I took Argyll out for a 'photo shoot' last night. These are the raw files with no editing (other than the watermark). As soon as I pick one or two of the angle I like I'll start some editing in PS. I'm also waiting for a my HueyPro to arrive in the mail before I start that as well. I'm in dire need of a screen calibration tool I think!

Please let me know which of these you like and don't like and also critique them please.

Most are taken with one, two, or three off-camera flashes; one flash reflected in an umbrella and the other two normal.

 

More

 

more.

 

and some more

 

Last one.

 

2nd pic is my favorite.

All are really nice pics.

 

As they are I like the second shot best also. I think that exposure/flash power balance somewhere between the first and second shot would be best, or if a bit of post-processing () lightens up the front clip in #1, it'd be my favorite.

The remote flash behind the right front wheel is definately very Strobisty

I like the close-ups too. Interesting depth of field on the handle, and the colors on the spoiler are fun.

The last is nicely lit and a good shot too, but the others are so much more dramatic that it doesn't stand out as much.

 

For the first few photos, try and turn your front wheels to the opposite direction so we can see the wheels and not the tire's tread.

The first few photos with flash(es) IMHO are too overpowering and doesn't look right for some reason I can't articulate. When you have such a high contrast scene, sometimes flashes aren't always the best solution. For example, here's a photo taken in the same high contrast lighting situation without any flash; DRI used instead. I don't think this one looks 100% right either though.

The detail photos look nicer to my eyes. I like the lines on the rear spoiler photo, but wish the horizon wasn't included as when I see that part, I feel like I'm going to fall over. Was it intentional for you to be in all the photos that had the side mirrors in them?

And since Kurt hasn't said it already, please add these photos to the sunset thread.

 

Hello!
Thank you all for the comments! This is exactly what I need to know. First off, I have 122 other pictures that are of similar angles with different powers/placements of the strobes, so the chances are I have slightly better balances of flash lighting. I just haven't tactfully looked through them all yet. (Kind of waiting for that HueyPro to come so I have the right coloring/gama on my screen before making a choice of one to PS. And by PSing I mean that I'm interested in making a sort of surreal photo that would be in a graphic art style rather than photography I'm thinking).

Speednut, one of the reasons I had the wheels like that was because I liked the idea of the car almost driving over me. Also I forgot to really wash my rims when i was doing the rest of the car so they were pretty splattered in grossness. Anyone notice I forgot to raise my darn window visor as well?

I like the idea of using natural light and having an HDR/DRI instead. I forgot to take the proper exposure bracketing while I was there though! Perhaps I can get by with several of the differently lighted pictures I mention above.

Nice catch on the mirror reflection! I feel very dumb because I completely forgot! Ack! I think perhaps the quickly dying sun was making me rush things so it escaped my mind!

I'll add the photos to the sunset thread when i have a little free time. Thanks for the invite! :-)
Thanks again for the great comments,
-Andy

 

I think it's one of those sort of rules in that you want to be able to visualize how the car is going to drive through the photo rather than into it. It's rare I see the front wheels turned into the print when browsing car magazines (Autoweek & Automobile). I'm sure it can be broken, but I haven't seen a good example of it yet.

Tripods and a remote shutter release are your best friend in these situations, unless you're superhuman like Kurt and don't need them. And speaking of Kurt, I'm sure he'd tell you there's always going to be another sunset to photograph and learn some more.

Take a look at Dave Bunting's site for what proper flash usage looks like, especially the photos of Minis in what looks to be studios, but is in a common parking garage instead. I think it's the large hot spots in your photos which make them look odd, specifically when I can easily see the umbrella reflector reflection. I can't really tell you how to fix it since I suck using flash.

 

You've got the tools now.

The only real advice I have is don't fear flash. Embrace it as an exploration process.

A few thoughs on flash and shooting cars...
1) Getting good lighting is about 10x easier in a parking structure than out in the open. This is because the space is more confined and you can flash bounce off of the ceiling. Garages pose problems with shadows from pipes on the ceiling and structural members breaking up a smooth ceiling, but all of those issues can be worked with thoughtful car placement.

2) Realistically if you're going to shoot a car with flashes out in the open, you're going to need at least two.

3) Stands to mount your strobes to are essential (outside, and very helpful in a parking structure). You need to get the flashes up high and projecting down, so that you can hide the shadow projected by the strobe behind the object of interest.

4) The "golden hour" isn't much of an "hour" when shooting with strobes outside. When shooting at dusk with a flash, you only have about 5-10 minutes of good time where the light is in balance with the strobe output to make the photo look correct. The trick is to start shooting before that 5-10 minute window opens up to balance out your flash intensities (when shooting with 2 or more) and have everything positioned and ready to go as the light fades away.

Here are a couple of shots. I'm including the outdoor shots, because honestly they are more difficult to pull off effectively (my experience anyway).


As I recall the photo above was taken with two strobes (Nikon SB-600/800) mounted to stands at about a 10 foot height, one on either side of the camera about 30 feet apart. All foreground detail is lit with the flash, all background with the ambient light.


Similar set-up to the above.

One thing to experiment with is front/rear curtain flash. Not so much because you're trying to freeze action, but because it allows you to hold open the shutter longer, to capture ambient background light and then punch up the foreground with the flash. When you get the timing right (total shutter open time vs total flash exposure) it's a beautiful thing.

EDIT: w00t! my first "real" post (i.e. not related to posting of the photo contest) in 20 days.

 

Thanks for those! Figured out quickly how to set my current flash to "master" for the slave channels you setup. Already tried them out on the baby. One moment she's giggling, then a massive explosion from the 3 flashes yielding a stunned look, then back to giggling. Now I just need to read the manuals to figure out how to balance them.

Thank you for the detailed suggestions. I've archived your notes into my palmpilot for field reference.

The big questions we have to ask in order to draw you out of hiding.

 

Thanks for stealing my thunder speednut. Go here.

I hate my built-in flash, the car shows up better here. Yea, too much tread. I like to have the running lights on, but some don't.

BTW: nice color. When sunset conditions are right, it will glow!