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Picture taking advice?

Get photoshop and learn to use it.

GIMP works fine too. Been using it for years. Free yet tremendously powerful open-source alternative. Not QUITE as good as photoshop, but you're not paying $800 either.

Taking all your pictures at stupid angles is not artistic, its just annoying.

What bothers me much more than weird angles is when people under- or over-expose ALL their pictures, then say they're doing it as a "style" - saying that is "artistic" is just a cover-up for not knowing how to take a damn picture.

That and the fake HDRs that look nothing at all like a real High Dynamic Range photograph, which is simply a merge of three bracketed exposures taken on a tripod. The point is to retain detail in the highlights and shadows in high-contrast situations that are difficult to properly expose. The fake images fail miserably at even imitating this.
 
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mistayuck/484271017/" title="Volvo in Petaluma Garage by Mista Yuck, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/484271017_662668174e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Volvo in Petaluma Garage" /></a>


wow this is sick
 
CRW_1906_1.jpg


I dont know if its just me, but this Porsche looks longer than normal, almost kind of "stretched". I dont know if its just the angle, photoshop, or even just that particular car, but how do you get that look/effect?
 
CRW_1906_1.jpg


I dont know if its just me, but this Porsche looks longer than normal, almost kind of "stretched". I dont know if its just the angle, photoshop, or even just that particular car, but how do you get that look/effect?

I'm not exactly sure if this is the case for this pic but the distance you are from the car can make it appear longer or shorter. Idk if anyone already posted this (sorry didnt read the rest of the posts if this is a repost)

close up = longer
<a href="http://s697.photobucket.com/albums/vv337/nrdub/Alvin/?action=view&current=cabin235.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv337/nrdub/Alvin/cabin235.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<br>
far = shorter or stubbier
<a href="http://s697.photobucket.com/albums/vv337/nrdub/Alvin/?action=view&current=cabin293.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv337/nrdub/Alvin/cabin293.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
sorry, not the best example or pics but you can kind of get the idea. the angle changes based on how close you are to the object
 
If you have Pop out windows, pop-em-out. raise contrast, you dont always have to focus every thing, and if you have a dent or "bad spot" cut it out
check out :cool:
 
Take the lens cap off.

Seriously, maybe other folks have mentioned these things, but I'll add my photo advice anyway.

- Best to shoot in the shade (or on an overcast day)... harsh reflections and bright sun are never good for anything metallic.
- If the windows are tinted, put them up. If not, put them down.
- Wash the car.
- Hose down the ground underneath the car. You'll get some pretty cool reflections and a "professional" look to the pictures with this little trick.
- Watch your background... make sure it's not distracting. Also ensure whatever angle you shoot at doesn't have a light pole sticking out of the roof of your car.
- Use a neutral-density filter if you have one... this will cut down on any reflections or hot spots (when you're dealing with chrome or glass, there's a lot of hot spots!)
 
CRW_1906_1.jpg


This was taken with a wide angle lens. You can start to see the distortion near the edges. I tried to lift the exif from the image, but wasn't intact...as for nrdub's reasoning of "close=longer and far= shorter", doesn't fly as it is all a matter of focal length and angle.
 
1. FOR THE LOVE OF ****ING GOD KEEP YOUR CAMERA LEVEL TO THE GROUND.
2. Avoid the 'temptation' of HDR. Avoid it like the plague. I make no judgements as to anyone's ability with a camera, but 99% of all attempts at HDR look like ****. This is not me exaggerating. 99%. ****. If you think you need jump on a dumbass bandwagon to make your photos look good, then you also need a ****ing baseball bat to the head.

Actually, HDR shots can help fix certain lighting situations. If you want a picture of your car with the ocean in the background, and the sun setting next to the car, HDR imaging will help show the car and the setting sun in the background. It won't make it perfect, but HDR imaging is far from a fad, it's a great way to get an awesome quality picture.

But as far as tips for shooting, they've pretty much all been said. Use a tripod at night, no flash, adjust your f-stop and shutter speed accordingly. I like to use low ISOs all the time, because at night, you can get noise pretty easily in pure blacks if you're shooting at 800 or so (depending on the camera). Also, try new stuff; I see all the same front end and back end shots. Taking pictures from the top of an overpass or something would be cool.

Edit: Also, adjust your white balance. Every digital camera I've ever played around with (including point and shoots) will let you adjust your white balance. It really helps!
 
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CRW_1906_1.jpg


I dont know if its just me, but this Porsche looks longer than normal, almost kind of "stretched". I dont know if its just the angle, photoshop, or even just that particular car, but how do you get that look/effect?

It looks like either a wide angle lens (20mm or something), or it could have to do with the focal length. If you're using a focal length of 60mm, the subject is going to look flatter against the background than the same picture @ 30mm.
 
Playing with ****e balance can really help.
I sometimes "warm up" a picture by setting white balance to Cloudy.

As for the photos of cars with lights on, if you are using a film camera you can set up for a multiple exposure, take your long exposure shot of the car to expose correctly, the turn on the lights, and stop down or run a shorter shutter speed, either way take the exposure down 3 or 4 stops and expose again for the lights, they will be lit, but under exposed so they will not blow out the pic.
This works better than setting a really long exp and having a mate sit in the car and flash the lights...it keeeps anybody else out of the pic and keeps things solid tripod shot.
Could probably use basic HDR techniques to do it with digi too.
 
40238_1507841851301_1091952387_31510520_6528042_n.jpg


Im no master of car photography but I do shoot formula drift and other events, when they are in town. And usually its best if you have some sort of alternate light source like i did for this picture. I used a drop light, and a super white battery powered camping light. This let me leave the lights on while still getting a good capture of the side of the car. Maybe you could try this? Another idea would to have a flash gun, you can rent those from those rent a shack places and just post it up somewhere interesting to give ur car the light it needs in the dark.
 
If you're trying to make the picture look cool though, location is as important as all the other tips, a location can do a whole lot for the whole look of the picture, i actually set out to test this with some cars.

bland boring car (my moms car to be exact :p )
but a somewhat interesting background, mix together, and you suddenly have a interesting shot, despite boring car of boringness.
dsc4979copy.jpg
 
best thing you can do is experiment.
if youve got a dslr, get a couple of off camera flashes. lighting is key, and having some flashes lets you control the lighting.
what i do is put the camera on a tripod and take multiple exposures with the flashes in different locations, then merge all the layers together in photoshop.

result:
5134620749_3d4fa2c7f7.jpg


4969762273_29b1111ee0.jpg


others: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33903281@N05/sets/72157624775401359/with/5134620749/

obviously, not everyone has access to a dslr and flashes, so youll be needing to use available light. the best light happens at sunrise and sunset. its soft, has good tone and comes in at an angle. unless you want a silhouette, you'll want the side of the car youre photographing to face the sun. make sure youre at an angle where you don't get your reflection or shadow on the car. the best looking photos (IMO) have the sky reflected in the windows.

another thing you can do is wait till its a bit darker, put the camera on a tripod, and take a long exposure (30 seconds or so). walk around the car with a light of some kind and shine it at the parts you want to highlight. experiment with different coloured and shaped lights, lighting different areas and moving the light around at different angles.

the most important part is to experiment, practice, and keep at it. theres is no formula on how to take a good car picture, or on how to take a good picture of anything for that matter, there are merely things to keep in mind as you experiment.

good luck!
 
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