Does the camera ever lie?
During a tech session with a client, we were talking about how great cars look online and in magazines.
But then you see that car at SEMA or an auto show, and from a detailer’s perspective, are disappointed with how the finish appears. Both hobbyist detailers and pros always shoot pictures that make the cars look amazing. Both of us are photography buffs, he is more sophisticated than I, and knows tricks with lighting. You can shoot a dirty car on any day and the end result will come out looking like a show car if you get the right angle.
We both found this to be a bit interesting. So to better understand all the hard work that went into making the finish look amazing, you have to shoot it in a legitimate lighting atmosphere that is a true depiction of not only the product used and the end result, but the technical knowledge of the detailer or artist. This is where florescent lights and halogen lights come in.
• Take photographs when the sun is setting
• Use digital a photograph in an editing software picture editing program (i.e. Paint Shop Professional X1) you can also adjust contrast, and white balance from the camera
• White balance- tweaking the white balance so the white paint appears to have incredible "depth" to show that a given LSP imparts that look is somehow crossing a line.
• Open the digital photos in a picture editing software program (i.e. Paint Shop Pro XI) and use the tools to "sharpen" the image.
Is this then cheating? Liken it to the ‘air-brushed’ photographs of fashion models or celebrities, it has very little to do with reality, you are creating an illusion that people ‘want’ to believe (just be careful what claims you make for a product though with ‘enhanced’ photographs (i.e.’ Truth in Advertising’)
