The official detailing photography thread!

**RaskyR1** · 10-11-2012, 03:05 PM

So I thought it would be a great idea to create a thread dedicated to helping each other out with photographing cars and detailing related pictures. I still consider myself a noob when it comes to photography and thought we could use this thread to share the tips, tricks, and other great ideas for taking pics and capturing defects. On top of that we could share images we`ve taken we are proud of (car/detailing related) as well as listing the gear we are currently using.

I`ll start.

Currently shooting with Nikon D7000, 18-105mm kit lens, 35mm Nikon f1.8, 70-300mm Tamron f4.0-5.6 USD

Only advice I can really give would be to recommend the book the was suggest to me by a friend, Understanding Exposure and to take multiple exposures of the same shot with different settings.

One of the shots I`m proud of.

**Dan** · 10-11-2012, 03:19 PM

I`ll add my $0.02, learn how to use your gear, don`t blow your money on expensive cameras, you don`t need them! Its like the newb buying some $300 wax and someone else getting better results with a $15 tin of collinite.

**imported_Automania** · 10-11-2012, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by RaskyR1

So I thought it would be a great idea to create a thread dedicated to helping each other out with photographing cars and detailing related pictures. I still consider myself a noob when it comes to photography and thought we could use this thread to share the tips, tricks, and other great ideas for taking pics and capturing defects. On top of that we could share images we`ve taken we are proud of (car/detailing related) as well as listing the gear we are currently using.

I`ll start.

Currently shooting with Nikon D7000, 18-105mm kit lens, 35mm Nikon f1.8, 70-300mm Tamron f4.0-5.6 USD

Only advice I can really give would be to recommend the book the was suggest to me by a friend, Understanding Exposure and to take multiple exposures of the same shot with different settings.

One of the shots I`m proud of.

You could fool me if you are a noobie -- very nice!

**RaskyR1** · 10-11-2012, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Automania

You could fool me if you are a noobie -- very nice!

Thanks Gina! They`re still not to the level I`d like them to be and some of guys on here have pics that blow mine away!

**SeaJays** · 10-11-2012, 06:23 PM

This is a great idea Rasky! I for one am awful with my camera. I have the cannon rebel. Actually, it`s my girlfriends camera, but neither of us are really any good with it. I take 100 pics and maybe 20 come out OK.

This is one of my favorites I`ve taken....

**Thomas Dekany** · 10-11-2012, 06:28 PM

Just to back what Dan was saying. Not mine, but was shot with an EPL-1 and a 20mm Panasonic lens -

**C. Charles Hahn** · 10-11-2012, 06:29 PM

My setup:

-Canon 60D

-Kit lens, 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

-Canon 50mm f/1.8

-Yongnuo YN-565EX Speedlite (ETTL Wireless)

I usually shoot in Aperture Priority with the lens as wide open as possible, using the ISO setting to adjust exposure.

Both of my lenses have UV filters on them for protection as well as to cut out some of the halo effect that direct lighting can cause; for outdoor shots where there`s a ton of light I use a circular polarizing filter to reduce the light going into the camera without having to use a smaller f/stop. Only thing to beware of is that a CIR-POL can alter the reflections in paint or glass depending on how it is indexed. That can either be good or bad depending on what you want to capture.

**Thomas Dekany** · 10-11-2012, 06:42 PM

My favorite shot - Lumix G3, the lens was the panasonic 20mm 1.7 if I recall.

P1090418 by savingspaces33, on Flickr

**uzj100** · 10-11-2012, 06:42 PM

Nice thread idea! And some great pictures so far. I have Nikons-(D-700 and D-3S)

**Thomas Dekany** · 10-11-2012, 06:55 PM

Beautiful!

**Dan** · 10-11-2012, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by C. Charles Hahn

I usually shoot in Aperture Priority with the lens as wide open as possible, using the ISO setting to adjust exposure.

Lots of people like to shoot as wide as possible, it gives a nice shallow DOF but, you are also using the worst part of your lens at that point (the edges). Most lenses, well, the kind most of us average folk can afford, shoot the sharpest pics, two stops from wide open.

**C. Charles Hahn** · 10-11-2012, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by Dan

Lots of people like to shoot as wide as possible, it gives a nice shallow DOF but, you are also using the worst part of your lens at that point (the edges). Most lenses, well, the kind most of us average folk can afford, shoot the sharpest pics, two stops from wide open.

Right; it can be a trade-off in some cases. Raise the f/stop to get away from the edges and get more of the frame in focus, and crank the ISO higher to compensate for less light which may result in increased graininess in the shots. No big deal if they`re wide shots, but for detail and macro-type shots I like a low ISO and wide aperture since the center of the frame will still be clear.

It also depends on the camera you`re using -- full-frame sensors seem to be more sensitive to cheap glass than crop bodies are since they cut out the edges of the lens anyway.