Why are there so few car photographs?

[OldSchoolSmudger]

Rogue86 said:

Sorry mate - I completely missed your reply (not spending much time on PH these days). Glad you like them!

They're actually shot in a messy/working garage using a cheap, portable studio-strobe and a big piece of white plastic as a reflector. The backgrounds are then created from scratch to suit whatever the client wants (or usually whatever I want).

You're definitely fighting more problems than you would be in a studio but to be honest that's the bit that still keeps me interested. The workflow is pretty nailed down now so it's not really any more time-consuming than a studio shoot too, although it's become a lot easier since I started paying an assistant to help me light the car more quickly. It makes the shoots a bit more accessible for clients as they're not having to worry about tying up a customers car and have it transported off-site either, which is good as it means more work.

Excuse the potato-quality screen-grab, but this is where the GT500 was shot. At least this one was indoors!



I'm working on a few others at the moment so if there's still the appetite for this thread I'll try to remember to post them.

I'd love to see your workflow and how you managed to create those great images from a car taken at that location.

[Rogue86]

OldSchoolSmudger said:

I'd love to see your workflow and how you managed to create those great images from a car taken at that location.

Sure, I don't mind sharing. Starting off in-camera, this is how the initial shot looks without any 'extra' lighting.



I'm not sure how much you'll see on this web-res crop, but the bodywork is peppered with environmental reflections. In terms of lighting then, it's a case of eliminating these while giving the sculpted car some shape. I shoot an exposure that is essentially lit entirely by the studio head with no ambient light. Generally, this can take anywhere from 5-15 frames depending on the colour/complexity of the bodywork itself. In most cases, the bare bulb itself is enough but I'll often use a reflector for smaller details or hard-to-see body lines. In terms of shooting, this process usually takes less than 2 minutes to get those frames. If there are lots of small details (like on this 720S) that might take 10mins.



Using the reflector, I can hit the plastic itself which will be reflected with a gradient of light down the bodywork.



I will usually shoot more than I plan on using as that allows me to revisit the image later on and create something entirely new. Often that allows me to resell a licence to an image which has not been seen before even though it may have been shot years ago.

It's then just a case of combining the frames in PS - masking the layers and choosing what I want to keep. I always use a real shadow which I path out once the frames are combined, then I clean the bodywork up of the hot-spots the light has created. At this point I usually drop in a larger background which I'll create from scratch depending on what the client wants. The current trend at the moment seems to be studio-esque backgrounds, but can also be a composite or CG environment. At this point I'll also often do the darkroom edits to tie the image together as one.



Then it's just on for a final colour-grade and any effects I might want to apply (usually bits that have been on the frames in-camera such as ground reflections, atmospheric shadows/flares etc, though not always).



As I say, it's a pretty straightforward workflow. With a bit of practice you soon pick up where you're likely to need the light and what you're likely to want in terms of frames to combine afterwards. It's fun too because you really don't need expensive kit to give it a go. I always retouch with the intent to print, so I do it at a level that's wasted on web use but there's plenty of detail in the images.



Hope that helps.

Edited by Rogue86 on Wednesday 14th April 20:28

[LaSource]

[OldSchoolSmudger]

Rogue86 said:

Sure, I don't mind sharing. Starting off in-camera, this is how the initial shot looks without any 'extra' lighting.



I'm not sure how much you'll see on this web-res crop, but the bodywork is peppered with environmental reflections. In terms of lighting then, it's a case of eliminating these while giving the sculpted car some shape. I shoot an exposure that is essentially lit entirely by the studio head with no ambient light. Generally, this can take anywhere from 5-15 frames depending on the colour/complexity of the bodywork itself. In most cases, the bare bulb itself is enough but I'll often use a reflector for smaller details or hard-to-see body lines. In terms of shooting, this process usually takes less than 2 minutes to get those frames. If there are lots of small details (like on this 720S) that might take 10mins.



Using the reflector, I can hit the plastic itself which will be reflected with a gradient of light down the bodywork.



I will usually shoot more than I plan on using as that allows me to revisit the image later on and create something entirely new. Often that allows me to resell a licence to an image which has not been seen before even though it may have been shot years ago.

It's then just a case of combining the frames in PS - masking the layers and choosing what I want to keep. I always use a real shadow which I path out once the frames are combined, then I clean the bodywork up of the hot-spots the light has created. At this point I usually drop in a larger background which I'll create from scratch depending on what the client wants. The current trend at the moment seems to be studio-esque backgrounds, but can also be a composite or CG environment. At this point I'll also often do the darkroom edits to tie the image together as one.



Then it's just on for a final colour-grade and any effects I might want to apply (usually bits that have been on the frames in-camera such as ground reflections, atmospheric shadows/flares etc, though not always).



As I say, it's a pretty straightforward workflow. With a bit of practice you soon pick up where you're likely to need the light and what you're likely to want in terms of frames to combine afterwards. It's fun too because you really don't need expensive kit to give it a go. I always retouch with the intent to print, so I do it at a level that's wasted on web use but there's plenty of detail in the images.



