Critique Critique this photo of my car please.

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Noc

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Hi all,

I bought a 2nd hand lens - a Pentax prime 50mm f1.7 to go with my new K3 body. The lens came with a polarising filter, so I took it out today to photograph my car in various guises. If anybody could be so kind to critique either picture, I'd be grateful. Please bear in mind I'm attempting to improve my vehicle photography in relation to magazine publications.

50mm, manual mode: 1/2000 sec, f/1.7, ISO 100, manual focus, centre weighted metering.



Straight out of the camera
CTQXQiNl.jpg





Post-processed (Ricoh utility, Photoshop elements 13)
CntUdQfl.jpg
 
Ha ha, I meant to mention, it's not the car you should be critiquing, it's the composition, exposure, and processing etc.

Ignore what the actual subject is :rolleyes: just see it as a car.
 
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This shot just doesn't do it for me. The angle you have shot the car at is not complimentary to the car. The way you have tried to frame the shot with the OOF (Out Of Focus) areas doesn't really work. The car doesn't benefit from being shot from behind. The white post and steel gates clutter the background, try and keep it clutter free, i.e just trees or a plain background. With the winter coming and the chance of frost or maybe snow you should have many more opportunities to shoot this car as the bright red of it will contrast very well on a frosty misty morning.(n)
 
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And I also prefer the processing in the second image.
 
Noc said:
Ha ha, I meant to mention, it's not the car you should be critiquing, it's the composition, exposure, and processing etc.

Ignore what the actual subject is :rolleyes: just see it as a car.
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I did

And i think you mentioned in relation to vehicle photography in a magazine ????

Sorry to get all Simon Cowell on you but this photo would not even make the cut for Autotraders second hand car section.



Car photography is a pretty specialist area and full of highly competitive skilled artists and photographers , you would maybe be better concentrating on general photography, rules of composition, dynamics, etc etc and come back to the car photography later.
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
I did

And i think you mentioned in relation to vehicle photography in a magazine ????

Sorry to get all Simon Cowell on you but this photo would not even make the cut for Autotraders second hand car section.



Car photography is a pretty specialist area and full of highly competitive skilled artists and photographers , you would maybe be better concentrating on general photography, rules of composition, dynamics, etc etc and come back to the car photography later.
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I'm looking at truck photography, it's much less demanding (I've published an article or two), but just practicing on vehicles per se so I can learn how to photograph them whilst hopefully learning the basic rules of photography as I go along. I know these photos leave a lot to be desired, but I'm very new to this, so maybe if you offered a few tips on how my photo could be improved I could take them away with me and apply them. Thanks.
 
All but impossible to judge sharpness from a much reduced web sized file but the original shot doesn't look that sharp to me and the processed one appears oversharpened to compensate, resulting in what appears to be JPEG artefaction around the number plate, although that could be messy reflections.

The framing is to my eyes uninspiring but does hide some of the car... Leaves the white stripe underneath it though. Also looks like the original shot is somewhat under exposed and lifting it in PP hasn't done it many favours. Details (like the missing hub cap, picked up by Ken) are important even when practising - get into the habit of being picky about things like that so you don't miss them later.
 
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Maybe work out what you like to see in a vehicle photo and try to reproduce that vision.
Have to say your photo does not work at all, first thing is get the composition right then worry about pp
 
Looks to me as your peeping out of a cat flap taking the shot secretly! If you need examples look at the car forums/ car event pages! I attempted a car show Trax! I strolled in with a 16-80mm lens and looked a complete noob I thought! Research into it,YouTube is your best friend as well as this forum car section!
 
Some good advice here. It's steered me back to basics on composition. As a beginner with more professional aspirations I underestimated how nerve-wracking and embarrassing it is posting one's photography here, yet I've learnt the sharpest lessons from doing so. Thank you all.
 
posiview said:
Such responces do nothing to encourage new members to stay.

I'll comment on the photograph later.

