Photoshoot on my buddy's 08 subaru impreza wrx!

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Andy Liang

Senior Member
Camera: Nikon D3100
Lens: Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX
Shutter Speed: 1/125 second
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 (surprisingly)
Focal Length: 35mm
Setting:Manual

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Will V|Photography

Senior Member
The second one is a bit too dark IMO. I like the shots though. Maybe try having the sun behind you next time. Also maybe closing down the aperture in the further away shot. The car seems a little soft in that one but overall I like them.

It's actually rather fitting as it's from the NASIOC forum but here is a great thread with a lot of helpful tips on automotive photography: Armin’s Quick and Dirty Tips and Tricks to Automotive Photography - NASIOC
 
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Andy Liang

Senior Member
Will V|Photography said:
The second one is a bit too dark IMO. I like the shots though. Maybe try having the sun behind you next time. Also maybe closing down the aperture in the further away shot. The car seems a little soft in that one but overall I like them.

It's actually rather fitting as it's from the NASIOC forum but here is a great thread with a lot of helpful tips on automotive photography: Armin’s Quick and Dirty Tips and Tricks to Automotive Photography - NASIOC
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Yea, I was trying to get the sun in the pic but couldn because the sun was somewhat down to the point where it is covered. Thanks for the tip on the furhter away shot, i totally forgot about closing up on the aperture so i could get some clarity on the subject!
 
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Will V|Photography

Senior Member
Oh, and not to nit-pick, but keep an eye on your horizons (and/or verticals). The pics are tilted a bit to the right. Definitely check out that thread though. I got a lot of helpful info out of it that I'm itching to try out. :D
 
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pforsell

Senior Member
I like the first image. My only nitpick is the pier (is this the correct word?), which is in an awkward position. It might have been possible to eliminate it by moving the vehicle a yard or two and changing the shooting position and angle a little bit. With the pier in front of or behind the car but not intersecting it ... mmm killer shot.
 
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JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
lower the aperature a bit...just because its a 1.8 lens doesnt mean you have to shoot at 1.8...many people make that mistake...the image is soft. it appears that the left headlight is what is in focus and because of the 1.8 its blowing the rest of the car out of focus. I agree the photo does need a bit of work, maybe a little contrast, but the dark one is not good. the car no longer looks white. That would be the perfect situation (sunset) to expose for the sky and hit the side of the car with an off camera flash.
 
Browncoat

Browncoat

Senior Member
Shot #1 is your money shot, great composition here. You got down low, which is almost a steadfast rule for great car photography. Racing type cars have an aggressive stance and appearance, and you can capitalize on that by shooting low to the ground. In addition to what Joe said, I think part of the problem here is the background. It's a white car shot against a mostly white/low contrast background, so everything sort of blends together. To me, this looks like a carsicle, or a car on a stick with the pier sticking out of the side like that.

You have a great low angle 3/4 composition on the car, now you just need to find a suitable background. And yes, in order for the entire car to be in focus, you'll need to be at f/8 at least.
 
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Andy Liang

Senior Member
jdeg said:
I was thinking the same...

It does need some more light on the car as well
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JoeLewisPhoto said:
lower the aperature a bit...just because its a 1.8 lens doesnt mean you have to shoot at 1.8...many people make that mistake...the image is soft. it appears that the left headlight is what is in focus and because of the 1.8 its blowing the rest of the car out of focus. I agree the photo does need a bit of work, maybe a little contrast, but the dark one is not good. the car no longer looks white. That would be the perfect situation (sunset) to expose for the sky and hit the side of the car with an off camera flash.
Click to expand...

Anthony Hereld said:
Shot #1 is your money shot, great composition here. You got down low, which is almost a steadfast rule for great car photography. Racing type cars have an aggressive stance and appearance, and you can capitalize on that by shooting low to the ground. In addition to what Joe said, I think part of the problem here is the background. It's a white car shot against a mostly white/low contrast background, so everything sort of blends together. To me, this looks like a carsicle, or a car on a stick with the pier sticking out of the side like that.

You have a great low angle 3/4 composition on the car, now you just need to find a suitable background. And yes, in order for the entire car to be in focus, you'll need to be at f/8 at least.
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I do have only one problem tho......when i set the aperture down to anywhere lower than 2.2, there wasnt enough light being expose. And when i set the ISO a bit higher, the picture presented some noise in it which gets on my nerve. I was also thinking the same thing as you guys along the line but just couldnt get enough exposure in there with this current iso setting. Looks like i need to get myself a tripod!!

Thanks for the tips guys, really appreciate it!
 
Browncoat

Browncoat

Senior Member
Andy Liang said:
I do have only one problem tho......when i set the aperture down to anywhere lower than 2.2, there wasnt enough light being expose.
Click to expand...
Andy Liang said:
Camera: Nikon D3100
Lens: Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 AF-S DX
Shutter Speed: 1/125 second
Aperture: f/1.8
ISO: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 (surprisingly)
Focal Length: 35mm
Setting:Manual
Click to expand...
You must be shooting in the evening hours then. In order to get correct depth of field on this car, you'll need to do one of two things: shoot earlier in the day when there's more ambient light, or use a longer shutter speed. My personal opinion is that anything under 1/500 should use a tripod.
 
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JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
yep, longer shutter speeds and a tripod if the grain is that much of an issue. I will take a slightly grainy sharp images as apposed to a grain free soft image any day of the day. If you aren't going to use a tripod, like Anthony said, shoot earlier in the day...and by that i mean a half to one hour before the time you shot these in. You do NOT want mid day sun for car photos. they are far to reflective for that harsh light.
 
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