Photography Your Photography: Photo Feedback & Tips thread

[Beemer B773ER]

Hi folks,

As many may know, a good handful of members on GermanCarForum and TheByte have a keen interest in Photography. Whether it be the simple enjoyment of happy-snaps to it being a more serious hobby (even being a pro and making money from it) many of us enjoy photography, and even more importantly, we all want to improve our skills.

As the title of the thread suggests, this idea revolves around gaining valuable feedback, constructive criticism and helpful tips about your very own photos from your peers here on GCF. Purpose is to simply learn more about your own photos by listening to the opinions of other members who feel they have something helpful and meaningful to say. The process is very simple: Post one of your own photos (whether it be the original shot from the camera, or the final version after photo-editing) and then just read the opinions of other members, learn from their constructive criticism, and most importantly take-away from valuable tips so that the next time you take a bunch of photos you gradually improve your skills.

The key words to this idea are: Respect, Encouragement, and Honesty.

Remember, you DON'T have to sugar-coat your replies if you feel a photo could have be taken better, but it's very important to word any criticism in a constructive and encouraging manner. Just put yourself in the other person's shoes and everything should go smoothly.

The other members are your friends, so the focus is to HELP them by being honest, but going about it in a kind and respectful way.




Here are some simple rules:
1. Each member should be limited to a maximum of 4 photos per week. You can choose to post one photo at a time, or all 5 at once, it's up to you.

2. There shouldn't be any specific criteria in terms of the quality of the photos since we have varying degrees of talented photographers, BUT, each member should take a second thought before posting their photos, and to try and only post the photos which they feel are their best.
This not only benefits other members because we won't need to sort through 'poorer' images, but it also benefits the member who is seeking any feedback because there's no real point in not posting your best photos because you won't truely be advancing your skills.

3. Each photo should be resized to be no larger than a resolution of 1024 x 768.
Without further adieu, I now welcome the beginning of this new idea...here's hoping the idea is successful, and that we all learn many things from each other!

I really hope this thread gains interest from as many members as possible (whether you're into photography or not, it doesn't matter....sometimes feedback from people who aren't even into photography can be very insightful!)

So let's get this thread going folks!

 

[cawimmer430]

Wimmer's Guide to Successful Automotive Spotting in Urban Environments


This little guide is designed to revolve around urban automotive photography using a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera – the best means of capturing a quickly moving object in absolute stillness if used properly. This means that the techniques and experiences described here will have little or no value with normal point-and-shoot digital cameras as they are simply not designed for this type of photography and allow little or no camera programming.

Your ability to successfully detect and photograph interesting automobiles in an urban environment is dependent on three main factors. These are:

1) AWARENESS OF SURROUNDINGS
2) POSITION RELATIVE TO THE TARGET
3) CAMERA CONTROL


Below is a more in-depth explanation of the.



1) AWARENESS OF SURROUNDINGS

Being aware of what is going on around you is the first step to detecting an interesting car that might be worth capturing on film. In order to create an awareness dedicated solely to automotive spotting, you will need to employ two of your five senses: sight and hearing.

Your eyes are the obvious first choice. Continually scan the area to your front and side and occasionally turn your head around to observe what is going on behind you. Take it from me; there will be several instances where an interesting car pops up right behind you without making a sound. If you were caught off-guard you’ll be lucky to get away with a reasonably sharp picture of the vehicles rear. Ideally you want to be able to get shots of the front, side and rear and from these select the best for forum posting.

Your ears are capable of handing you an awesome car on a silver plate. Many drivers of exotic vehicles like to create music with their powerful engines and this is the key to detecting a suitable vehicle using your ears. You should be prepared to turn into the direction of where the sound is originating from and have your camera ready and properly programmed.

The best technique that has continually worked for me is this: As you are turning to the origin point of the sound, you should grip and position your camera in such a way that when the moment comes where you have turned to face the sound, you can quickly focus the camera on the target and snap away. The critical point here is getting the camera in the right position while turning. It sounds easy but it does take practice.

Be aware that sometimes a supped-up economy car can sound like a six-digit-priced exotic. Nothing is more disappointing than seeing a riced-out Opel Corsa 3-cylinder sounding like a Ferrari F430 Scuderia. And believe me, those supped-up economy cars can fool you.