Regards.
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Whats a responce ?

Your opinion of whether a response is correct or not is just that, an opinion. The OP has not left - giving no weight to your comment.

Not being bothered to comment on the photo but having the time to comment on my response speaks volumes.
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
Whats a responce ?

Your opinion of whether a response is correct or not is just that, an opinion. The OP has not left - giving no weight to your comment.

Not being bothered to comment on the photo but having the time to comment on my response speaks volumes.
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Maybe as a new member I can add some of the missing weight? I have not posted any pictures on here yet for one reason, I am very new to photography, I dont know enough to feel my observations are valid yet. I know from reading the forum threads for a few months that there is a large majority on here who are helpful, encouraging people quick to offer constructive criticism in a carefully thought out way. However, there is also a small number of people who disregard peoples feelings and work, just to massage their ego or to score a point or at worst to get a cheap laugh at the expense of the OP.

I appreciate that at some point I need to take the plunge and post something, and I will, but everytime I see a comment that is unsavoury, it pushes that moment back a little more.

Maybe, if you have nothing nice to say, or more importantly, nothing constructive, then it would be better to say nothing at all??

As for the image Noc, I think I can see what you are trying to do with the OOF part of the image but the angle to the car is too shallow for me. It would be ok if part of a set that offered more views but not on its own. Also as others have mentioned, pay attention to the surroundings, what does not look too obvious in the viewfinder can scream at you once you review the image (usually too late to do anything about). The other thing I would say is just keep plugging away, learn from your mistakes and you will get much better. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.
 
Andrew Davies Photography said:
Whats a responce ?

Your opinion of whether a response is correct or not is just that, an opinion. The OP has not left - giving no weight to your comment.

Not being bothered to comment on the photo but having the time to comment on my response speaks volumes.
Click to expand...

The feedback on posts I've left since joining TP is a record I'm proud of.

I will leave FB but not when on my phone.

You really don't get my origional point do you?? :thinking:

Apologies to the OP for the thread derail.

Regards.
 
I have not tried car photography, but have read far too many car mags in the past and know what you mean.

From my limited knowledge, it seems like you are trying to over complicate it. You have a attempted a number of common aspects, such as shooting low for perspective, framing the shot, chosing a shallow depth of field to make the car stand out and positioning the car slightly side on with the wheel turned.

Despite you not having a flash car, there's no reason you can't bring out the best of it by simplifying things, or going for detail shots of small areas of the car. Try one thing at a time, like go to a car park or country road, park your car well away from the background, and shoot from a few metres away (fill the frame with the car) with your camera low and aperture wide open. Use centre spot metering to expose the car properly and focus on a light or name badge (detail). Forget framing for the time being. Post processing tends to be contrasty and sometimes grungy.

I believe that someone who is skilled in this type of photography could takes excellent shots of your car which would impress.

Don't get put off and please keep posting, as I look forward to seeing your progression.
 
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If I could give you one piece of advise, that would be to take your car somewhere quiet, with decent surroundings and spend an houror so practicing different angles and with different settings.

The photograph is 50% wall, with a distracting gate and some trees, it also has the feeling the car is being spied on :)

Keep at it, but get the fundementals right first.

Cheers.
 
I like the advice about clutter. I think a simple crop has helped support that idea somewhat. I see what you all mean. Really appreciate the constructive feedback.

I know it's a little out of focus, and a screen grab of a jpeg, but as far as composition goes I feel it's improved over the photos from my original post.

krAWSH1.jpg
 
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If there wasnt the background clutter (the gate and wall) and the car was sharper that would work a lot better. It does have a spyshot feel to it. Definitely something you should revisit in a different location. Next time check out the surroundings for unwanted intrusions, and get a lot more angles. Even if you keep a OOF wall part like above, do it with varying angles both horizontally and vertically. It should change the feel of the image dramatically plus gives you many more options once you get home. You can always delete an image but not if you havent taken it first.
 
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