Subaru love

This is my first time shooting stationary cars and I would definitely like some comments about the photos and the style of them. I've never really worked with a photo much in Photoshop, but I tried some new things to get a sterile look with these and would like to hear your thoughts!

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I like the 3rd one best. My trix: A few Car Lighting Tips - Updated

I like in the first picture how the lights sort of have a wave going. Almost like a wind tunnel.

the 2nd one does it for me ... it looks like it belongs in a subaru catalog

1,2,3 are just fantastic

Did you only use the available light?

lighting looks really good and even to me. i think i shot with you at mean streets until they kicked us out.

awesome, thanks for the comments!

Tom - yes, that was available light for a 2-4 second exposure; no flash or anything...came out better than I thought it would.

disboifan - Which Mean Streets event were you at?

Another vote for #2. Very good. I like the first one too.

dang man 2 is sweet. very keen eye in searching for the light which happens to make for a nicely composed pic!! kinda trippy to because the car is lighted by another light yet you think its the light above.

Would you mind telling us why you didn't roll the car foward more into the light in #1? Seems like definition is lost in the wheel wells (no tires) and towards the roof of the car.

Excellent captures overall. Impressive!

JustinL wrote in post #5013082
Would you mind telling us why you didn't roll the car foward more into the light in #1? Seems like definition is lost in the wheel wells (no tires) and towards the roof of the car.

Excellent captures overall. Impressive!

Good catch, thanks! Honestly I think that was because of my tunnel vision sticking with the interesting graphic of the light dipping back behind the car. I doubt that the wheel wells would gain much definition with the way the lights were positioned, but the mid section of the car would definitely benefit from it.

I think both ways would work, in the 1st photo having the darker area on the center pops the more important (or at least more graphical/definable) front and rear of the it and pulls your eye along the car. With the car in full light would give a better overall picture and get some interesting light play on the entire car that would be fun to work with.

Thanks for all of the comments everyone, keep 'em coming!

IF it really bothered you, you can always try to use a reflector to gain the definition back on the tires. The rear shows up somewhat from the tire shine that was used.

Is that your wagon?

chixwithtrix wrote in post #5013655
Good catch, thanks! Honestly I think that was because of my tunnel vision sticking with the interesting graphic of the light dipping back behind the car. I doubt that the wheel wells would gain much definition with the way the lights were positioned, but the mid section of the car would definitely benefit from it.

I think both ways would work, in the 1st photo having the darker area on the center pops the more important (or at least more graphical/definable) front and rear of the it and pulls your eye along the car. With the car in full light would give a better overall picture and get some interesting light play on the entire car that would be fun to work with.

Thanks for all of the comments everyone, keep 'em coming!

agreed. no need to care about those wheel well definitions, its not like your minds eye cant automatically fill in the gap and know whats going on without a second guess. i do agree the windows may be a little dark but i think that theres enough in the original unedited pic that more definition can be brought out if you redid the edit.

#1 is great because the waves of light do indeed draw you straight into the car. there is movement coming in from the left, hitting the car, and then bouncing off to the right. isnt that what you want a great photograph to do? move the viewers eye through the picture? i think if you rolled the car into the light, the composition would have been more stagnant and symmetrical (regardless if you used the 1/3rd rule) as the light would have framed in the car a little too perfectly. sure you would have gained more exposure but i think here in this case the choice of composition over that was a better choice.

JustinL wrote in post #5013779
IF it really bothered you, you can always try to use a reflector to gain the definition back on the tires. The rear shows up somewhat from the tire shine that was used.

Is that your wagon?

No, the car is actually my boyfriend's. I'm the one who got him into Subarus originally, unfortunately he is getting ready to sell this baby for a more fuel efficient car. Glad I got a chance to play around with it though!

Awsome, you definately have a talent for this style of photography.

Pics 1 and 2 are my favorites caught my eye straight away and have kept me coming back for another look.

What post processing did you do?