Also keep in mind that your location is essential to this task. If you’re in a major city where wealth is concentrated there will be more chances for you to spot exotic vehicles. On the other hand, if you’re in a rural area with the “common folks”, well then, good luck! However, the scanning technique works well in all locations and interesting cars do show up when you least expect them to…



2) POSITION RELATIVE TO THE TARGET

This is one of the most important factors in determining a large portion of the quality of your photographs. It is also the factor that you have little or no control over of, especially if the target is in motion and will be out of sight within seconds. Quick thinking and reactions are the key in such situations. Therefore, pay careful attention to this golden rule: always (always) leave your camera turned on when on such car-hunting missions. A modern DSLR activates in less than a second after it is switched on, but the sole act of turning the knob from off to on wastes valuable seconds which could have been used to get the camera into position for instance. Thus, it also wise to have a spare battery along although your typical DSLR camera battery won’t need a recharge after at least 3,000 pictures (as is the case with my Nikon D90).

The technique that you will probably be using most of the time in a city environment to catch cars in motion is called “panning”. Panning is where the photographer is standing stationary and moves the camera along (preferably on an imaginary straight line) with the moving object while firing away. This technique will blur the background while the target object is sharp (depending on shutter speed). A low shutter speed will in effect have the target object slightly blurred while a faster shutter speed will freeze-frame a dynamic object in relative or absolute stillness. How you want to style your photographs is up to you, but I prefer to shoot at faster shutter speeds and have the car frozen in time: literally.

The act of adjusting the focal length of your lens while tracking an object during panning is a technique that does takes some practice. Depending on your camera focus settings the target might latch out of focus if you zoom in or out too quickly. What you should be doing is gradually increasing the focal length so that the autofocus can quickly compensate. In this way, you will have sharp continuous close-up shots of a vehicle that is distancing itself from you.

So how else is your position relative to the car a factor in picture quality? Easy. The closer you are to the car the more difficult it is to get into a good panning position. Ideally you would want to be at least 15 meters away from the vehicle in order to get some great shots of it passing by. At the same time, your ideal distance from the vehicle also depends on the type of lens currently mounted on your camera. You will have an easier time photographing a car that is moving past you at a short distance with a low-zoom lens such as an 18-55mm than a high-zoom lens like an 18-200mm. At any rate, the closer the car is to you the quicker disoriented you become as you have to turn, twist and get into “firing position” and it seems that your average DSLR camera will be slow to properly focus on the dynamic target at such a close distance.

Stationary exotic vehicles are a piece of cake. Depending on your equipment or position you can simply extend your lens or cross the street to come closer to the car that caught your fancy.



3) CAMERA CONTROL

In order to properly photograph the target with your camera, you will need to know what it can and can’t do. Most amateur photographers think they can learn all there is too know by keeping the camera set to AUTO. Wrong. In AUTO mode the DSLR camera is literally acting like a normal point-and-shoot camera. It decides what settings to use and will always try to give you the best picture quality possible. So if you’re photographing in AUTO mode in a darker area, the camera will automatically pop out the flash bar because it doesn’t want to increase the ISO levels for instance. For proper car hunting, the AUTO function is next to useless (unless the vehicle is stationary and parked in ideal lighting conditions).

I personally like to use only two modes when going on car hunting trips in the city: S and M.

In weather conditions where you are dealing with constantly changing light sources such as intense sunlight or shadows I like to use the S-Mode. This function refers to “Shutter” and is also known as “Shutter Priority”. In S-Mode mode you have full control over the shutter speed and other camera functions except for the aperture settings. Change the shutter speed and the camera, by means of measuring the intensity of the external light, will automatically select the appropriate aperture.

In weather conditions where your light source is relatively stable and there isn’t too much interference from shadows and such, you can easily switch to M-Mode mode and not have to worry about constantly changing the aperture or ISO levels. I like to use this mode during the winter months because of two reasons:

First, the light is relatively stable and doesn’t change as much in the summer. And second, I can select the best possible combinations without shooting images that are either under- or overexposed. Whatever mode you choose is completely up to you in the end, however.

Next, in order to freeze frame the car properly you would want to make use of a fast shutter speed. I generally use between 1/320s or higher – depending on the lighting conditions. In poor lighting conditions I can still use these speeds but have to compensate for the lack of good light by either opening the aperture or increasing the ISO. Depending on what you want to achieve you’ll have to engage either or. If local lighting conditions are poor, I generally open the aperture to the fullest (to avoid jacking up the ISO, which will affect picture quality through pixilation the higher the value). This allows more light to enter – at the cost of some background sharpness (which generally is not an issue when I am panning). Or you can ignore the aperture and increase the ISO levels, which is generally what I try to avoid because of the picture pixelation it causes. Remember that good lighting conditions allow you to jack up the shutter speed (stillness) or aperture (sharpness) while keeping the ISO settings low. Whatever you desire, you need to program your camera accordingly.

