Carter N's Photography Advice Thread.

[Minuki]

This is a cool idea. Nice to see a photographer that isn't worried about people knowing their techniques

[sCrapp]

Thanks a lot for your help... awesome.

Will the shots have to be in a VERY dark place, or at nights, for a whole 30 sec exposure?

cheers

[Kielan]

For a 30 second exposure, unless you want the background to be fairly visible, yes it will need to be in a very dark place with out many other light sources.

[Jimmym123]

hi, im new to the forum so this is my first post

i have a sony a350 so nothing ground breaking but it does the job for me.

anyway my question. for motion shots do you use a camera rig? if so, how do you edit it out? im currently looking at getting one so any help would be great

thanks

Jimmy

[Kielan]

A rig is something that is very limited use, if you are taking rollers of other cars on say a highway, the best method is the old fashioned way, hang out the window, low shutterspeed, shooting in bursts one of them will come out well.

[sCrapp]

Just been out doing a bit of light painting around my car.
I'm quite happy with the results, for first time.
Despite being shouted at by a farmer, it was a good evening, thanks for your help

[Minuki]

Post up your results

[sCrapp]

Heres 3

[07NJx355]

some good stuff in here. I had no idea about lighting and stuff, I'm going to have to give it a go sometime.

[B. Aust]

Hey I just wanted to thank you for this thread and personally say sorry in advance as I am planning on frequently visiting it.

First off. I've been doing some product marketing and I think the results are ok, not great, and I wanted to know what you think I should change (http://madefromgrass.com).

Some of the shots:





Some of my "for fun" weekend automotive stuff.





And finally. I am looking into getting a new lens I was thinking wide angle, most likely the 50mm f/1.4. But then I thought that the 24-135 wasn't wide enough so I started considering the 17-40mm f/4 L. I wanted to know what your thoughts were on the practicality of the two lenses given my current selection of one lens (24-135) on my crop sensor 7d.

[OSSHWA]

You'da man Carter!

[Carter N]

Sorry for the delay guys, I had a couple of photoshoots and covered an event so I have been away from the computer.

Why not explain both, I know both questions will be asked later on.

I won't give away exact instructions on how to duplicate an image of mine, that's not helpful to me or anyone trying to learn how to process on their own.

For basic editing, i.e. saturation, white balance, temperature, contrast, etc. I use Adobe Camera Raw which is a plugin inside Photoshop. However these basic editing functions are available in almost all photo software for Mac and PC. I think it is really important to try out a wide range of styles and to choose and teach yourself through trial and error when it comes to editing.

I will say though that my style has developed into a warmer and more sharp editing style and I try to stay away from unnatural white balance.

In reality what matters most is if you find a photo appealing. If you have a particular editing style that you seen and like simply take any photo and play with the sliders until you have imitated it. I know that sounds like the easy way out but it's how I have taught myself.

For advance editing, i.e. composites, gradients, and other photoshop intensive techniques, it is all a matter of practice practice practice. There is no short cut on learning how to properly blend to shots or correct a reflection in a panel. It's hard for me to sum up an overall guideline to my technique when it comes to tackling a problem in photoshop. If there is a specific issue you are having, or something that you want to accomplish but simply don't know where to start I will do my best to help if you post here.

This is a cool idea. Nice to see a photographer that isn't worried about people knowing their techniques

Thanks, I got a lot of help coming up and am more than willing to return the favor!

hi, im new to the forum so this is my first post
i have a sony a350 so nothing ground breaking but it does the job for me. anyway my question. for motion shots do you use a camera rig? if so, how do you edit it out? im currently looking at getting one so any help would be great

thanks,
Jimmy

There are several different techniques to capturing motion, I am going to give a brief overview of the three most common and provide examples. Again, small photos are clickable for bigger viewing.

Rolling shots

Rolling shots are achieved by moving along side a vehicle (in another car lol) and using a lower shutter speed to capture the motion. There are a variety of opinions on how to properly do a roller and several 'Rules of thumb' on shutter speed versus car speed. I have never followed these rules so I won't even begin to talk about them.

