?? Classic Automobile Photography ??

Rich Pos wrote:

Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp

Looks like a cool event. Probably very popular, and lots of people.


Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

I have several automotive images posted in the gallery area of my site.
If you see something specific to ask about, feel free to ask me to give
you a detailed answer.



The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.


Okay, strange one here is that a strong ND filter can help quite a bit.
The idea is to through the crowds out of focus, and help isolate details.
That means lots of wide open aperture shots. Another filter that can help
is a light blue (like 82A, 82B) for chrome. Cars that are more red can
benefit slightly from a warming filter. When you want to control
reflections off windshield, or side glass, that polarizer would come in
handy.


Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

I do some automotive imagery as part of my work, and I have shot a few
car collections, and exotic car events. What I notice is that people
often look closely at the cars, and inspect the details. I go for the
same approach with my images, though it is nice to get low, and do some
wide angle shots. Sometimes the people around the cars can be very
interesting, so there might be some opportunities there as well.



Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.

The 20 mm should be awesome if you can get any dashboard shots. The 50 mm
should be good for hoods, or quarter views. The 135 mm will help isolate
details.

The zoom lens might seem convenient, but unless it has a fairly large
aperture, you might find you get too much clutter in the background.



Thanks for any suggestions.

RP©

Perhaps a bit surprising, but I rarely use a tripod with some automotive
imagery. There are times it can be really effect in the final image,
though I think with crowds, you need to watch out for people stumbling
into the tripod. A minipod, or clamp pod, might work better. Also, some
car owners might get nervous with a tripod being moved around their cars.

Enjoy your event. You have a way with wide views, so I expect to see some
interesting images.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio
http://www.allgstudio.com/gallery.html Updated!

"Rich Pos" wrote in message
...
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.
Thanks for any suggestions.
RP©
I wouldn't worry about the flash too much, it would prolly just turn into
more glare anyway. But def a polarizer. And take all the lenses as you never
know how far away the ropes, if any, might be. I've gotten best luck w/ a
slightly short lens. Nice perspective without distortion. Some slower film
too, to get the strongest color and the widest f stop for more isolation. I
try to get as close as possible and use the car to frame out people.
Bob Hickey.

"Rich Pos" wrote in message
...
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.
Thanks for any suggestions.
RP©
I wouldn't worry about the flash too much, it would prolly just turn into
more glare anyway. But def a polarizer. And take all the lenses as you never
know how far away the ropes, if any, might be. I've gotten best luck w/ a
slightly short lens. Nice perspective without distortion. Some slower film
too, to get the strongest color and the widest f stop for more isolation. I
try to get as close as possible and use the car to frame out people.
Bob Hickey.

"Rich Pos" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 16:33:43 -0700, "Skip M"
wrote:

"Rich Pos" wrote in message
.. .
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.

You'll probably get more use out of the WA and the zoom than any of the
other lenses. The 135 will leave people with too much of an opportunity
to
get between you and your subject. I'd leave the tripod at home, and
get/take a monopod. The tripod has too big a footprint for shooting in
crowds, and takes too long to set up. If you're using flash, or shooting
at
midday, that may diminish the need for further stability, anyway.
Hood ornaments are one of my favorite things to photograph on old cars,
they're something you rarely see, anymore, and most are distinctive to
one
mfr. or another. Some were spectacular, I remember seeing a Delage, I
believe, with a crystal ornament from Lalique.
I always try to pick up things that are distinct about each model, like
the
front fender of a '57 Ferrari Testa Rossa, or the headlight of a
Pierce-Arrow, something like that.

Ah yes, the hood ornaments. There will be plenty of those
Here is something stumbled across....
http://northstargallery.com/cars/cargalflyingladies.htm
The ornaments and isolation shots is why I plan on taking the 135/
2.0. Great *bokeh* and very limited DOF. I agree that the crowds will
likely be a problem, that's why I'm bringing my friend _knuckles_.

Mono pod is an excellent idea. It has only been used on occasion so
this will be a great opportunity to give it a workout.

Thanks for the ideas.

RP©

BTW: how does film respond when a polarizer is used with fill flash?
Will this negate the removal of reflections in glass?

That last is a good question that I'd like to see an answer for, also! I'd
think that fill flash light would be more polarized than natural light, in
the first place...

