I'm pretty new at the whole photography thing as well, for practice, I've been doing small shoots for friends of their cars to kinda get a hang of things. One of the things I like to do with pictures is rather than have the main focus object front and center, having it off towards the side or in a corner and capturing a lot of scenery with it as well. Here is a couple examples:

Theres also the profile shots: front on, side, special instances like stance or nice features.

I've only had my DSLR since May and I'm still learning new stuff with it!

 

Get comfortable with Lightroom.

 

pickup one of these Amazon.com: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens: CANON: Camera & Photo

 

Some tips for shooting cars:

Never ever shoot the car with a big light post or power pole extending above/behind it, it distracts the viewer from the shot and detracts interest from the car.. same goes for cluttered back grounds that have too much going on; you want the foreground and background to be pretty clear as the car then pops out as the star point of the shot.

Never shoot the tire tread but angle the car/steering so you shoot the face of the wheel.

Where possible place the subject (car) on the right hand side of the shot as we naturally look at pictures from left to right the same way we read (or at least stick to the rule of thirds), I thought this was garbage until I applied it; you can make the same picture look so much better from just placing the subject on the right side of the shot. NEVER PLACE THE CAR IN THE DEAD CENTER this just looks tacky.

Shoot in thirds also; if the sky looks awesome have that take up 2 thirds of the shot, if the foreground looks better have that in 2 thirds of the shot.

Find the right angle/composition to shoot the car on; you may take 20 shots and 1 looks fantastic because you got the angle just right. Try getting down low and shooting your car looking upwards from the ground. move around the car in a circle while keeping an eye on potential new angles you could shoot from.

Shoot on smooth concrete or tarmac as the shot looks more clean and purposeful, remember to remove any rubbish or debris from the shot also; of course if shooting a 4wd a rugged outdoor setting would be better.

If shooting in harsh sunlight (never ideal) make sure you shoot the bright side of the car and not the shadowed side.

Try to shoot the car at heights and angles that we normally dont see (a height other than eye level). For eg: take shots from waist height or from above your head as this draws the viewer into the shot more due to seeing the angle of a car which we dont see so oftenl this works a treat. Eg: Shot this from way above my head...

Always aim for the golden hours to shoot your car also, this is one hour before sunset and one hour before sun rise. You want that beautiful soft light which is resonating through the clouds and horizon but not direct light from the sun. Wait for the sun to dip down behind the horizon and you will get some awesome shots at the right moment.

 

Here is another example of composition; shot at a very low angle whilst also on a side angle to the street which gives the shot some depth and draws you into the image more....

 

Practice shooting in manual mode here for a little bit, it'll give you a better understanding of how apature, iso, and shutter speed work. http://camerasim.com/

The presets will always be your enemy, so learn to shoot in M quick
Learn the rule of thirds http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

Also learn about depth of field
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm

Sent using 1s and 0s

 

Thanks for all the pointers. I definitely have a lot of reading to do. I always wanted to get into photography so I figured this was a good place to start.

 

As some have said:

1- Learn the basics of composition... emphasis on isolating your subject/object and getting the best angle at the best time of day/best light.
2- ALWAYS shoot in RAW mode and learn either Lightroom or PhotoShop/with the Camera RAW module. PM for details on why this is so important.
3- Always shoot tons of pics more than needed... including various exposures of the same shot.
4- Buy a polarizing filter. It's a great help with choosing the amount of reflection you get from glass surfaces... and a car is covered with them.
5- Practice makes perfect...

Happy hunting!

 

Lots of great info here. I don't want to take the thread TOO far off track or detract from the OP's questions... but to the experts, what's a good starting camera? We have all this other great information and intelligent forum members in this thread, just curious what their take is on a good camera for new guys.

 

...just curious what their take is on a good camera for new guys.

The essential question here is this: What is your budget? I could tell you that I think the best camera you should get to start off in photography is a D7000 (just an example... but a pretty good one). But if your budget is 400$, the advice I give you will be wasted. Then again, I think the 900-1000$ price range is the sweet spot for a first DSLR. That's the price at which you get the best bang for your buck. You get most of the pro stuff but still keep things reasonable. As for the Canon vs Nikon debate, here's my take on it: Canon will normally get slightly better outright performance for the price but you will be glad you bought a Nikon later on if you plan on buying lenses (especially second-hand ones... which are often the best way to go when you start off).

