Questions on Flash, Back drops, Umbrella Lights

[jerry@robs]

How do you set up a photoshoot that`ll make your shots look like car ads in magazines?



I can pretty much decipher how to take car magazine article-like ads of cars outdoors, but for those "show room, brochure-like" shots, I`m wondering as to how they can make the pics so pure and clean...



I know that there are some "photoshopping" involved in the final production, but of course, a nice original shot makes the job a lot easier to edit.



Any tips on lighting and stuff?

[boywonder]

Not necessarily. Most of the time, pros come with light meters to measure the light and adjust the lights accordingly at different points of the car.



Ejant is also right on the other factors in making a magazine shot.



Also, they use a slower speed film (100 or 200 ASA or equivalent) so that there is not as much graininess.

[ultrajim49]

Hi , Veed,



look what I found today:



http://www.webphotoschool.com/ir/

just click on : Learn to Shoot Products for Ebay





:wavey



Christiaan

[imported_Smoker]

Firstly, depends if your shooting digital or 35mm.



With 35mm you can get some AMAZING photos, but ya have to know whats going on with the lightning, film, depth of field etc.



Digital is more forgiving as you `Photoshop It` as someone has already said.



I wuv my digital for happy snaps and motor shows, but if i`m going for REALLY good stuff I`ll break out the Nikon.

The digi can take really good photos (ill find a link to one I did at a bike show) but it just isnt as versatile as the Nikon.



Photography, like anything else is really a matter of practising and experimenting.

The two golden rules are basically the larger the aperture, the faster shutter speed you can get away with and smaller depth of field, while the smaller the aperture, the slower the shutter speed and the bigger the depth of field.



You can add film speeds into this too, the grainier the film the less you can enlarge, but the better chance youll get a clear shot.



For me, taking studio photos of cars I would use a fine film, long exposures with a small aperture and a tripod/shutter release.



Just my 2 cents.

[Steve @ Guru]

While this isn`t a car photo, it`s an example of what you can do with about $40 in lights and some white contact paper.



http://members.roadfly.org/steve/ebay/attphone/2.jpg



I took that picture for an ebay auction (actually, I took about 250 pictures - friend is selling a lot of stuff). I bought a book on lighting, went to the hardware store and bought some painters lights, and a slew of 75w clearview bulbs.



The picture hasn`t been photoshopped (other than cropping), and was taken with a Canon G2 on a tripod. I don`t recall the settings, but I think I adjusted the white balance and ISO settings.



I saw how the magazines do studio shots of cars while watching a show on Sunday morning TNN - they had a vehicle-length lightbox hanging about 2" from the top of the car and a TON of fill lights - sides, underneath, etc. The photographer said they`ll scan the slide, photoshop out the lights and have a perfectly lit vehicle...

[jerry@robs]

great links and tips.. .thanks.