C&C - Nissan 350z/370z shoot

challengemaster

I'll pop in the rest of the 350z images once I'm done processing them

dazftw

I'll be honest and just say it.. It looks like you just took some decent photos for done deal to sell the car.

There is nothing creative about your compositions. Its all just bog standard angles to photograph a car.

Now I don't take pictures of cars so I cant really have a *proper* opinion but I do look at car photography and appreciate it. I go on this website from time to time and the feature's are very good.

swingking

I like the 2nd photo but the lamp in the background is distracting.

how did you light the car. Flash?

Nice set OP

superflyninja

sorry, i gotta agree with daft there.beautiful car though

kjt

I'd agree completely with dazftw. The shots don't do anything for me. I find that in car shots there's either too much or too little going on in them. It seems you've going for the minimal but there's still too much going on. There are too many distractions for me.

GhostInTheRuins

I was thinking the same as dazftw, they just look like any regular photos you'd see on carzone or done deal. Nice cars though!

Borderfox

Maybe somewhere like a multi-storey car park would be a better location or in the same place with some strobes

challengemaster

Jaysus - I'd love to know what ad's ye are all looking at on donedeal/etc, that have firstly a decent image quality, secondly, used off-camera lighting and up to 7 image composites :eek: :pac:

swingking - the cars are actually all ambient light, used a flash to bring out the wheels a little, and then one underexposed shot for the sky

borderfox - what exactly would strobing the cars do when they were coming out pretty well exposed anyway?

mehfesto

I like 'em. Not mad on the last one -maybe it's just because I'm not a massive car fan and amn't really sure what I'm looking at!

But I always think car-shots are where you're allowed to overcook with pp and get away with it. So I gave it a go myself! Hope you don't mind!


:cool::D

challengemaster

mehfesto wrote: »

I like 'em. Not mad on the last one -maybe it's just because I'm not a massive car fan and amn't really sure what I'm looking at!

The MASSIVE brakes on the thing, big enough to stop a train I'd say

.Longshanks.

challengemaster wrote: »

Jaysus - I'd love to know what ad's ye are all looking at on donedeal/etc, that have firstly a decent image quality, secondly, used off-camera lighting and up to 7 image composites :eek: :pac:

swingking - the cars are actually all ambient light, used a flash to bring out the wheels a little, and then one underexposed shot for the sky

borderfox - what exactly would strobing the cars do when they were coming out pretty well exposed anyway?

Without being able to post an example from being on my phone, it would make them....pop

magicbastarder

challengemaster wrote: »

up to 7 image composites

and you weren't tempted to photoshop one car humping the other?

daycent

They do look a bit flat to me. I would push the PP a bit as mentioned already, contrast and saturation especially.

Thecageyone

I think they just need a bit of a boost, I like the angle of the third one. Had a quick go just to show what I mean:



Here's all I did:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

apart from using the gradient tool to bring the exposure of the sky down, and adjustment brush set to exposure +0.70 on the car body and alloys. Oh, and cropped out the pole

Maybe try more angles, not so straight on? Something a little more dynamic.

Ricky91t

Firstly the last image isn't even in focus...? I'd drop that straight away.

The rest are alright but as daz said nothing great, I really think your choice of location is taking away from the cars too.

Borderfox

challengemaster wrote: »

Jaysus - I'd love to know what ad's ye are all looking at on donedeal/etc, that have firstly a decent image quality, secondly, used off-camera lighting and up to 7 image composites :eek: :pac:

swingking - the cars are actually all ambient light, used a flash to bring out the wheels a little, and then one underexposed shot for the sky

borderfox - what exactly would strobing the cars do when they were coming out pretty well exposed anyway?

If you ask for C&C dont come back with answers like this to perfectly pertinent questions, the use of flash in this instance would be to create some drama and stop the shot looking flat. The third shot is the nicest angle out of them.

challengemaster

Ricky91t wrote: »

The rest are alright but as daz said nothing great, I really think your choice of location is taking away from the cars too.

Didn't really have a "choice" of location - was a boards motors meet at Midway off the M7( i think) in portlaois, so it was a bit impromptu

Borderfox wrote: »

If you ask for C&C dont come back with answers like this to perfectly pertinent questions

What?

challengemaster

better?

eas

car photography not really my thing, but I think they're OK.

I have a question - why do people mask the reg plates when they put photos online?

Thecageyone

Looks better, but could do with a tighter crop above and below perhaps.

They hide the plates because a lot of personal info can easily be tracked via the reg. I think.

.Longshanks.

Lastest one looks a tiny bit oversharpened

Borderfox

Getting there Challengemaster, needs more processing.

eas

Thecageyone wrote: »

They hide the plates because a lot of personal info can easily be tracked via the reg. I think.

I doubt that's the reason, if it was then wouldn't there be the same risk just driving around?

