Tips for shooting a '74 VW Superbeetle PLEASE

My dad still drives a 1974 Superbeetle (this was the car he drove in highschool) and I feel like its on its way out by winter so I really wanna get a shot worthy of an 8x10 print. Problem is I've never shot auto before. I'm thinking as far as the lens goes I would use my Tammy 17-50, but I honestly have no idea how to shoot this. Any help with composition, lighting if you think a night shot would be better, should I get the whole car in the shot? or just a portion of it? Anything would be great!

Thanks
Drew

You will want to find a location where the background will not be cluttered. Try shooting late in the evening as the sun set.
Your 17-50 should work for you. As for the whole car, portion of it question, shoot it all. Tight shots, loose shots, wide shots, detail shots wheel shots. Be creative.

Browse around in Trans and find some compositions that you like and mimic them.

If I do shoot at sunset with limitted light it would be better to use a lengthier exposure than to use flash right? Especially when all I have is the built in flash...

There are two times of day known as "golden hours" when the sun is coming up (or going down.) During these times you have a good amount of light, but little interference from direct sunlight. It tends to make the light more even.

Try shooting from around the headlight corner angle, to get the front as well as the side view. It will be a little more dramatic if you get down low (around headlight height.) The same can apply from a taillight view.

If you have a polarizer, try using it. Some folks don't like the occasional rainbow effect that can show up in the windshield, but a polarizer will eliminate reflections and tend to show more saturated color from the body.

Good luck - I have a special place in my heart for air-cooled VWs. I drove them almost exclusively for 25 years, and have spent a lot of time fixing, hot-rodding, and admiring them.

Have Fun,

dagvc37 wrote in post #6064858
If I do shoot at sunset with limitted light it would be better to use a lengthier exposure than to use flash right? Especially when all I have is the built in flash...

Correct. Higher ISO and lower shutter speed. If you can use a tripod.

Make sure you get that "smiling VW" front-end shot, too.

Used to drive a '67 squareback. Loved the car, sold it to a restorer a few years ago, haven't seen it since. Wish I'd gotten more photos of it in its heyday. All I've got is a side view B&W I took back in the 80's in high school photo class.

Yeah this thing is definitely special so I really wanna get a great shot of it, I live in Vermont so hopefully I can maybe get a shot up by Lake Champlain at sunset, that would definitely by good,

thanks a lot guys,
Drew

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