Hope that helps.

Edited by Rogue86 on Wednesday 14th April 20:28

Thats an impressive start to finish workflow considering what's at the start and the finished image.
Thanks for sharing its very much appreciated.

[Rogue86]

OldSchoolSmudger said:

Thats an impressive start to finish workflow considering what's at the start and the finished image.
Thanks for sharing its very much appreciated.

Thank you - glad you appreciate it and hope it helps if you want to give something similar a go. Here is the rest of the set, a pretty straightforward and relatively quick job although unusually it was for a private client who wanted to decorate a home office space:













Plus a phone wallpaper:


The client went for metal prints which really show off the colour superbly.

[lowdrag]

Have I just gone through that many posts of strange photos? The title is about photos I thought. Here is one of mine

[Martin350]

lowdrag said:

Have I just gone through that many posts of strange photos? The title is about photos I thought.

[sticks090460]

[The_Jackal]

Here are my shots of a car that probably costs the same as a wheel of the McLaren lol

[8bit]

Some really impressive work above and on previous pages, well done all

I got a chance to shoot a stunning new F-type in British Racing Green a few weeks ago...

DSC_0178-HDR-Edit-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0097-Edit-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0120 by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0219-HDR-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0213-HDR-Edit-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0207-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0267-HDR-Edit by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0234-HDR by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0310-HDR by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

DSC_0303 by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

[PaulD86]

8bit said:

DSC_0120 by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

Love this shot.

[mikey k]

Love the F type shots
Boy that is a very dark green
Is that the old military road up on the Grampians?

[8bit]

PaulD86 said:

8bit said:

DSC_0120 by Niall Porter Photography, on Flickr

Love this shot.

Thanks

mikey k said:

Love the F type shots
Boy that is a very dark green
Is that the old military road up on the Grampians?

Thanks! Yes it is, a few spots on the A939 from Gairnshiel to The Lecht Ski Center.

[Pastie Bloater]

[XJ13]

Why so few car photographs?

Just avoid selling images - certainly of Jaguars ...

XJ13 said:

a8hex said:

An alternative question.
If you own a car are you allowed to sell pictures of your car?

Seems you aren't allowed to sell pictures of your own Jaguar without permission even if you took the photo yourself.

Philip Porter owns the Geneva E-Type 9600 HP (incidentally one of the pair of replicas JLR are offering to sell you for a ridiculous amount of money - the first Philip, heard about this was when he read about it in the press).

This is a direct quote from Philip, " ... JLR have stated that I have to have a licence to sell photographs of my own car and give them a variety of information, such as price, size, quantity, how they would be marketed, etc...."

[The_Jackal]

XJ13 said:

Seems you aren't allowed to sell pictures of your own Jaguar without permission even if you took the photo yourself.

Philip Porter owns the Geneva E-Type 9600 HP (incidentally one of the pair of replicas JLR are offering to sell you for a ridiculous amount of money - the first Philip, heard about this was when he read about it in the press).

This is a direct quote from Philip, " ... JLR have stated that I have to have a licence to sell photographs of my own car and give them a variety of information, such as price, size, quantity, how they would be marketed, etc...."

Sounds like a case that needs to be challenged by some well paid lawyers.
That is ridiculous.
Are the CAA gonna ban selling photos of the sky next?

[BIRMA]

Just thought I'd put one up of my new wrap.

Edited by BIRMA on Tuesday 4th May 19:00

[Lynchie999]

XJ13 said:

Why so few car photographs?

Just avoid selling images - certainly of Jaguars ...

XJ13 said:

a8hex said:

An alternative question.
If you own a car are you allowed to sell pictures of your car?

Seems you aren't allowed to sell pictures of your own Jaguar without permission even if you took the photo yourself.

Philip Porter owns the Geneva E-Type 9600 HP (incidentally one of the pair of replicas JLR are offering to sell you for a ridiculous amount of money - the first Philip, heard about this was when he read about it in the press).

This is a direct quote from Philip, " ... JLR have stated that I have to have a licence to sell photographs of my own car and give them a variety of information, such as price, size, quantity, how they would be marketed, etc...."

errr.. what.

not surprised though...

should just get on with what he wants to do and ask JLR to take him to court...

[RSTurboPaul]

BIRMA said:

Just thought I'd put one up of my new wrap.

Edited by BIRMA on Tuesday 4th May 19:00

Looks like good work!

I'm guessing you're not going for the 'shrinking violet' approach lol

[BIRMA]

RSTurboPaul said:

Looks like good work!

I'm guessing you're not going for the 'shrinking violet' approach lol

Believe it or not that wasn't my intention, I was taken back when it was unveiled and thought F*** me what have I done. But overtime it really is growing on me.
My passenger that day said that when we were going through the 50 MPH roadworks virtually every other car passenger was photographing it with their phone.
And I have noticed drivers/people taking a second look at it.
I'm a serial car changer and never normally keep my cars more than a year but I really like this car so may well change the colour again in a few years time.