Photographing your car's
appeal
By
Jeffrey Fazio
Special Sections Writer
So
you love your car, maybe even obsessively, but do you love the
photographs you have taken of your car? Having worked in many
photographic labs through my college days, I have seen hundreds of
photographs that people have taken of their beloved cars. Along with
their pictures, I also have seen some common things that get
overlooked by amateur photographers that could make their photos that
much better.
The
three biggest things that make the difference between a good picture
of your car and a great photograph are lighting, location and angle.
If you carefully consider these three items, the picture almost takes
itself.
Lighting
Spring
time is here and the love between you and your automobile is
reacquainting itself with beautiful driving weather. The first warm,
sunny day of the year arrives and you roll your machine out of
hibernation in the garage. You decide to do a serious spring cleaning
and give the car a really good wash.
When
you're finished, you think, `What a great day to photograph the car,'
right? Wrong.
The
sunny day described above will be the start of a bad photograph.
Bright sunlight does not complement most objects in a picture, but it
is worse for cars. Direct sunlight will cause major glaring on the
chrome and glass, which can be distracting to the overall effect of
the car. If you are just photographing details, like rims or chrome
engine components, the bright sunlight may add to the inherent sparkle
of these items, but it is best avoided in a complete portrait."
Another
bad side effect of direct sunlight is the hotspots you will see on the
car's paint. These bright spots fade quickly into the car's real
color, giving uneven lighting to the paint job. Harsh shadows from the
car's details create another disagreeable effect from sunlight.
The
best time to shoot images of your car is on an overcast, but still
bright, day. Large clouds on an overcast day diffuse sunlight the same
way a studio photographer's umbrella or light box does. The soft light
on overcast days will actually make your car's paint seem brighter,
richer and more evenly coated. Take notice sometime of the difference
between the colors of flowers on overcast days compared to the same
ones on a sunny day. This soft light allows chrome to shine without
drawing attention away from the whole car. Also, in this type of
light, glass will appear clearer and cleaner.
Location
You
may have a wonderful house and even be lucky enough to have a
beautiful driveway, but this is not the spot to take a great
photograph of your car. You spent a lot of time washing the car and
you happen to have a perfect overcast day to take a photograph, but
don't let the great shot get away from you by leaving the car where it
is to be photographed.
Take
a drive to find the right spot. Remember that you can always keep your
eyes open for good locations even when you are not out to take a
picture. This is a great benefit when you have the right day, because
you already have an idea of where to drive to.
It
is going to be personal taste as to what location best fits you and
your car. The point is to find a place that is not distracting and
adds to the character of your car. The most distracting objects that
end up in automobile portraits are buildings, signs and people. If
these items do not directly add to the idea of the shot, then make
sure they are not in the shot. A random stop sign in the background
will draw attention away from a car, as opposed to a curvy road
ahead" sign that may add to a photograph of a sports car. Along
with signs, curbs also can be very distracting. If a building in the
picture does not directly relate to the car, avoid it. The only
exception may be a nice skyline of a city. People always command
attention, so be aware of them as well. Any person that ends up in
your photo will battle your car for the viewer's eye.
Natural
settings with the absence of other man-made objects tend to be the
most attractive for cars. If the car is sitting on asphalt, look for a
clean piece of road without potholes and patches. Stone and dirt roads
also can be great locations for car pictures, but keep an eye on the
dust/dirt on your tires which will make them look unpleasant.
Angle
The
exact angle at which to photograph your vehicle will depend greatly on
what you drive. A good rule of thumb is to photograph the car from a
three-quarter angle. This allows the viewer to see most of the car and
get a good sense of the overall design. The three-quarters angle works
great from either the front or the back of the car. Your car is a 3-D
object and is best shown as such. Just like most people do not look
their best from straight-on or direct profile, neither do cars.
The
height of the camera also should be taken into consideration as well.
Trucks and muscle cars look more intimidating from lower angles
because they look taller and more overwhelming. Sports cars look great
from higher than normal eye height because the car will look lower,
flatter and faster. Average hand-held camera height works well for
most sedans, antiques and luxury cars.
It
does not matter if you have the best camera on the market, a
point-and-shoot or even a disposable camera; the tips outlined here
can add to anyone's ability to photograph their car. These are all
things we know already from viewing the world around us, but we may
not have taken time to think about them. Now that your mind, and your
eye, are conscious of them, your pictures will be that much better.
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