The UMPH Guide to Car Photography
UMPH can reasonably claim to be a professional photographer, given that he formally studied photography for three years and a major part of his day job relies on his photographic skills. He is not, however, a professional car photographer, no matter how much he wishes that were so.
He's not so big-headed that he thinks the photos in this 'blog are the last word in automotive imagery but he does know that they're technically okay. Here are a few simple tips he reckons will improve any car photography, no matter where the images might be taken, under what conditions, and irrespective of the camera you're using.
Lighting
For professional photographers, it's all about the light! A pro will base his or her whole day around where the sun is going to be and what the prevailing weather conditions are or, if they're shooting indoors, will spend ages manipulating studio lights, diffusers and reflectors to get just the right lighting effect.
As a predominantly field-based photographer, UMPH has learned to make do with with wherever the sun might be and whatever the weather's doing at the time. It's an ability that stands him in good stead covering events like Classics at the Beach where he's got to work with what he's got.
Before we go any further, UMPH is going to do a bit of myth-busting: a bright, sunny day is not a great time to take photographs! The problem? Shadows. Whilst the human eye is quite adept at taking in a scene that ranges from brightly lit areas through to dark, shadowy bits, cameras are pretty much rubbish in that regard. And, if you really do need to have people in your photos (to be discouraged, in UMPH's book!), bright sun makes them all squinty and even less attractive.
There are two main ways to overcome shadows. The first is to wait until a nice cloudy day. Have you ever noticed how the transition from the highlights to the shadows is less when there's a bit of cloud about? That's because the subject brightness range (SBR) is reduced under such conditions. The edges of the shadows are noticibly softer when it's cloudy, too.
So what if you luck-out and it's one of those abominable sunny days? The second way to reduce SBR is to use the camera's flash - what's known as shooting fill. Yes, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, (almost*) always use your flash. It doesn't matter what sort of camera you're using, either; flick your iPhone or small digital compact's flash to on, if you've got a pop-up on your dSLR, use that or, if you have a separate unit, even better!
If your flash has a variable output, it's usually best to adjust it to fire at one stop less than the camera's aperture is set to. That's to say that when shooting at f11, it's preferable to have the flash on f8 (firing at 1/2 the output required to make a full exposure in its own right). This will help fill in any shadows and reduce the SBR without risking 'blow-out' where you over-expose anything too close to the camera.
And the almost* of two paragraphs ago? Sometimes you will need to switch your flash off to avoid flare (harsh, specular reflections bouncing of shiny surfaces that ruin the image). Before abandoning the flash, though, try changing your angle slightly to redirect the reflection away from the camera.
Fill the Frame
There are times when it's visually effective to have a small image of a vehicle set against a vast backdrop - think of a Land Rover atop a mountain peak, for instance. However, in the majority of cases the most striking shots are all about the car, and that means filling the frame. Get in close; make the car the main feature and not the parking lot you photographed it in! Don't be scared to swap from vertical ('portrait') to horizontal ('landscape') orientation to suit the subject, either.
Be careful using so-called 'digital-zoom' to fill the frame, though. The resultant image is achieved by enlarging a small part of the total photographic file, rather than it being recorded across all the available megapixels like when an optical zoom is employed. This can result in a grainy, pixellated image if it's reproduced at anything other than a modest size. It's therefore way better to get in close to utilise all the camera's capacity in the first place.
Experiment
There are what are known as rules of composition (the rule of thirds is probably the best-known one). However, digital photography allows the enthusiastic photographer to literally go wild and take as many images as he or she likes and, unlike when UMPH started out in the days of film, it doesn't cost anything. Rules were meant to be broken, after-all!
So knock yourselves out! Shoot from high. Shoot from low. Use wide lens settings (focal lengths) to exaggerate length and width. Isolate features with large apertures and / or long lenses. Go really close to show detail. Experiment ... !
The Technical Stuff
It's fine to know how to take photographs. However, what's really cool is actually understanding the photographic process. Creative types can use their iPhones to great effect, but it's not until you actually understand how apertures, shutter speeds, ISO, focal length and all the technical stuff works that you can really begin to take great photographs that are consistent and repeatable. A thorough appreciation of photo-theory helps you to think your way out of technical problems, too.
So, do a photography course, seek advice from a pro or go on-line. Learn stuff. And remember this: photographers take great photographs - not cameras - so don't get too hung up on the gadgetry! Feel free to check out this rest of this 'blog, too! (http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au).
U M P H.
Away from his day-job, UMPH shoots a 10 year old Nikon D200 with a 18 - 250 mm f3.5 - 6.3 Tamron DiII lens. He usually uses an iPhone 6 for his Random posts. His work gear is newer and fancier. Whilst not a gear-freak, he does remember how to shoot 5" x 4" bellows, medium format, Wild Heerbrugg C40 and C120 stereometric, and 35 mm cameras, and may be one of the few people old enough to know what the scheimpflug principle is (go on - Google it!). If push came to shove, he could probably still develop black and white, and slide (E6), films and make passable monochrome prints. Photoshop is not in his repertoire (he'd rather get it right the first time round).
He's not so big-headed that he thinks the photos in this 'blog are the last word in automotive imagery but he does know that they're technically okay. Here are a few simple tips he reckons will improve any car photography, no matter where the images might be taken, under what conditions, and irrespective of the camera you're using.
