Please help my technical skills

[trippinbillies40]

Hey guys, I'm a complete newbie to photography and just bought an S1 IS. I tried to snap a few shots of my car without using the auto mode. This shot was a 1/250" shutter speed, priority TV.

http://home.cinci.rr.com/davidstaco/sfw/IMG_0018.jpg

Don't worry about critiquing creativity. Right now i think learning how to use the camera is the best idea so I dont get very creative and turn out a terrible shot.

Any suggestions?

[chris.bailey]

Nice car !!! Mine is similar with an M badge on !!

You picked a tricky subject though, black and shiny is always hard to light. Needs more sun on it though or something to reflect light onto it. Exposure is pretty good overall.

[jukas]

Technical critique:

Most importantly, re-stage your shot and lose those powerlines. You can't be tecnically proficient without understanding composition. AlsoI would try using AV rather than TV. The in focus background really detracts from the image. The exposure looks good, but I would crop out some of the distracting foreground to make the car more prominent and shoot it from a different angle if possible.

[RbnDave]

I think there is too much forground and background in this photo. The car takes up only 1/3 of the frame. Also, try taking the photo at a different time of day. The light is way too harsh. The glare from the hub caps is pretty bad and shows some chromatic aborations. Chromatic aborations (purple fringing) are a major shortfall of most digicams with a large zoom range like the S1. Try taking this photo again close to sunset. Get some intersesting colored sky in the background, and avoid harsh midday light.

[c0ntr0lz]

when shooting cars, make the person see the parts of the car that make this car this. what makes you i love this car and show those parts off.

http://ctrlzproduction.com/pix.html
take a look thru my photos of cars and see how I make the car look awesome/bad ass/beautiful.

[trippinbillies40]

Thanks so much for the tips guys! After playin around a whole lot, i think I realize my own biggest tip: practice. I'm just going to have to get used to what the different functions do and how to apply them to my photos. Thanks again for the advice!

[BDM]

I think it can also be a good learning exercise to study some good automobile advertising shots. Consider what grabs you eye. Take a few with you and see if you can copy the style when you set up a shot.

Is that plagerism? Sure. But it is one way to start thinking about what makes a good composition and a visually exciting shot. Then when you are able to begin "seeing" what works, you can progress to your own brand of shooting or "seeing" and begin to create something original.

As has already been mentioned, the wires in the background are distracting and should not really be there. I think it is helpful when considering a setup for a shot. to first study the background very carefully, maybe without the main subject even there. You might take a shot of the proposed area without the car. Look at the shot. Determine what is good and what is not - - i.e., what should not be in the frame. Remember, in most cases the star of the shot should be the car and not the background. Sometimes we have a hard time considering the background because we are distracted by the pretty car in the foreground. If you concentrate solely on the setting of the scene before introducing the main subject you may be better able to "see the forest from the trees" so to speak.

Good composition is a skill that takes timne to learn and lots of practice. But you will progress if you always look at your pictures with a critical eye. The technical side of phoitography is relatively easy to master and is something which can be taught. But the art of setting up an effective picture is harder to learn. There is no substitute for practice and experimentation. Fortunately though it is also fun.

Bruce

[PhotosGuy]

You picked a tricky subject though, black and shiny is always hard to light. Needs more sun on it though or something to reflect light onto it.

The best light for cars is overcast sky or near/after sunset. Less contrast than bright sunlight. Take a look at my classic cars.
http://img72.photobucket.com/albums/v218/PhotosGuy/Car%20Stuff/
Most were taken after sunset.
Shoot RAW if you can.
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=308019#308019
Shoot lots & learn from what you get. Good luck!