350z flash photography shoot

[djtimodj]

Guys i've posted this on my local car forums too, Any ideas on how i could improve the pic's ?? More editing or retake the shoot with some advise from you guys?

Post up what you think are the best shot's as im looking to enter them into a calendar comp!

Im slowly getting more and more into photography and ive just got hold of a radio flash trigger (ebay cheap ones!) this allows me to trigger the flash from up to 100m away!

Here's a few shots i took this afternoon. I have some more i have edited on photoshop but i need to convert them from PSD files because photobucket wont host them :bang:


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Im not sure about the last two? Black & white or colour ?

Any comments & criticism welcome.. I may enter one or more of them for the calendar so post up which you like the best! Thanks guys.

Just a few more that have had a little more editing.

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[14-7]

Unfortunatley none of them jump out or appeal to me.

Sorry. Some of the head on and read end ones look unlevel, not keen on the ones with the bonnett open as the engine cover distracts too much.

[andy-xr]

Backdrop is quite intrusive and the lighting's pretty flat

Not saying they're bad, with a bit more thought they could be much improved. Check out that Nick Grant fella for some inspiration

[djtimodj]

Thanks for the replys guys. I'm only learning photography at the moment and need help with a few thing so please if you can see things that are wrong or need improvment then could you comment on how I can impove them too.

Thanks for pointing out the lighting looks flat. I'm unsure how I can get them to look a little more 3d?

Thanks for the advice.

Tim.

[stigmundfreud]

always see what the camera sees not what you see.Look at all those head on shots.All of them have a bloody sign taking a good peek through the windows. Also personally in such light where you dont need flash, I would underexpose the background and use flash to act as main light to bring the car away but then I shoot people

[Rob13]

I would say you need some kind of ground which is plain in design, no block paving. Get away from any leaves blowing around, pick a side of a boring retail unit or something and shoot off that.

Some of the first photos dont look too sharp? Are you using any particular focus/shallow depth of field?

[djtimodj]

stigmundfreud said:

always see what the camera sees not what you see.Look at all those head on shots.All of them have a bloody sign taking a good peek through the windows. Also personally in such light where you dont need flash, I would underexpose the background and use flash to act as main light to bring the car away but then I shoot people

Thanks mate. I know the location and placement of the sign are not great. Im using one Metz 58 AF-1 flash gun and i don't seem to get enough light onto the car to get it to pop off the page.

Ill try again on my next day off and try and use some off your advise.

[andy-xr]

Seeing as neither the car nor the scene are moving, you would have the option of a longer exposure and handhold the flash. You'd have to limit the light coming into the camera somehow, either lower ambient or ND filter...might be worth a look

[djtimodj]

Rob13 said:

I would say you need some kind of ground which is plain in design, no block paving. Get away from any leaves blowing around, pick a side of a boring retail unit or something and shoot off that.

Some of the first photos dont look too sharp? Are you using any particular focus/shallow depth of field?

Yeah the back ground does the shoot no favours. Its hard to find a background to make the car stand out being grey! lol..

Some of them were shot at low F stops 4 to 5.6 so i think that will give the pic's a little blur.

[djtimodj]

andy-xr said:

Seeing as neither the car nor the scene are moving, you would have the option of a longer exposure and handhold the flash. You'd have to limit the light coming into the camera somehow, either lower ambient or ND filter...might be worth a look

I used a CP filter to reduce the shine off the glass so this slows the lens down a tad. I will try shooting at a high F stop 22 and a long exposure and hand hold the flash.

I need to play with this and see what works.

[Slinky]

andy-xr said:

Backdrop is quite intrusive and the lighting's pretty flat

Not saying they're bad, with a bit more thought they could be much improved. Check out that Nick Grant fella for some inspiration

Ditto.. No Parking and Ciggy bin really get in the way...

Conceptually some nice shots there, but some more distance to go.. Have a good look through the forum on dieselstation, it's a great place for inspiration on shots like this..

[jon-]

As others have said you won't get enough power from a Metz 58 to light an entire car evenly and smoothly.

Flash and metallic cars don't mix very well so you ideally need some sort of light modifier to soften it. To do a car you really want 2 or 3 strong flashes through umbrellas or somesuch. You've got no chance of overpowering the sun during the day so shoot at night.

[andy-xr]

Big bedsheet to diffuse!

(c) Joe McNally

[him_over_there]

May just be this crappy monitor, but a few of them look out of focus.