focus ST, with gloss black wheels, black windows, black everything really (except the rear lamps).

So... reflections and specular highlights are going to be a nightmare.

But I don't really know whats gonna be the best way of lighting the car. I have read all sorts from not to directly light the car, use soft boxes or bounce flash to using bare speed lights directly onto the car at key areas like wheels. I've seen one guy do shots where he puts the camera on bulb, and walks round the car pilot flashing with one speedlite and a soft box. Another used the concrete ceiling of the car park he was in to bathe the car in light from above, others have employed what look like huge bedsheets suspended above the car with 5-6 flashes firing into it. The consensus seems to be making your light sources appear or act bigger than they actually are. Also going to need decent background lighting to help the car stand out, no good having a black car on a black background.


Say I have the car on a 3/4 shot of the front, behind it there are brickwork, pipes, vents etc. At a guess I'd say you would have light coming from the left to light the front, from the right to light the sides and from behind the car to light the background. I guess its just doing that while avoiding nasty reflections from the environment and point lights from your flashes.

I think I am going to make a home made soft box out of a cardboard box and an unused white bed sheet! and duck tape a speed light in there.

[GFWilliams]

Not sure why you're worrying about lighting so much... Get up at sunrise and shoot on a tripod with natural light

[Otispunkmeyer]

GFWilliams said:

Not sure why you're worrying about lighting so much... Get up at sunrise and shoot on a tripod with natural light

That is an option, as is sunset. However some of the locations we wanna try are either completely covered or are somewhat enclosed so not sure how well that will work?

[GFWilliams]

Otispunkmeyer said:

GFWilliams said:

Not sure why you're worrying about lighting so much... Get up at sunrise and shoot on a tripod with natural light

That is an option, as is sunset. However some of the locations we wanna try are either completely covered or are somewhat enclosed so not sure how well that will work?

I'm just saying it as I see it, of course it is an opinion. I see lots of people trying light painting and most are awful if I'm honest. If they stopped worrying only about lighting and got the hang of composition better they'd be producing much better shots. Shooting at Sunrise is the best time to shoot for light and you don't really need lighting for it

[Otispunkmeyer]

GFWilliams said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

GFWilliams said:

Not sure why you're worrying about lighting so much... Get up at sunrise and shoot on a tripod with natural light

That is an option, as is sunset. However some of the locations we wanna try are either completely covered or are somewhat enclosed so not sure how well that will work?

I'm just saying it as I see it, of course it is an opinion. I see lots of people trying light painting and most are awful if I'm honest. If they stopped worrying only about lighting and got the hang of composition better they'd be producing much better shots. Shooting at Sunrise is the best time to shoot for light and you don't really need lighting for it

I understand and appreciate what you are saying. I also respect your opinion because you are bloody good at this photography lark. I will definitely experiment with what you suggest. However, this strobing/lighting thing is something I want to try, the itch I've got to scratch... Ill find out on my own if I like it, and if I'm any good at it. More than likely I'll be terrible as you say, but we have to start somewhere or else no one would ever do and get good at anything.

Can I ask, what happens if it's overcast at sunrise? Is it still useful? I have these visions of a lovely golden morning light...but where I live it seems to be constant grey grey grey. Will it not produce flat looking pictures?

[GFWilliams]

Otispunkmeyer said:

I understand and appreciate what you are saying. I also respect your opinion because you are bloody good at this photography lark. I will definitely experiment with what you suggest. However, this strobing/lighting thing is something I want to try, the itch I've got to scratch... Ill find out on my own if I like it, and if I'm any good at it. More than likely I'll be terrible as you say, but we have to start somewhere or else no one would ever do and get good at anything.

Can I ask, what happens if it's overcast at sunrise? Is it still useful? I have these visions of a lovely golden morning light...but where I live it seems to be constant grey grey grey. Will it not produce flat looking pictures?

I didn't mean don't ever do night stuff etc, I'd never try to put someone off doing any kind of photography, just suggesting you do the day stuff first
If you are doing night stuff, a LED torch (as powerful as possible) will do the job if you're somewhere dark enough. It's how I did this shot:


I've got up many a time to an overcast sky (although was lucky this morning...!).
Most shoots I've done in the last few weeks have been in quite heavy rain (not at sunrise) and have blown away the art directors they've been for. Sometimes when conditions aren't perfect you can use it to your advantage. One of the things I like about sunrise the most is the lack of traffic on the roads. I often just stick the car in the middle of a country road (straight bit with good visibility!) at that time of day when it wouldn't be possible at any other time of day.

Good luck

[Otispunkmeyer]

GFWilliams said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

I understand and appreciate what you are saying. I also respect your opinion because you are bloody good at this photography lark. I will definitely experiment with what you suggest. However, this strobing/lighting thing is something I want to try, the itch I've got to scratch... Ill find out on my own if I like it, and if I'm any good at it. More than likely I'll be terrible as you say, but we have to start somewhere or else no one would ever do and get good at anything.

Can I ask, what happens if it's overcast at sunrise? Is it still useful? I have these visions of a lovely golden morning light...but where I live it seems to be constant grey grey grey. Will it not produce flat looking pictures?

I didn't mean don't ever do night stuff etc, I'd never try to put someone off doing any kind of photography, just suggesting you do the day stuff first
If you are doing night stuff, a LED torch (as powerful as possible) will do the job if you're somewhere dark enough. It's how I did this shot:


I've got up many a time to an overcast sky (although was lucky this morning...!).
Most shoots I've done in the last few weeks have been in quite heavy rain (not at sunrise) and have blown away the art directors they've been for. Sometimes when conditions aren't perfect you can use it to your advantage. One of the things I like about sunrise the most is the lack of traffic on the roads. I often just stick the car in the middle of a country road (straight bit with good visibility!) at that time of day when it wouldn't be possible at any other time of day.

Good luck

We want to try and use the multi-story and round the back of the engineering dept where we work. Country lanes aren't too far from us either, but it might be a bit safer for us to start somewhere where we know we can take our time. They have all kinds of good stuff in there to use as backdrop. Jet A1 tanks, cooling racks from the engine test cells, lots of pipe work and although it probably won't be open, the intake and exhaust for the wind tunnel.

Ive tried the multi story before... its got nasty CFL lights, but you can work round it. The best thing is its got lots of concrete which works well when you want to bounce flash. Also has a very interesting metal work exterior. The top deck is nice and open topped as well and its same height as the trees. Hopefully will be a good place to have a go with natural light as there is nothing to block it. The lower decks have automatic lights so its actually possible, if you keep to particular places, to have the lights go out and not come back on again allowing you to work in pretty much complete darkness (bar light leaking in through the cheese grater style metal exterior)

The campus I am on itself has some, I won't say amazing, but useful roads. Straights, hills, nice sweeping corners, building under passes etc...and good places to stand to get panning shots and plenty of places to stand where you can be higher or lower than your subject. So plenty of scope for different perspectives.

At the end of the day, my activity and interest in photography seem to be waining. This is a way of hopefully getting that need/passion back and getting back into it as its a shame to have some nice kit and never use it. Plus I am quite sick of doing swimming events (absolutely horrible light in a swimming pool and flashes of any sort normally make it worse... so its high ISO's and low shutter speeds, even with fast glass. can be very frustrating). I have been told on occasion that I do have an eye for photography... Im not so sure, but Im happy to let others decide that. Im sort of in that horrible place where I'm not photographing, but haven't fallen out of love with it enough to simply sell up! I know ill regret it if I do.... Just got to make the effort to go photograph things.