I'm not a car-show buff, but at times I act like one. That's when I’m photographing the gleaming array of custom vehicles and restored classics.
But, for my ongoing project, I'm avoiding the big views - for example, no “this is what a 19XX Blankety-Blank Model Z looks like” pictures. Instead, I'm working on a smaller canvas ... by zeroing in on bold colors, sensuous curves, cool lines, shiny chrome and mirrored reflections.
Chevy Reflection 2
© Kerry Drager
All Rights Reserved
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Cool Tips for Cool Cars: Car-Show Strategies
Go early and stay late. In fact, visitors often can get into an event before the "official" start time – while car owners are setting up shop. This allows you to take advantage of the early-morning light and the casual, pre-show atmosphere. Likewise, day's end may even yield some last-minute, warm-light images.
Working With The Light
The soft-and-even light of an overcast day is ideal for recording bright colors and fine details – just be sure to minimize the amount of overpowering white sky in your picture.In midday sunlight, shooting success hinges on flexibility: For instance, in the morning, a subject may be engulfed in shadows, but in the afternoon, the same vehicle may be shining in sunlight. What To Take At car shows, I put all of my lenses to work: from wide-angle to telephoto to macro. Other items: - A polarizing filter boosts colors by reducing glare. But preview the effects first to determine how much polarization – or how little! – you want.
Pack a small notebook in order to jot down the car's make and year, and any other interesting tidbits.A tripod lets you use a low ISO for the best color and image quality. When operating in tight corners and in big crowds, however, a tripod can get in the way.
Avoiding The MassesMost showgoers gather near the “main stage” area. But great picture subjects exist on the fringes, too – far beyond the announcer’s stand and food booths. In any case, what happens when that star car is surrounded by spectators? Try patience and previsualizing: Study your subject from afar, and imagine your composition by “framing” a photo in your mind. Then you'll be ready to move in when the people move on.
The Road to Cool Cars
To learn about the what-when-and-where specifics of car shows: Check with area car clubs. Consult visitors bureaus, newspaper/magazine listings, and events calendars. Watch for local advertisements. Google Cool Cars. For more inspiration on photographing cars, be sure to check out BetterPhoto's Pictures of Cool Cars gallery.
About Author / Instructor / Photographer, Kerry Drager
The content manager and an instructor for BetterPhoto.com, Kerry Drager is also the author of Scenic Photography 101. In addition, he teaches two online photography courses at BetterPhoto: Creative Light & Composition and Creative Close-ups. Kerry's Pro BetterPholio Web site offers an assortment of galleries and illustrated how-to articles on photography. In addition, kerrydrager.com was featured in Shutterbug magazine. His work has appeared in Outdoor Photographer and other major magazines; Hallmark cards and Sierra Club Calendars; and in advertising campaigns for American Express and Sinar Bron Imaging. He is also the photographer of the photo-essay books The Golden Dream: California from Gold Rush to Statehood and California Desert, and is a contributing photographer for the books Daybreak 2000 and Portrait of California. He lives with his wife, Mary, in the country near Sacramento, California, with their six Newfoundland dogs, six cats, two horses, and a mixed terrier.
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