Looking for Hints and tips on car show photos?

[virtual_bird]

Hi
Im heading out to a vintage car show this weekend in melbourne, and would like some hints or tips on car photography. It will be outside (although weather aint lookin good)

Its one (of many) thing I've never really tried, so would like to have some sort of idea before starting.

What sort of angles are more successful, what should you avoid doing, or try to do?

Thanks
Bruce.

[gpaai]

We have a small weekend car club locally that I shoot once in awhile. One thing I always do before attempting anything innovative is to make sure I shoot the entire car. Then step back and look at the car in detail. What makes it stand out? The grill? The tires? Is there a cool light flare shining from a piece of the chrome? I have seen some photographers on PBase take pictures of nothing more than a car's headlight and end up with a great abstract. Just ask yourself, what will the viewer enjoy about this car.

I shot this car just because my self protrait was in the bumper:



Gary

[mesullivan]

Watch your background. If it's an outdoor show, it's almost impossible to keep the background uncluttered. I have carried a stepladder or stood on top of an RV to get that downward angle.

Don't forget a fairly long lens to help blur the background and a good wide angle lens is good for under the hood and interior shots. A flash to fill with also helps. Don't shoot the cars that are parked under trees first or last thing. Shoot them and the inside tent shots during the middle of the day when the overhead sun makes sunlit shots difficult or impossible. By the golden hour you should have noticed three or four shots that would be perfect then so you can get at least one of them. If it is thinly overcast but not raining, it's actually better lighting for a lot of shots.

Of course, carry plenty of batteries, cards, and such. Keep a water bottle with you and don't forget the flashlight cause it'll be dark before you know it. If you can hold the flash off the camera via cord, slave, etc. you can get some pretty cool night shots.

I have to ditto shooting the whole car first and walking around it then going for the detail shots. If you have more than one body it will cut down on the lens changes.

Have fun!

[virtual_bird]

well in the end it bucketed down ALL weekend, so stayed home and did nothing