Thecageyone

The risk is there, but you have the choice to hide it on tv/in photos. Unless someone is actually jotting down licence plates on the street you're usually safe enough. Plenty of time to take note online and get hacking.

challengemaster

Borderfox wrote: »

Getting there Challengemaster, needs more processing.

Any chance of saying what you did?

Seriously, I've no problem with constructive crit & advice - saying it looks like a donedeal ad helps nobody tbh

as for the license number thing - some info can be tracked but mainly its because of people cloning the number plate iirc.

AnimalRights

Cagey I love your use of LR3 on the car, I do often think you go overboard with it on people though.

Thecageyone

Cheers. I'm learning to curb it on portraits, honest

challengemaster

Fajitas!

Needs moar Top Gear



:pac: :pac: :pac:

gloobag

How about something like this? Could do much more with the RAW file of course.

theboat

The shots don't do a huge amount for me, if I'm honest, though I don't claim to know the first thing about car photography. Like others have said/shown, they need different processing. Also think you could maybe crop tighter in 3 and 4. The out-of-focus last one needs to go too. The background is a bit too busy, in my opinion (though I appreciate that you were restricted with that).

magicbastarder

Fajitas! wrote: »

Needs moar Top Gear

what minority is being insulted though?

Fajitas!

Tobacco grads.

Borderfox

challengemaster wrote: »

Any chance of saying what you did?

Seriously, I've no problem with constructive crit & advice - saying it looks like a donedeal ad helps nobody tbh

as for the license number thing - some info can be tracked but mainly its because of people cloning the number plate iirc.

Cropped/Topaz Adjust/Gradient Map

Wylie Luke

... I can see me getting in trouble with big brother for this
The main areas of work were to duplicate half the sky, flip it horizontaly and paste, to remove the harsh glare coming in from the top left, still haen't worked out how to merge them seamlessly yet though...


Cars by LukeCMurphy81, on Flickr

nicknackgtb

I wouldnt call myself experienced in car photography, but I do have an interest in it.

First of all, the scene being set for a photoshoot is important. Try get somewhere that would relate to the cars being shot. IE Nissan = Japanese sports car > Lights> young vibe> etc, all things related to it, not just an open area. at the end of the day I suppose it depends on what your shooting for. For cars like these before, I have shot at 24 hour petrol stations where there wouldnt be much traffic but plenty of light, might not be your cup of tea but sure how and ever!

If the background is nice, even try composing your shot with the car in one corner of the picture, and scenery in a bit more than 50% of the picture (some proper photographers might not agree with me on this one but I think if the setting is nice, and the car is in the foreground, it can turn out nice.

Angle the wheel maybe a bit, gives a bit more definition to the car rather than a car just sitting in plain straight view. It just adds to the pic a bit more.

Bring some tyre shine with you for the cars

Sometimes a lower aperture works well to make the cars stick out with the background a little bit more blurry.

Just a few things I have picked up along the way, hope they might help. I can see what someone was saying about the done deal style ad's, not to be taken to heart, they are straight on pictures with a good camera. But think of a few things I've said and maybe you can take a few nice ones then. As said, it is constructive criticism and I still ask for it too myself for some of my shots, but they only get you better and better at what you do. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Hecklar

I much prefer the post processed ones others have posted up, Your original set seem to be lacking sharpness, a little colour and contrast. everything just seems so grey and soft at the moment. Theres a good image in there with the right processing though.

challengemaster

If there's one thing not lacking its sharpness, I'm sure of that

sheesh

the only ones that look good to me are 2 and 3. dazftw comment says alot.


you need to brush up on your post processing techniques

Paddy@CIRL

I think they're actually not that bad, certainly not as bad as others are making them out to be. You have the basics done well but your choice of location is really what is leaving you down. There is just too much going on in each of the images and in addition the shots feel very rushed.

Automotive photography is surprisingly difficult, much more so than most people would believe. You just have to keep at it and try do your own thing and not worry so much about what others are thinking.

Best tip I can offer is to use a tripod as it slows you down and makes you really think about your compositions and watch your reflections in the paintwork !

superflyninja

In my opinion they are just snapshots of (pretty) cars. I see nothing that would make me look twice and i think the background actually distracts an awful lot. But i do understand that there was no choice of background.
Someone said they looked like donedeal advert photos.Im sorry OP but I agree. I just think more thought needed to be put into the composition

hoganpoly

superflyninja wrote: »

Someone said they looked like donedeal advert photos.Im sorry OP but I agree.

What like these http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1870567 ,think op did better i,d say

dazftw

hoganpoly wrote: »

What like these http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1870567 ,think op did better i,d say

Obviously he did better! The quality is pretty good. Just the composition's aren't. That's not something he could have helped either.

Thecageyone

hoganpoly wrote: »

What like these http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1870567 ,think op did better i,d say

With the right processing the car in that ad could be made to look a lot better too. Sometimes it's all about the processing and composition. Better angles and backdrop needed. Someone mentioned night lights by a garage , sounds a good idea.