Took a few pictures of my Elise today...
Discussion
Went out for a play with the camera today, it was strangely dry and great weather?!
Anyhow, somethings lacking in these photos and I can't quite put my finger on it. My photoshop processing isn't great (a crop and levels is all I can really do), I think it's beginning to show....
Comments appreciated...!
Thanks
Tony
oh, how on earth can I remove the light reflectino on the front left wheel on this picture?!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I'm sure there's a great photograph in this one somewhere but I just can't find it?!
9.
(edited to add some numbers too)
Anyhow, somethings lacking in these photos and I can't quite put my finger on it. My photoshop processing isn't great (a crop and levels is all I can really do), I think it's beginning to show....
Comments appreciated...!
Thanks
Tony
oh, how on earth can I remove the light reflectino on the front left wheel on this picture?!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I'm sure there's a great photograph in this one somewhere but I just can't find it?!
9.
Edited by TonyHetherington on Sunday 3rd December 22:21
(edited to add some numbers too)
Edited by TonyHetherington on Monday 4th December 08:59
I like number 4 best. I think that the dark paintjob on your Elise suits those sort of monochrome industrial surroundings. Doodah has done some great shots in this vein.
Not keen on the countryside ones, I don't think that the scenery is dramatic enough to warrant taking up so much of the picture, and number 4 has way too much in the foreground. Perhaps you could have taken that one from a much lower vantage point, with the car slightly further towards you from the building, to get a little more dof.
Nice car BTW
Not keen on the countryside ones, I don't think that the scenery is dramatic enough to warrant taking up so much of the picture, and number 4 has way too much in the foreground. Perhaps you could have taken that one from a much lower vantage point, with the car slightly further towards you from the building, to get a little more dof.
Nice car BTW
Edited by cy88 on Monday 4th December 08:33
Ohhh, not bad at all, lovely subject matter 
Number four and seven are my fave's, there isn't much light in the reflections (pin-light sun, so tends to look under-exposed over the rest of the image??) in the others and being a black car it's shape feels lost, but the bright bits in those two pics I really like bring out the contours of the car really nicely! Even the reflections off the bright wheels in the water in picture seven just add another point of interest for me
I'm guessing the sunlight diffused a little around sunset and was more blobby and gave a more glossy reflection for the industrial setting photographs.
Was out today taking pics of cars too, the weather gave lots of varying lighting conditions to play with which was really good for trying out lots of different styles (most of which went wrong but hey ho )
Dave
Number four and seven are my fave's, there isn't much light in the reflections (pin-light sun, so tends to look under-exposed over the rest of the image??) in the others and being a black car it's shape feels lost, but the bright bits in those two pics I really like bring out the contours of the car really nicely! Even the reflections off the bright wheels in the water in picture seven just add another point of interest for me
I'm guessing the sunlight diffused a little around sunset and was more blobby and gave a more glossy reflection for the industrial setting photographs.
Was out today taking pics of cars too, the weather gave lots of varying lighting conditions to play with which was really good for trying out lots of different styles (most of which went wrong but hey ho
) Dave
TonyHetherington said:
oh, how on earth can I remove the light reflectino on the front left wheel on this picture?!
1.Copy the image and paste into a new layer (so you have a backup if you want to start again).
2.Draw a square selection box around the wheel & arch.
3.Move the mouse pointer over the selected area and right click and chose Layer via Copy.
(this puts a copy of your selected area over the original.
4. Go to image>adjust>brightness & contrast and lower the brightness slowly and adjust the contrast slightly.
Click OK when you've got a good balance.
5. Now use the eraser (small brush size) to erase the edges to let the lower layer show through.
The inside of the wheel will be a bit less reflective with this method.
Let me know if your any points are unclear !
tony
you needed to turn your front wheel so it wasn't directly refelcting the sun when you shot it.
i think the simplest rule of thumb when shooting cars is to keep the background simple.
you are on the right track in your later shots - study them, look at everything you don't like and keep that in mind next time.
good effort, though - you can learn a lot from these for next time...
i love your last pic - had a quick play to try and bring what i like about it out...
you needed to turn your front wheel so it wasn't directly refelcting the sun when you shot it.
i think the simplest rule of thumb when shooting cars is to keep the background simple.
you are on the right track in your later shots - study them, look at everything you don't like and keep that in mind next time.
good effort, though - you can learn a lot from these for next time...
i love your last pic - had a quick play to try and bring what i like about it out...
Edited by doodah on Monday 4th December 09:47
Thanks for the comments everyone.
