Pictures of vintage vehicles at car shows-what, how

I'm new to this forum and not very computer literate....so my picture posting know how, is non existent. But I intend to learn.

I enjoy taking pictures of vintage vehicles at those outdoor parking lot shows.

In me experience show vehicles are parked closely next to each other, then there's the people who always seem to be in the background/fore ground. Not much you can do about that. But that can add o the flavour of the photograph.

I think this could be an interesting thread of people posting pictures of vintage vehicles...cars, rods, old trucks, motorcycles....from outdoor car shows.

If you have any hints....lighting, metering, F stops, lenses, camera priority settings...please provide them.

I enjoy looking at vintage vehicles and I'm always ready to learn from others...about what works best in photography.

Currently I use a ASP-C DSLR, with a 12-24 mm wide angle, or a 10-17 mm fisheye, at vintage vehicle shows.

I generally have the camera set on aperture priority @ F 8....use 100 or 200 ISO...as it gets darker...400 to 800 ISO.

Please contribute with your favourite shots and any technical advice.

Thanks,

Les

welcome, les!

here are a few shots that i've taken at vintage car shows. i usually go for details since the cars are parked so close together, then use photoshop to make it seems like they weren't all stacked up.

you've got the right idea so far it seems! for detail shots, shoot with a large aperture (f2.8, etc), which will make for sharp focus on the subject with pleasing blur. for full car shots, try a slightly smaller aperture (f10 etc) to get more area in focus. shoot at ISO200 for as long as you can.

try to avoid direct sunlight on the cars, as it can usually result in harsh shadows and reflections. sometimes that's not possible, so bring a circular polarizer attachment for your lens to help cut reflections.

Great pix, Theo. I like the pix of the Gen one Camaro...I had one...a 67 RS coupe, 327, 4 speed Muncie...also that Chevy small block V8, perfectly exposed....also that AC Cobra...cockpit and partial shot of the Ford 427 V8.

Large aperture...I haven't used ...but that makes sense..to isolate pix and have the extraneous background just bokeh. I have a wonderful little 50 mm F 1.4....bokeh is creamy. Also the use of a polarizer filter would be great...I don't have one, but after reading your post...that might be a good idea to reduce reflections....I think it might be great for my wide angle 12-24. I have heard that Polarizer filters don't mesh well with wide angles...don't know, will have to check that out.

Thank you, great ideas and I love the pictures. That old Chevy ('32 ?) with the hood ornament and the famous Bowtie emblem....great angle.

If you're patient your 12-24 may come in handy since it allows you to get in front of the crowds. Most wide angle lenses have glass that bows out quite a bit and can mess with filters. You might want to post a question on the lens thread to see if there is a circular polarizer that works well with that lens.

As for the car shows, try arriving early and/or staying late to see if the access is a bit better. You might get better light to work with as well. I've taken my tripod to some shows to shoot bracketed shots for HDR, and sometimes the tripod will get noticed and folks will give you a chance to take some serious photos.

Have fun!

Here are a couple samples of my HDR work from street shows:

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See the links in my Sig, and...

MikeRogers wrote in post #11812089
If you're patient your 12-24 may come in handy since it allows you to get in front of the crowds. Most wide angle lenses have glass that bows out quite a bit and can mess with filters. You might want to post a question on the lens thread to see if there is a circular polarizer that works well with that lens.Good idea...I think the filter size on my 12-24mm is a 77...so at that size their pricey. Although I'm a Canon owner (G12), my 12 -24mm is a Pentax lens attached to my Pentax K10D...so I might pose that question in the Pentax forum...
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As for the car shows, try arriving early and/or staying late to see if the access is a bit better. You might get better light to work with as well. I've taken my tripod to some shows to shoot bracketed shots for HDR, and sometimes the tripod will get noticed and folks will give you a chance to take some serious photos.A tripod would alert people to the fact that you want to get a pix and I find that when people know what you're trying to do, they usually give you space.

Have fun!

Here are a couple samples of my HDR work from street shows:

Those pix are great...that wide angle look really packs some punch. I'm a Buick guy, really love that Buick in pix # 1...the Hudson and the 32 Ford rod are great also.

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1953 Buick Special 4-Door Sedan - Front by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr

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1932 Ford Coupe - Chopped Orange Racer - 1 by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr

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Black Hudson by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr

Canon 40D, EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, Tripod, 3x eposure Photomatix Pro 4.0 HDR

I've just started with HDR....it really does make a difference.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #11812113
See the links in my Sig, and...

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Very impressed with some of the pictures....shots and background very professional.

Welcome!! Here's some pics of some classics I've seen. I hope you dont mind euros....

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No I don't mind Euros...in fact one of my past favourite cars was my '62 Volvo PV544s with a B18s engine. Looked like a 7/8th inch scale '47 Ford Tudor coupe.

Nice pix...that Porsche Spyder is a beaut and the Cobra....I don't think A.C got a line wrong with those cars.

Lesmore wrote in post #11812938
Very impressed with some of the pictures....shots and background very professional.

Keep in mind that almost all of mine were shot in a parking lot at a car meet. Get the right light & you can do that, too.

I go to the cruise nights all the time in the summer. the best thing you can do is make yourself visible and show people you're trying to take a picture by moving around the car. If you dont want the people in your pics (if someone is walking behind the car or in the distance) use a tripod and drop to a slower shutter speed and they will come out blurry but the car will be crisp

Heres some old shots (have to update my photobucket lol)

MikeRogers wrote in post #11812089
If you're patient your 12-24 may come in handy since it allows you to get in front of the crowds. Most wide angle lenses have glass that bows out quite a bit and can mess with filters. You might want to post a question on the lens thread to see if there is a circular polarizer that works well with that lens.

As for the car shows, try arriving early and/or staying late to see if the access is a bit better. You might get better light to work with as well. I've taken my tripod to some shows to shoot bracketed shots for HDR, and sometimes the tripod will get noticed and folks will give you a chance to take some serious photos.

Have fun!

Here are a couple samples of my HDR work from street shows:


1953 Buick Special 4-Door Sedan - Front by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr


1932 Ford Coupe - Chopped Orange Racer - 1 by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr


Black Hudson by Mike Rogers 303, on Flickr

Canon 40D, EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, Tripod, 3x eposure Photomatix Pro 4.0 HDR

Beautiful HDR work. Great dynamic range and still looks like a photograph.

While people at cruise ins and car shows can be annoying, sometimes they can make a shot more interesting, most will move if given time or will be happy to pose with their car if you ask. Naturally, if you're just taking pictures to keep for your own memories-best just waiting for them to walk off but if you're covering events for car clubs or media (i do both), photos with people enjoying the event is a good thing.

^haha good point check this out parenting 101 LOL