One important camera factor that will greatly aid you is the setting of your camera autofocus area mode. You will generally only require two settings for two different targets. For stationary automobiles use the “single point” setting while for moving targets it is recommended that you use “dynamic area”. Especially for dynamic targets, the latter focus area mode is really helpful (necessary). Also program your shooting mode to the highest possible value. On the Nikon D90 that's 4.5 pictures per second. What you want to do is continually keep the shutter button pressed as you fire away on a target. This method will allow you to later select the best photos from the bunch. It's not uncommon for me to shoot 15-20 (or more) photos of an interesting car passing me - of which I will later post the best front, side and rear shots (or 3/4 front / rear shots).



Below are a few samples of properly shot exotics or interesting vehicles in motion. The definition "proper" in this case means that the overall quality of the individual photo and subject is very high (sharpness, subject location within frame etc.).







As you can see, I used a shutter speed far to high for this Ferrari F430 Spider that was crawling through this section of Munich. The
stillness of the subject and background, however, speak for themselves and create an image where time has truly stood still.












This is an example of a good photograph taken in very difficult exterior conditions. Lighting was poor so I had to open the aperture
to the fullest, in this case f3.5 (as you zoom the aperture becomes smaller and it went to f4.8 as I zoomed to catch this 300SE Coupe).
Next I jacked up the ISO to the maximum, which on the Nikon D90 is basically ISO 6400. I kept the shutter speed at 1/320s even though
a slightly slower value would have been appropriate since he wasn't going very fast.





Keep these tips in mind. Happy hunting!

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Great stuff Chris.. can't wait to have a read, especially if you have some good tips about panning and ideal settings for photgraphing cars in motion.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Here are two versions of the same photo: one with full color, the other with color desaturation and blue/cyan hue.

They've both been cropped down from the original photo, and some saturation and contrast enhancements made. As I've stated in several posts, I'm trying to get better at color photography (more specifically color automotive photography) since I feel somewhat one-dimensional just taking black & white photos most of the time.

So what do you guys thinks of each of these photos? What do you like, what don't you like, areas/ideas for to make the photos even better, and anything else?

 

[dOmInIX]

Interesting angle..I like them both and if I had to decide I'd go with the first.
I know the #2 is more your style and all that, but the first photo stands out more IMO.

What I don't like is the right part of the photo because there is too much area which is out of focus, I think I would've cropped it a little bit. Also, clone out the wires in the upper right corner, it will look nicer and cleaner.

 

[cawimmer430]

A very interesting photograph of which I prefer the second rendition. The car might not be catchy but the tilt of the photo and the coloring are the first things that make us go "Hey, neat!". Those two do a very good job of complementing each other in my opinion.

Another nice effect is the bluish temperature of the shot. Perfectly fitting for the scenery and it also acts as the icing on the cake.

The first rendition is very nice too but I feel that the second one, with its blue tones, makes it more, well, bluish and thus more quiet but pleasant to look at.

Also, clone out the wires in the upper right corner, it will look nicer and cleaner.

Completely agree with this. Those wires just catch out eyes and take them away from the true focus and motive of the picture. Clone them out.

 

[Itzkirb]

Tilt, wires and car in center of frame are the three things that bother me.

Clouds and rocks I think are nice.

I like the 2nd one better than the 1st one.

 

[Germaniac]

2nd is better - too many clashing tones in first
As stated, the powerlines should be cloned out
As the car is the subject, I don't think the rocks should be obstructing it...it sort of looks like the car has something to hide. The rocks in themselves are fine but i don't think they should obstruct our view of the car
I agree that there's too much negative space on the right; consider rule of thirds
Otherwise an interesting concept

 

[cawimmer430]

It's up. My guide to successful car spotting in cities.

 

[ree]

It's up. My guide to successful car spotting in cities.

Just perfect!! Can't wait to "test" your guide!!

 

[Zonda]

Great stuff Chris.. can't wait to have a read, especially if you have some good tips about panning and ideal settings for photgraphing cars in motion.

I'm not Chris but..
For panning I find it useful not to trust the aim through the viewfinder religously. Instead I use use both eyes, with one of them in the viewfinder and simply trust my instincts. In 99% of all my panned shots this has worked great. But afterall it's all about finding a way that suits you.

 

[cawimmer430]

I'm not Chris but..
For panning I find it useful not to trust the aim through the viewfinder religously. Instead I use use both eyes, with one of them in the viewfinder and simply trust my instincts. In 99% of all my panned shots this has worked great. But afterall it's all about finding a way that suits you.

