Any tips for lighting a black car?

Hey guys,

I have a shoot coming up this weekend, and it will be my first shoot ever using strobes (usually shoot natural light).
I have 3 sb-28's and a 580ex / 430ex.

I will most likely be using the sb-28's exclusively just to keep things the same. Would there be a need for 4 flashes? Im thinking 2 for the side, and 1 for the front would be enough.

Anyways, to cut to the chase, I am well aware black cars are very unforgiving in their reflections. I've been testing it on my car since its black, and i find it very hard to get parts of the car lit properly, it seems like the black just sucks in the light :P

Are there any tips to lighting a black car (flash positioning, angle, etc?)

Thanks

bump, something i would like to know aswell.

A lot of guys get by with 2, 3 is better. I dont think there would be a need for anymore than 3.

e r y k wrote in post #4891515
...Are there any tips to lighting a black car (flash positioning, angle, etc?)

Thanks

I'm not saying you can't use strobes on a dark car, you can. But how much time do you want to spend retouching the reflections and fine scuff marks in the duco that tend to show up with direct flash? Any diffusers, brollies, softboxes tend to make things worse IMHO (not that they are really a viable option with your flashes).

Flash is fine for the front, maybe rear of the car, as fill, but it wouldn't be my first choice to light the entire car.

The best way to light a dark/black car is sunrise/set. There's really no getting around that.

Save your flashes for lighter coloured carseg yellow, silver, white etc. Silver loves flash.

For example;
2 side flashes, 1 front.

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

I used this method when I shot this recently

but I used an AB800 and a home made softbox.

thanks for all the input guys its very helpful!

corpcrim, i saw that thread you posted, it came out pretty well!

what im trying to do, is balance the sunset with the black car, to get something like this (http://bp3.blogger.com …GbSM/s1600-h/YI7J6048.jpg)

it wont be completely shot at night, as there will hopefully be some ambient light for me to work with. i just want to use flash to give the car some more "pop"

corpcrim wrote in post #4893635
I used this method when I shot this recently

but I used an AB800 and a home made softbox.

NIce shot.

You can do the same thing with a continous light source (eg million candle power torch or similar) in the softbox and just paint the car with light. The problem for the OP is that both methods need a very long exposure, probably at least 30sec, but preferably much longer.

JJ

e r y k wrote in post #4893656
... i just want to use flash to give the car some more "pop"

I don't think you can make black "pop", I've never seen that, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. You might be trying to do something that just won't happen. Metalic colours "pop".

JJ

i originally planned on shooting the flashes w/o any modifiers, but i do have umbrellas available. should i use them to soften the light?

the car im shooting will have a lot of carbon fiber so its not just completely black :P

i plan to have the flashes on light stands 6-7 feet away from the car aimed slightly above the wheels, does that sound like a good range?

The problem with shooting black cars, in low light at least, is that you loose the lines of the car in background. You really need a rim-light to define the edges, might be worth taking multiple shots and stitching them together!

e r y k wrote in post #4895161
i originally planned on shooting the flashes w/o any modifiers, but i do have umbrellas available. should i use them to soften the light?

the car im shooting will have a lot of carbon fiber so its not just completely black :P

i plan to have the flashes on light stands 6-7 feet away from the car aimed slightly above the wheels, does that sound like a good range?

Sure, try everything and see how it works (but take notes). I think you'll find that the brollies just create a much larger reflection in the panels which are more noticeable and harder to hide in PS. If you try the painting with light option then they will probably work OK but this would only work with exposures long enough to allow you to traverse the car, maybe 30s to 1-2 min!

I still think flash and black panels are a bad idea!

JJ

D'oh!? Thing is, direct light isn't going to work very well. You need to put the light on something that will reflect where you want it.

Might work.

Maybe I'll play with my car someday when the wind chill isn't -20 degrees. For now, take a look at the "rim-light" on this one again: '50 Merc Sedan - 5 pics

deanphoto - how would i create rim lighting? have a flash behind the car slightly below the roof / body lines?

i was thinking if there was a relatively flat backdrop, i could just flash the background to give some seperation from the car and the backdrop.

yup flash was used in those photos