I agree about the countryside shots; they feel lost and just not dramatic enough at all. There's a shot there somewhere, but it's not any that I posted. They're just 'nice'. I had arranged to go with a friend of mine (with an S1 elise) as I wanted to arrange both by the water evo-stylee - I hoped that would have given the photo context, but he had to cancel so I still went anyway. It is a silver one too - that would have been fun trying to expose correctly
Was quite chuffed with the second set. It's actually Chatham Dockyard (in case anyone's interested) and there were some great locations, will definitely be going back to play, I think! The shot with loads and loads of foreground was a 'let's try this' type shot. I was doing lots of the 'regular' style like this...
...
....and thought, I wonder how it will turn out if I try something a bit different. Must admit I quite like it's drama.
They were taken around 2pm so light wasn't too bad (though I was sheltered by the over hand of the yard) - but the reflections came from the light being behind me, the car being clean(ish), and also I had a small play with the levels in photo shop when I got home to give it a slightly darker mood.
Ramesh - I did play witht he brightness and contrast around the wheel but it went very very sh1te...I think perhaps I was doing it wrong?! I'll have another go using your method; thanks for explaining.
As always thanks for the comments! I know what *I* like however it's nice to know if others agree, disagree, as I could be completely on my own
Thanks again
Tony
I agree about the countryside shots; they feel lost and just not dramatic enough at all. There's a shot there somewhere, but it's not any that I posted. They're just 'nice'. I had arranged to go with a friend of mine (with an S1 elise) as I wanted to arrange both by the water evo-stylee - I hoped that would have given the photo context, but he had to cancel so I still went anyway. It is a silver one too - that would have been fun trying to expose correctly
Was quite chuffed with the second set. It's actually Chatham Dockyard (in case anyone's interested) and there were some great locations, will definitely be going back to play, I think! The shot with loads and loads of foreground was a 'let's try this' type shot. I was doing lots of the 'regular' style like this...
...
....and thought, I wonder how it will turn out if I try something a bit different. Must admit I quite like it's drama.
They were taken around 2pm so light wasn't too bad (though I was sheltered by the over hand of the yard) - but the reflections came from the light being behind me, the car being clean(ish), and also I had a small play with the levels in photo shop when I got home to give it a slightly darker mood.
Ramesh - I did play witht he brightness and contrast around the wheel but it went very very sh1te...I think perhaps I was doing it wrong?! I'll have another go using your method; thanks for explaining.
As always thanks for the comments! I know what *I* like however it's nice to know if others agree, disagree, as I could be completely on my own
Thanks again
Tony
Doodah, thanks!
Yeah the wheel was a frustrating one that I only saw afterwards (DOH!) however I'm not overly keen on the shot anyhow - it's a bit, I don't know...'weak' I think. Hey, you don't find these things out without trying though
As for the final shot; that's the sort of feeling I was after! I'm glad you agree it's got 'something'...I just have to find it. There are where I was walking around had so much characteter (just look at that pipe and water tank) - I've shot loads but not had a channce to play with them yet (doesn't it take SO long?!).
Tony
edit; just looked at that thread. Now that link is a keeper
I really like the mood of some of your shots - I think that's something my country pictures don't have and something that the dockyard pictures are getting towards. Your advice of "keep the background simple" really does hold true when you look at the car park picture with the brick wall; simple yet really dramatic. Thanks for the advice - much appreciated!
Yeah the wheel was a frustrating one that I only saw afterwards (DOH!) however I'm not overly keen on the shot anyhow - it's a bit, I don't know...'weak' I think. Hey, you don't find these things out without trying though
As for the final shot; that's the sort of feeling I was after! I'm glad you agree it's got 'something'...I just have to find it. There are where I was walking around had so much characteter (just look at that pipe and water tank) - I've shot loads but not had a channce to play with them yet (doesn't it take SO long?!).
Tony
edit; just looked at that thread. Now that link is a keeper
I really like the mood of some of your shots - I think that's something my country pictures don't have and something that the dockyard pictures are getting towards. Your advice of "keep the background simple" really does hold true when you look at the car park picture with the brick wall; simple yet really dramatic. Thanks for the advice - much appreciated! Edited by TonyHetherington on Monday 4th December 09:27
TonyHetherington said:
Doh just remembered why I cropped number 4 so tightly...
this is the straight-out-the-camera image
this is the straight-out-the-camera image
t - it's a good exercise when shooting to have in mind, not to allow yourself the luxury of cropping in post - hopefully it makes look at the full frame and work out what isn't working and how you can make it work.
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