I pass by this spot daily, and snapped a quick pic as I was waiting for the light (honest...I was stopped...).



Not terribly sure if this is a good location to fine tune the photo, as there are several things I'd have liked to remove (the two metal sign posts, white sticky notes).

 

Cool shot... I didn't know you could get a post-it note to stick to a mini cooper for long ....

 

My first reaction is to go with your intuition about the location.

But, after a little more consideration, and an email "conversation" with KiLO about overdone backgrounds, I have to say your location is different. To the casual observer it might be a pic of a neglected bus stop with some car in the background. Others among us might be more comfortable with having the MINI more prominent in the frame.
A lot of us get mesmerized by the "urban/industrial" and/or parking structure locations that we try to mimick those shots- and there's nothing wrong with that. I, for one, am completely guilty of this. Emulation is how we learn, though, how we hone our skills.

You might be on to something here. I'm wondering what you had in mind when pressing the shutter?

Since you asked though, too many weeds give the impression of dreariness, losing the metal post and stickies will only tidy up the desolate-looking transportation shelter that's already suffering from a horizon-deficit disorder. You still determined on using this with a pic of your MINI, then have your ride a bit more noticeable, underexpose a bit more so that the scene isn't so washed out.
The MINI need not be sharply in focus however, just as long it's evident it's there.

Like I said, you're onto a different vision here. Work with it. Maybe some of us will try out your idea. Who knows, you could end up changing someone else's outlook toward MINI imagery, or photography in general!

 

Opened er up in Photoshop, adjusted the exposure, etc..:


Thanks for the comments!

Part of the problem is I cannot control when I drive by there, and cannot control the left turn light (which is where I was stopped). I can't even control where I am in the bus stop! I could probably crop it a bit so that the top and bottom of the stop is horizontal, but yeah, it's on a slope.

 

To add to the "odd" MINI pictures, I was going to create a new thread but figured instead of doing that, I might as well just add this dark shot of the MINI w/mud.



I know, not as terribly interesting as some of the photos on this site. Just trying to capture the MINI in different-than-normal circumstances.

 

What is mud?
I like the front tire's line on the sidewall.
Your car begs for a really REALLY blue sky to pop the paint color.
Next time turn on the lights, also take all dark shots. Did you try the flash? (would glare perpendicular to surface of paint...)

 

No flash. It was morning and not quite as dark as the picture suggests, though all I did in P-shop was crop the right side a bit to make it more even. It was dark though, no blue sky yet. I haven't looked at it on a CRT, should (using my laptop).

When I went to leave for work, I noticed how the mud (from driveway below) "perfectly" lined the tires (well, mostly the front).

I SHOULD try taking night shots, good point. On a clear clear night the city lights don't interfere with the country as much. It wouldn't be pitch, but to a camera it'd be.

 

Actually, if you want blue to "pop," have an orange background.
It's one of the things I remember from junior-high school art classes.

Perhaps you've seen one of those color wheels that show the primary colors (blue, red, and yellow) and the colors you get when mixing them (purple, orange, and green)? Well, the color on the opposite of the wheel is its complement. Thus, you want a Chili Red to "pop," place it in front of a bright green wall. A Liquid Yellow would stand out against a purple wall, and, vice versa, Purple Haze would scream in front of a yellow backdrop. And, of course, Indi or Hyper Blue stand out against orange.

For comparison purposes, let's see if it works.




That's one of the reasons why sunrise/sunsets with orange and blue look so awesome.

Try it out on your own however. See if you like the results.

-J/C

 

IMHO: Square it up and crop it tighter. Darken the shadows and adjust the saturation.

Now it's starting to go somewhere....

 

Shows what I know.
Is it me? I'm drawn to the orange wall and not the car. I'll be looking for bright green walls from now on, thanks alot!