Tips on photographing black cars.

[SpoonEK9@STRD]

Looking for tips on shooting a black car. Just taking the shots for fun.
Some question I have:
What time of day? Overcast vs none?
Locations? Maybe you guys can give me some ideas where to shoot it.
How to focus (camera has a hard time autofocusing on it)?
And any other tips you might have.

Thanks!

[Gibson]

The camera shouldn't have a hard time focusing on it if you shoot it with the car in front of a light backdrop. As to where an excellent spot might be, I have no idea, but you should be able to take pictures of it whenever you'd like weather wise.

[C4S]

black car .... do it day time .. or find a parking with light colour background.

[nismodrifter]

I always take pics of my whip at night or just before sunset. If daytime I pic an overcast day. I never really shoot in sunlight, too many weird reflections on a clean car.

Nothing sicker than a freshly detailed/blingin car at night time IMO.

Some of my examples:
As the sun is going down:
http://members.shaw.ca/nismodrifter/rolling7big.jpg

Overcast:
http://members.shaw.ca/nsuppal/final2007/13.jpg

Night:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y60/turbobenz/nightwide.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/nismodrifter/endofyear1.jpg

[soupey]

get it nice and clean, uc an do it at night with long exposures in a place that will create lots of specular reflections off it, or u can do it during the day, do NOT use flash unless you know what ur doing with it.

[SpoonEK9@STRD]

Here's a couple i'v done, both with overcast. Any sun the refelections start to shit. Lets say when its darker out I have trouble focusing as the car is dark it tends to focus on the relections if I spot focus it cant focus.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c75/bitch407/summerphotoshoot2008097.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c75/bitch407/JDM_GVS_PosterLong_STRD.jpg


This picture is just shit (this one of the ones that turned out), what most of the night ones turn out like:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c75/bitch407/Calendarpics054.jpg

[ZorroAMG]

WB is efffed.

[soupey]

tadaaaaaaaaaa

http://igsta.sytes.net/beyond/Calendarpics054fix.jpg

ZorroAMG was right, White Balance was off, hence why it turned red, easy fix using almost any program (i just used the autofix in vista's viewer).

MichaelTheMentor.com to get ur basics down.

[SpoonEK9@STRD]

thanks for the link soupey!

[Viper55555]

Use a flashlight to light up a wheel or headlight so your camera can focus. A circular polarizer can be good for removing reflections also.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/viper55555/IMG_5154web.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/viper55555/IMG_5155web.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/viper55555/IMG_5183web.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/viper55555/IMG_5184web.jpg

[soupey]

i kinda like the pictures with reflections more, the other one's look dull and boring while the ones without the filter have highlights and lines that draw attention to it...

[mboldt]

Polarizer Polarizer Polarizer.