Any other tips would be much appreciated. KudaKidd?
Here are some basic tips to become your own professional photographer.
- Using a zoom or telephoto lens “flattens” the car out, so it doesn’t look like you need a golf cart to get from one end to the other. Get the camera as far away from the car as you can, but still keep the image in the view finder as big as possible.
- By getting the camera closer to the ground, the shot becomes a little more dramatic.
- Front wheels should always be turned so you can see the wheel face, instead of the tread.
- Tilting the camera to one side gives the photo a much more dramatic feeling. The tip here is to always angle the nose of the car up, because it looks like it’s diving into the ground otherwise. Front wheels should be turned away from the camera, hiding the face of the wheel.
- By moving the camera and/or tripod just a little bit to the side, posts, trees, bins, people can be hidden.
- Early morning usually brings best results. (Apart from dawn and sunset shots of course).
- Don’t think you can hand-hold a camera at a slow shutter speed (1/45th of a second or slower) and get crisp photos—a tripod is a must. Even if you don’t breath and are rock-steady, your heart beats around 60 times per minute, and a heart beat will vibrate your hands just enough to make the photo a little “soft” on the edges and blur sharp details.
- Try to avoid taking a photo standing up normally from a meter away (eye level). This angle looks down on the car, so you see the top of the hood and roof. It’s not very dramatic and can kill the cars lines.
- Avoid shadows, camera flash and reflections (just common sense).
- Have fun, take different angles lie on the ground, get sore knees and show your pride and joy off with some amazing photos. Different scenic or unusual backdrops will result in drooling responses from your peers.
Cheers,
Carl