My general approach to rolling shots is a shutter speed range of 1/20-1/40, the slower the shutter speed the more motion blur created but also the high potential for blurry pictures. Your camera will also need to be in the auto focus mode for tracking. This allows your camera to focus on the car while still blurring the background. On a Canon this is call AI Servo, I am not positive about the name for Nikons, so anyone that knows that off the top of their head can chime in. I also put my camera in to High speed continuous; meaning the camera takes multiple pictures while the shutter release is held down. Depending on the speed of your camera (frames per second, buffering time, etc) will dictate how many photos the camera takes before stopping. Obviously the more shots the camera takes the better as there is a better chance at a sharp capture. This is, as far as I know, the most viable way of taking a rolling shot. It really is a matter of "spray and pray" but obviously a steady hand, smooth road surface, slower car speed, more advance camera come into play when dictating how many of your shots will come out good.


Meaniii | Explored #495 by Carter N, on Flickr

Panning

Panning is the process of capturing motion from a fixed position, i.e. the side of the road lol. To accomplish a successful panning shot you follow the same basic camera setting rules as a roller. The only difference is that you are now moving your body with the car which can create much more unwanted movement when trying to produce a sharp picture. Most professionals capturing motion from a fixed position will use a monopod. Again a steady hand can go a long way towards making this work.


Rollin' through the mountain by Carter N, on Flickr

Rig shots

Rig shots refers to building a rig that is mounted to the car from which the camera is attached and then used to capture background motion. There are literally 1000 million ways to build a rig using a variety of materials. You can purchase kits (but they are usually very expensive) and there are plenty of DIY build threads out there on the internet so if you are interested do a quick google search. A rig shot really is the best way to create an intensely motioned filled image while preserving every detail of the car. The standard rig consists of a long pole (usually aluminum for it's light weight and strength) and suction cups mounted to the car. The camera can be attached the pole via DIY clamps, presold rig mounts, etc. A long shutter speed is used and usually the car is pushed (to reduce flexing of the rig) to create the shot. Obviously having a pole coming off the car will show up in the photo so Photoshop or an equivalent will be necessary to edit it out. The quality of that editing, again, comes through practice but usually with a rig built and attached correctly a simple clone stamp will easily remove the rig.


Slow circles by Carter N, on Flickr

Just been out doing a bit of light painting around my car.
I'm quite happy with the results, for first time.
Despite being shouted at by a farmer, it was a good evening, thanks for your help

Great job on your first attempt!

To eliminate those trails of light, walk with your back to the camera, as to not expose the lens to the light directly.

Ha shouting is easy, I have had guns pulled on me, cops called, etc etc. People just plain do not like cameras.

Again, great job!

some good stuff in here. I had no idea about lighting and stuff, I'm going to have to give it a go sometime.

Awesome! Be sure to post the results.

Hey I just wanted to thank you for this thread and personally say sorry in advance as I am planning on frequently visiting it.

First off. I've been doing some product marketing and I think the results are ok, not great, and I wanted to know what you think I should change (http://madefromgrass.com).

Some of my "for fun" weekend automotive stuff.

And finally. I am looking into getting a new lens I was thinking wide angle, most likely the 50mm f/1.4. But then I thought that the 24-135 wasn't wide enough so I started considering the 17-40mm f/4 L. I wanted to know what your thoughts were on the practicality of the two lenses given my current selection of one lens (24-135) on my crop sensor 7d.

No problem and no worries, I am happy to help where I can!

I will start by saying I don't do a lot of model photography, so I may not be the best authority on it. As for the monotone version of the photo, the black and white looks great! The models are very clearly separated from the background which is usually where things go askew. The only suggestion I would make is to not cover the logo on shirt with the corn stock. You are shooting for a company so their logo not being completely visible is a big 'no no' for advertising. As for the sepia version, I would personally flip the image horizontally and put the logo middle left. I only say this because the model's head is partially covered, maybe a slight opacity decrease on the logo would serve better. I'd try both and see how you like it.

Nice car photos! Just watch you composition for both. The Audi is cut off and the Porsche has alot of stuff going on in the background as well as being cut off.

Both lenses you mentioned are awesome! Personally I would go with the 17-40L or perhaps the 17-55 2.8. Also if you haven't given it any thought, consider the 50mm 1.8 II, it's the cheapest Canon lens you can buy at $100 on Amazon or similar and it is absolutely awesome!

You'da man Carter!

Thanks Josh <3

Thanks everyone for posting, this thread is going great!

[eskimopunk]

Great thread. WIll be checking back here for more info soon. Renting a lighting setup from school soon.

[Carter N]

Great thread. WIll be checking back here for more info soon. Renting a lighting setup from school soon.

Nice! You're flickr is cool, love your logo and "One thing"

[Minuki]

Learned a lot already