|
1. Choose a location that suits the car: a Bentley might look great outside a country house; a Beetle is better suited to the seaside. Architecture from the same era as the car is a safe bet. Look out for unusual locations where the link to your car might be a colour, a shape or a texture.
2. Look carefully at the whole picture through the viewfinder. A single-lens reflex (SLR) camera shows you exactly what you will get in the finished image. Look at the photo you are about to take and make sure that’s what you want. Are there any trees growing out of the top of the car? Is it the best angle and distance? Are the light and shaded areas where you want them? Take time to move things around, and move around yourself, don’t do all your composition with a zoom lens.
3. Consider your height too. Gaining three or four feet by using a pair of steps can make a huge difference. Similarly, lying on the ground, especially with a wide lens, can produce dramatic results.
4. The most useful composition trick is called the ‘rule of thirds’. Using two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, mentally divide the picture into nine equal rectangles, as in the diagram on the left. Any element of the picture that is positioned on the four points where these lines cross will be given extra emphasis. Just try it.
5. Use the lens to control how much of the picture is in sharp focus and how much is blurred. A digital SLR such as the exciting new Nikon D70 is ideal for this. By reading your camera’s manual you can learn how to control the amount of sharp focus. If the background is out of focus but the car is sharp, the car stands out more. A greater distance between the car and the background, using the zoom set to magnify the scene and working with the lens set at a wide aperture will help you to create this effect.
6. Don’t just photograph the whole car, pick out details and take shots from every angle. The list of shots required for a magazine photo shoot includes: side-on, front-on, rear view, front three-quarters, rear three-quarters, interior, dash, engine bay and wheels. Other details might include badges and door handles.
7. Professionals need to be able to take action shots too. These take more practice and ‘tracking’ shots – taken from another moving vehicle should only be attempted under controlled conditions away from public roads. ‘Panning’ shots, where the car is driven past the photographer, or cornering shots, where the autofocus system of a camera like the D70 will really come into its own, can be very successful. Aim to get slight motion blur in the background or wheels to avoid that boring ‘parked’ look.
8. The Nikon D70’s sophisticated exposure system gives you the freedom to concentrate on composing the picture and practising your action techniques. Practice does make perfect and at last its affordable. A digital SLR allows you to see your results immediately, without the cost of film and processing. Many digital cameras don’t allow the degree of control professionals require but the D70 has a fully-featured SLR body. In fact, it uses the same autofocus lenses as Nikon’s traditional film cameras. If you already have a Nikon system, this is the digital SLR you’ve been waiting for. If you don’t, then at less than £1000 the D70 is a fantastic first step into the world of Nikon – the first choice of many professionals worldwide. For more information go to: www.nikon.co.uk |
Topic: How To Photograph Your Car Like A Pro
How To Photograph Your Car Like A Pro
Topic Options