Advice and Tips Needed Please!!
Discussion
Hi guys, i'm looking for some help with my car photography but it'll involve quite a bit of reading to understand what's wrong and what i need assistance with. I'll try and keep it as short as possible to make this a whole lot quicker for everyone.
1. My Cameras
My current camera fleet is a 10MP Nikon P100 and a 14MP Nikon S8000. The P100 boasts an impressive 26x optical zoom with full manual modes and the S8000 is slightly less impressive with only a 10x optical zoom, and lacks the manual modes too.
For all car events i will use the P100 as this is a much better all rounder and is capable of producing the better pictures. While out an about i'll just carry the S8000 in case i spot something good. And when the battery's flat in desperation i will use the 0.7MP iPod Touch 4G.
2. My Experience
The car 'photography' i do is not at all professional, it's mainly done for memories and stuff like that. But when looking back at my pics i often think i should concentrate on getting some more stunning shots, looking at Alex Penfolds photos on Flickr just makes me jealous quite frankly. My knowledge of photography is very good and i understand all the usual things that a photographer would need to know.
3. What's Wrong
Even though i've been photographing cars for about three or four years i'm still crap. None of my shots are anything really special and it frustrates me that i can't take good photos. My car pics don't look amazingly sharp and this has a big impact on the final result. Also, my camera won't support a polariser because there is no thread on the end of the lens, but this is understandable as the lens comes out of the camera and it's not the interchangeable type.
I've come to the conclusion that i'm not creative enough as well, i don't think about different camera angles and how to make my photos look more unique.
4. Sum Up The Problems
My top three troubles as a car photographer.....
One - The pics aren't sharp enough, maybe it's just that i need an SLR that can use better lenses or something like that?
Two - The polariser's not going to fit on my camera.
Three - I'm unable to think creatively when taking photos.
Okay, that's it. Over to the PHers to give some advice.
PS. Would it be more helpful if i was to upload some of my own work to give people the idea of what i'm like with a camera?
Thanks, Rob.
1. My Cameras
My current camera fleet is a 10MP Nikon P100 and a 14MP Nikon S8000. The P100 boasts an impressive 26x optical zoom with full manual modes and the S8000 is slightly less impressive with only a 10x optical zoom, and lacks the manual modes too.
For all car events i will use the P100 as this is a much better all rounder and is capable of producing the better pictures. While out an about i'll just carry the S8000 in case i spot something good. And when the battery's flat in desperation i will use the 0.7MP iPod Touch 4G.
2. My Experience
The car 'photography' i do is not at all professional, it's mainly done for memories and stuff like that. But when looking back at my pics i often think i should concentrate on getting some more stunning shots, looking at Alex Penfolds photos on Flickr just makes me jealous quite frankly. My knowledge of photography is very good and i understand all the usual things that a photographer would need to know.
3. What's Wrong
Even though i've been photographing cars for about three or four years i'm still crap. None of my shots are anything really special and it frustrates me that i can't take good photos. My car pics don't look amazingly sharp and this has a big impact on the final result. Also, my camera won't support a polariser because there is no thread on the end of the lens, but this is understandable as the lens comes out of the camera and it's not the interchangeable type.
I've come to the conclusion that i'm not creative enough as well, i don't think about different camera angles and how to make my photos look more unique.
4. Sum Up The Problems
My top three troubles as a car photographer.....
One - The pics aren't sharp enough, maybe it's just that i need an SLR that can use better lenses or something like that?
Two - The polariser's not going to fit on my camera.
Three - I'm unable to think creatively when taking photos.
Okay, that's it. Over to the PHers to give some advice.
PS. Would it be more helpful if i was to upload some of my own work to give people the idea of what i'm like with a camera?
Thanks, Rob.
Edited by Rob282828 on Sunday 29th July 21:05
The PH autocrunch machine has resized them from 1600x1200 which doesn't help, but in general there doesn't seem to be anything drastically wrong other than background clutter in the last three. IE photos of cars in a car park = not a good location.
Things to look at - composition, white balance.
Things to look at - composition, white balance.
Cars in muddy fields in poor or harsh light with lots of other clutter or cars around are going to look just like that, all the time.
Look at GFqilliams et al on here the shots arnt just taken spare of the moment, they are planned, reaserched, the right light (golden hours etc) and sometimes lit.
If you took those shots with the best SLR in the world they would still look like that.
Get a car, your own, friends etc doesnt matter. Find a good location where there is some space for putting the car in context ( scenic landscape, urban environment etc) then either use ligths to paint it, flashes to light it or find the right time of day to provide better light.
Look at GFqilliams et al on here the shots arnt just taken spare of the moment, they are planned, reaserched, the right light (golden hours etc) and sometimes lit.
If you took those shots with the best SLR in the world they would still look like that.
Get a car, your own, friends etc doesnt matter. Find a good location where there is some space for putting the car in context ( scenic landscape, urban environment etc) then either use ligths to paint it, flashes to light it or find the right time of day to provide better light.
Rob282828 said:
Didn't think to mention this at first but this is only a hobby and i would never set up a specialised shoot in order to get some nice pictures. Lets keep this focused on car shows and spotting please... 
Then to misquote a saying from the housing market, 'Composition composition composition'. Look carefully through the viewfinder before you take the photo. If it doesn't look very good, change your position/angle/height until it looks better. If it still doesn't look good, go and find something better to photograph. But you really do need to lose the car park effect - or you will simply end up with photos of cars in car parks I too struggle with the creative side. Take lots more photos, of everything and anything that you like.
It's digital and pretty much free to do, for every picture I put up here or on Flickr I throw away about 10 or more that I don't like after the event (yes these are the better ones!)
Have a look at shots you do like and try to work out what it is that makes you like them.
As for the photos shown, if your camera will alow you to change the apeture setting to use a shallower depth of field it would help.
Sometimes concentrating more on parts of the car helps if the background is that cluttered. Odd angles or heights that you normally wouldn't be able to see also make shots stand out.
Car shows are really bad for getting great shots. All of the good car shots you see hav been thought out, are well lit and planned ahead.
Post processing may help if you cant use things like filters but in the main I'd say practice on your own car somewhere open to try out different things with no pressure.
It's digital and pretty much free to do, for every picture I put up here or on Flickr I throw away about 10 or more that I don't like after the event (yes these are the better ones!)
Have a look at shots you do like and try to work out what it is that makes you like them.
As for the photos shown, if your camera will alow you to change the apeture setting to use a shallower depth of field it would help.
Sometimes concentrating more on parts of the car helps if the background is that cluttered. Odd angles or heights that you normally wouldn't be able to see also make shots stand out.
Car shows are really bad for getting great shots. All of the good car shots you see hav been thought out, are well lit and planned ahead.
Post processing may help if you cant use things like filters but in the main I'd say practice on your own car somewhere open to try out different things with no pressure.
Edited by Speed addicted on Sunday 29th July 22:35
For getting inspiration for specific events, there are 2 options;
- Research other people's images that you like - before you go - and try to copy them when you get there. Sounds like a cheat, but the best way to learn is often to copy! Apart from anything else it forces you to think about why you like something or why you don't. Of course you also learn by working stuff out yourself, but having a clear direction to start with is like a creative ice-breaker, and can get you out of a groove.
- I often do some research after an event - if you can find pictures taken at the same place/time on flickr you can see how other people handled the situation - viewpoints, composition, processing. This can be very interesting (and often a bit gutting that they saw things you missed!).
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