 

Before you buy your first camera, try and think of what you want to do with the camera.

Buy a camera with a manual option for shutter speed and aperture. Program mode etc. is fine for starters but eventually you're going to want to set your settings yourself.

If you're going shoot sports or action shots, higher frames per second are important. At least 5 frames per second. Ask about the buffer memory of the camera. Good frames per second are of no use if your camera won't shoot 5 shots without writing to the memory card.

If you shoot in low light, concerts etc good high ISO Performance is recommended. Also lenses with apertures of f2.8 or lower make sense.

Camera bodies change frequently, so put your money in lenses. Good lenses last a lifetime, where your camera body will change multiple times.

Don't get hung up on mega pixels, unless you're making enlargements bigger than 24X36, you don't need a mega pixel over 12-16.

 

Be careful when buying used lenses for some new Nikon digital bodies. Some older lenses will not work with them. Check the user's manual before buying.

Also remember there are 2 different sensor sizes for most digital cameras. Nikon uses a DX format (24X16mm) & FX format (36x24mm) which is approximately what 35mm film bodies had.

DX format bodies increase the focal length of a regular lens by 1.5. Nikon does make DX lens which do not increase the focal length.

Which format you choose is personal, FX gives you a larger photo to start with, which is better for enlargements, but the DX format with its 1.5 increase in focal length is an cheaper alternative to telephoto length.

 

:whs: Extremely good points there! Some older lenses will fit but will not work in auto-focus mode... others will simply not be compatible. But there are very good deals to be made on the used market because a lot of photographers (myself included) treat their lenses like they were made of gold (which could be the case considering the price they charge for them when new LOL)... so you can often score the lens you've always dreamt of in mint condition for up to half the price!

 

I have a Nikon D3s, so almost any lens from 1959 will work on it.

Fantastic camera, well worth the price.

 

As said above, what do you want to spend? And try a couple of cameras out in store; some like the feel and control lay out of a Canon while others love the Nikon layout/feel (the better camera

I would consider the Nikon D5200, Canon T5i, Pentax K500. Also check out the features which make certain cameras more expensive.. some have advantages that may be of no value to you with what you intend on shooting. And I agree with what some have said in regards to lenses... dont spend too much on your camera body as each year the technology gets so much better, however, good glass will still be good in years to come

 

My first advice would be that the camera doesn't matter. You'll get the same photos with a T3 that you will with a 5D for the most part. The "good" cameras only make it easier to change settings that you'll want to change once you know what you're doing. Image quality doesn't necessarily get better with a pricey camera.

As far as technique, I think the most important thing is finding a simple background. After that, step back and zoom in (or use your longest lens). This will compress the photo, make your wheel gap look less unsightly, and simplify the composition. But like all things, it's personal taste, so just try out a few things and have fun.

 

My first advice would be that the camera doesn't matter. You'll get the same photos with a T3 that you will with a 5D for the most part. The "good" cameras only make it easier to change settings that you'll want to change once you know what you're doing. Image quality doesn't necessarily get better with a pricey camera.

As far as technique, I think the most important thing is finding a simple background. After that, step back and zoom in (or use your longest lens). This will compress the photo, make your wheel gap look less unsightly, and simplify the composition. But like all things, it's personal taste, so just try out a few things and have fun.

Spoken like someone who's never used a high end camera.

 

Great advice in here, thanks! Sorry to the OP... didn't want to take your thread off course :doh: Maybe I'll make a photography thread... This topic is obviously a very debatable one!

 

buy a circular polarizer! and dont go cheap, make sure you buy a good one!

and just practice practice practice, i started shooting always at sunset at first, the light is perfect and then you can concentrate on angles etc, once you have mastered natural light then you can throw some lights into the mix and start playing with composition etc.

I shot this not long ago for Import Tuner and i cant wait to start shooting my ST!!

and shot this for another mag

understanding light and shadows is key

 

Yeah... I got a very cheap Chinese polarizing filter once and it caused more problems than it improved my shots. You can't cheap-out on lenses... you'll throw a smaller amount of money down the drain instead of putting a larger amount to good use.