Ideas for a shoot... of a tyre! Can they look interesting?!

[jon-]

I need to shoot the tyre that's currently on my track car for a write up for one of my sites but I'm at a bit off a loss as to how to get interesting shots.

One idea I've had is to tyre pen one of the rear tyres (so the branding and model is in white) then get a fairly close up shot of it wheelspinning in a puddle with a sufficiently high enough shutter speed to freeze the action. Probably not the easiest shot but it'll be fun trying to do it

Apart from that, I've no idea how i can make a shot of a tyre look interesting, so any suggestions are more than welcome. I've also got a pair of the tyres off the car, so I'll probably do a white background style product shot too.

[Stickers]

I would be looking at polishing the wheel/tyre with a light wax - 'Pledge' always serves it's purpose on occasions as this, then pray/mist water droplets on the tyre with plant misting/spray bottle or similar to get good macro/close up shots of the tyre with the water beading off it/in the tread.

You could also set up a shot of the tyre spinning water off it by parking with the wheel over a dip on the road surface, filling it with water then jacking the car so that the tyre is 'JUST' off the ground - set up your camera, spin the wheel by hand & capture those images.

Pre nerd attack NB:
Remember to remove all wax residue with detergent (washing up liuid etc) from the tyre before driving away

[_dobbo_]

Perhaps something that shows the tread pattern - drive through a puddle onto a clean light coloured surface and photo the tyre tracks? Some tone mapping of the resulting image could have it looking interesting.

[CY88]

See my profile pic.. subjective probably.

[JonRB]

I quite like this shot I took of a Toyo R888 on my Corrado


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonrb/3245514486/in/s...

I like the depth of field, the curves and angles, and the detail of the graining of the rubber. Plus the fact it almost looks B&W despite being colour.

Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 8th July 10:08

[Simpo Two]

What else but www.pirellical.com/thecal/calendar.html ?

[Marcellus]

why not a simpler copy of the BMW advert... paint on treads on a white sheet of paper.... perhaps all 4 tyres in the correct relative positions but without the car!!

[jon-]

Stickers - a brilliant suggestion of jacking up the car and faking the spin. It's better than trusting someone to either make the shot, or launch a 320bhp car on cut slicks! I've ordered some of the tyreart tyre dressing along with a couple of colours of pens, so hopefully that will bead up like you suggested. If not, I can always pledge one of the tyres I don't have on the car for some beading. I might shine one up and drop it in a puddle.

dobbo - will give it ago, though I'm not sure where I'll find some white sheeting. Again, I can probably fake it with the tyres that aren't on the car and paper.

CY88 - Love the profile picture. If only my freezer was big enough!

JonRB - Already got a couple like that. Nice shot.

Simpo Two - off to modelmayhem it is

Marcellus - that could be fun! A lot of effort to get all 4 wheels off the car but it could be done without paper in a cool industrial setting. It would also give me an excuse to buy a 4th strobe... Hmmmmmmm...

[baz7175]

One of my random tyre shots from over the years of covering shows etc...