--
Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

Rich Pos wrote in message . ..
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sounds to me like you'll be fine - you seem to have the major issues
covered (polariser, some wide glass - you'll need that 20mm for
interiors and engine bays). Be aware of metering - it's easy to
underexpose interior shots and engine bay shots, with lots of shadow
versus big shiny highlights. I've made that mistake *too many times*
(dammit!).

One my favourite shots of my old Datsun I took from some distance away
with a 200mm - it really compressed the car and gave it an aggressive
stance which I quite like. It's also good for shooting down the row
of cars. Have a look at the gallery at www.dsrcvic.com where I've
taken a few shots (not great, but it'll give you an idea).

The main thing also to remember, is don't forget to take some photos
of the *people*. It's too easy to get caught up on the nice shiny
cars, and end up with photos that while nice, are not enduring.
People add interest, imho, and at these sorts of gatherings, you'll
likely find some real characters!

It might be an idea to take a second body and some b&w, too.

Have fun, show us the results!

Cheers,
Steve

Rich Pos wrote in message . ..
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sounds to me like you'll be fine - you seem to have the major issues
covered (polariser, some wide glass - you'll need that 20mm for
interiors and engine bays). Be aware of metering - it's easy to
underexpose interior shots and engine bay shots, with lots of shadow
versus big shiny highlights. I've made that mistake *too many times*
(dammit!).

One my favourite shots of my old Datsun I took from some distance away
with a 200mm - it really compressed the car and gave it an aggressive
stance which I quite like. It's also good for shooting down the row
of cars. Have a look at the gallery at www.dsrcvic.com where I've
taken a few shots (not great, but it'll give you an idea).

The main thing also to remember, is don't forget to take some photos
of the *people*. It's too easy to get caught up on the nice shiny
cars, and end up with photos that while nice, are not enduring.
People add interest, imho, and at these sorts of gatherings, you'll
likely find some real characters!

It might be an idea to take a second body and some b&w, too.

Have fun, show us the results!

Cheers,
Steve

I once observed a photographer accidentally put a huge scratch down the side
of a classic car with the sharp tip of his monopod. My advice: keep anything
sharp or pointy away from the cars - you don't want to see how protective
some of the owners can be!



Rob

I once observed a photographer accidentally put a huge scratch down the side
of a classic car with the sharp tip of his monopod. My advice: keep anything
sharp or pointy away from the cars - you don't want to see how protective
some of the owners can be!



Rob

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 03:06:08 GMT, "Bob Hickey"
wrote:


"Rich Pos" wrote in message
.. .
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.
Thanks for any suggestions.
RP©
I wouldn't worry about the flash too much, it would prolly just turn into
more glare anyway. But def a polarizer. And take all the lenses as you never
know how far away the ropes, if any, might be. I've gotten best luck w/ a
slightly short lens. Nice perspective without distortion. Some slower film
too, to get the strongest color and the widest f stop for more isolation. I
try to get as close as possible and use the car to frame out people.
Bob Hickey.


Hey Bob, how it goes.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't believe anything will be roped off
but probably will be a good size crowd.
I guess what I'll ultimately be doing is trying everything
Film is cheap.

Regards,

RP©

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 03:06:08 GMT, "Bob Hickey"
wrote:


"Rich Pos" wrote in message
.. .
Will be attending the Auburn-Cord-Dusenburg Festival and auction Labor
day weekend.
http://www.acdfestival.org/index.asp
Seeing how I've never shot classic automobiles I am asking if anyone
can give a few pointers or links so I have a decent chance to capture
some nice photos. Have looked at some web sites and I really like the
shots of isolated sections of the cars.

The main problem I see is that most of the events will be taking place
under harsh mid-day sun so I guess fill flash and/or polarizer will be
essential.

Any comments on this type of photography will be appreciated.

Planning on bringing a 20mm, 50mm, 135mm and maybe a 35-105 zoom....
shooting 100 speed color film. As always, my mangled tripod will be
along for the ride.
Thanks for any suggestions.
RP©
I wouldn't worry about the flash too much, it would prolly just turn into
more glare anyway. But def a polarizer. And take all the lenses as you never
know how far away the ropes, if any, might be. I've gotten best luck w/ a
slightly short lens. Nice perspective without distortion. Some slower film
too, to get the strongest color and the widest f stop for more isolation. I
try to get as close as possible and use the car to frame out people.
Bob Hickey.


Hey Bob, how it goes.

Thanks for the suggestion. I don't believe anything will be roped off
but probably will be a good size crowd.
I guess what I'll ultimately be doing is trying everything
Film is cheap.

Regards,

RP©