Lighting
For professional photographers, it's all about the light! A pro will base his or her whole day around where the sun is going to be and what the prevailing weather conditions are or, if they're shooting indoors, will spend ages manipulating studio lights, diffusers and reflectors to get just the right lighting effect.
As a predominantly field-based photographer, UMPH has learned to make do with with wherever the sun might be and whatever the weather's doing at the time. It's an ability that stands him in good stead covering events like Classics at the Beach where he's got to work with what he's got.
Before we go any further, UMPH is going to do a bit of myth-busting: a bright, sunny day is not a great time to take photographs! The problem? Shadows. Whilst the human eye is quite adept at taking in a scene that ranges from brightly lit areas through to dark, shadowy bits, cameras are pretty much rubbish in that regard. And, if you really do need to have people in your photos (to be discouraged, in UMPH's book!), bright sun makes them all squinty and even less attractive.
There are two main ways to overcome shadows. The first is to wait until a nice cloudy day. Have you ever noticed how the transition from the highlights to the shadows is less when there's a bit of cloud about? That's because the subject brightness range (SBR) is reduced under such conditions. The edges of the shadows are noticibly softer when it's cloudy, too.
So what if you luck-out and it's one of those abominable sunny days? The second way to reduce SBR is to use the camera's flash - what's known as shooting fill. Yes, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, (almost*) always use your flash. It doesn't matter what sort of camera you're using, either; flick your iPhone or small digital compact's flash to on, if you've got a pop-up on your dSLR, use that or, if you have a separate unit, even better!
 |
| No fill-flash. See how there's no detail in the shadow area? |
 |
| With the SBR reduced by shooting fill, detail within the shadow is enhanced. The flash has also moved the image's histogram to the right slightly, compensating for the minor underexposure caused by metering off a predominantly white subject. |
If your flash has a variable output, it's usually best to adjust it to fire at one stop less than the camera's aperture is set to. That's to say that when shooting at f11, it's preferable to have the flash on f8 (firing at 1/2 the output required to make a full exposure in its own right). This will help fill in any shadows and reduce the SBR without risking 'blow-out' where you over-expose anything too close to the camera.
And the almost* of two paragraphs ago? Sometimes you will need to switch your flash off to avoid flare (harsh, specular reflections bouncing of shiny surfaces that ruin the image). Before abandoning the flash, though, try changing your angle slightly to redirect the reflection away from the camera.
 |
| This image was taken at 90 degrees to the subject. Note the specular reflection. |
 |
| Stepping just a short distance to the right eliminated the specularity. It's also worth noting that the use of a long focal length put the photographer further away from the car's window and thus prevented his reflection showing in either image. |
Fill the Frame
There are times when it's visually effective to have a small image of a vehicle set against a vast backdrop - think of a Land Rover atop a mountain peak, for instance. However, in the majority of cases the most striking shots are all about the car, and that means filling the frame. Get in close; make the car the main feature and not the parking lot you photographed it in! Don't be scared to swap from vertical ('portrait') to horizontal ('landscape') orientation to suit the subject, either.
 |
| iPhone image (wide-angle, exaggerating the car's width). Frame filled to maximise its visual impact. Even the iPhone's cheesy little flash has helped reduce the SBR. |
Be careful using so-called 'digital-zoom' to fill the frame, though. The resultant image is achieved by enlarging a small part of the total photographic file, rather than it being recorded across all the available megapixels like when an optical zoom is employed. This can result in a grainy, pixellated image if it's reproduced at anything other than a modest size. It's therefore way better to get in close to utilise all the camera's capacity in the first place.
Experiment
There are what are known as rules of composition (the rule of thirds is probably the best-known one). However, digital photography allows the enthusiastic photographer to literally go wild and take as many images as he or she likes and, unlike when UMPH started out in the days of film, it doesn't cost anything. Rules were meant to be broken, after-all!
So knock yourselves out! Shoot from high. Shoot from low. Use wide lens settings (focal lengths) to exaggerate length and width. Isolate features with large apertures and / or long lenses. Go really close to show detail. Experiment ... !
 |
| F5.6 @ 1/250, 100 ISO, 25mm focal length. |
 |
| Selective depth of field (same aperture & ISO but @ 1/1000th & a 110mm focal length). |
The Technical Stuff
It's fine to know how to take photographs. However, what's really cool is actually understanding the photographic process. Creative types can use their iPhones to great effect, but it's not until you actually understand how apertures, shutter speeds, ISO, focal length and all the technical stuff works that you can really begin to take great photographs that are consistent and repeatable. A thorough appreciation of photo-theory helps you to think your way out of technical problems, too.
So, do a photography course, seek advice from a pro or go on-line. Learn stuff. And remember this: photographers take great photographs - not cameras - so don't get too hung up on the gadgetry! Feel free to check out this rest of this 'blog, too! (http://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au).
U M P H.
Away from his day-job, UMPH shoots a 10 year old Nikon D200 with a 18 - 250 mm f3.5 - 6.3 Tamron DiII lens. He usually uses an iPhone 6 for his Random posts. His work gear is newer and fancier. Whilst not a gear-freak, he does remember how to shoot 5" x 4" bellows, medium format, Wild Heerbrugg C40 and C120 stereometric, and 35 mm cameras, and may be one of the few people old enough to know what the scheimpflug principle is (go on - Google it!). If push came to shove, he could probably still develop black and white, and slide (E6), films and make passable monochrome prints. Photoshop is not in his repertoire (he'd rather get it right the first time round).
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