I forgot to mention that in panning it is a good idea to keep the center focus of your camera viewfinder slightly ahead (just slightly) of the car as you fire away. Works well for me.

 

[jack]

this is a collage i did recently on a black A2 photopaper
the photos where taken at the munich olympia stadium last year
http://img51.imageshack.us/my.php?image=30352374.jpg

 

[Germaniac]

very cool.
presentation is everything in this work...and it works well.

 

[Germaniac]

Wimmer, out of the five shots you posted, only one is correctly exposed; one is borderline and three are severely underexposed.

I know 'correct' exposure is subjective, but there's general agreement about too much light and not enough light... histograms can tell us a lot about this.

Take your shot of the bike for instance.



When I see a shot like this, I just think... 'dull'. This is because the shot is underexposed; there basically isn't enough light reaching the sensor. I'll explain why in a moment, but the shot's histogram agrees with me:

This graph depicts the exposure level of your image. Basically, far left is black, far right is white; a correctly exposed image will generally sit between the two edges towards the middle. Your graph sits heavily on the left which means your image is dark, or, underexposed.

Now consider the same image, with levels tweaked so that the histogram is in a better position:

As you can (hopefully) see, the image is far better exposed, and the histogram reflects this. To learn more about histograms and what they mean, read this: Understanding Digital Camera Histograms: Tones and Contrast
It helps a lot.



Now, to get on to why most of these shots seem to be underexposed, this statement by you explains it:

I personally like to use only two modes when going on car hunting trips in the city: S and M.

To get that nice pan-blur effect, you shoot in S or M to force the camera to shoot within certain parameters. But in doing so, you're often forcing the camera to let in less light than is appropriate. Let me explain.

If you're shooting on S (shutter speed priority), you are choosing shutter speed and ISO and the camera will then pick an appropriate aperture. So, for this shot, you forced the camera to shoot at 1/500 and ISO 320. Now, this was frankly too fast a shutter speed for the light level. The camera attempted to compensate by opening the aperture fully, but still not enough light was reaching the sensor: hence an underexposed shot. (Same applies if you shot on manual, except you chose the aperture value).

Now, take the same scenario, but bump the ISO to 640 or 800. Your image will now be over 2x brighter, and thus more likely to be correctly exposed. Most likely you would've had to shoot at a slower shutter speed too.


Now, one problem is the limitation of your equipment: f/5.6 is quite a slow tele lens; the 70-200mm f/2.8 would be a more appropriate lens for this situation (albeit much more expensive, unfortunately). I know that you're going for a particular effect, and you do need fast shutter speeds to get it: however if the end result is an underexposed image, ... well, you can make your own mind up.

Food for thought! Ciao

 

[cawimmer430]

Germaniac,

Great info, link and explanation. I really appreciate it.

My problem with the "correct exposure" is that it generally means the photo is too bright. It's definitely a matter of personal taste but I prefer it when the picture is a little darker. The photo of the biker that you edited and made lighter has the complete opposite effect on me - I think it is dull. An overall darker atmosphere gives the photo more character in my opinion. And I think for this situation with the biker, a darker image would be more suited to bring out the overall effect if you know what I mean.

Once again, great info. Thanks for taking the time to explain this. I am definitely going to read up on histograms and I'll eventually try to shoot images with the correct exposure.

 

[Zonda]

Black point and white point is also useful for sorting out the histograms.

Christian has a point. For "everyday" shots an underexposed shot is usually more interesting than the opposite in my opinion. But when I have an idea, I usually strive towards a more overexposed result. If executed well enough, an overexposed shot can do alot more for me than an underexposed one.

 

[jack]

fresh photo
http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rush.jpg

 

[jack]

need some advice
i need to take photos of an object(it has a reflective surface and its the size of a computer mouse)
however i don't want it to look like amateur photos, so lightning obiously matters. but how can i achieve good photos without buying expensive lightning equipment

 

[cawimmer430]

need some advice
i need to take photos of an object(it has a reflective surface and its the size of a computer mouse)
however i don't want it to look like amateur photos, so lightning obiously matters. but how can i achieve good photos without buying expensive lightning equipment

Try using long exposure and flashing at the object from a distance with a weak flashlight. Worked for me when I was photographing chocolates on a reflective black marmor table (see photo below).



You can also try setting the camera to long exposure and firing a weak flash in the beginning. Try something like a -2.3 EV flash and 10-15 second exposure time for a start. Try these two things, see what works best (gives you the best results) and then experiment some more with the method.