Outdoor Car Show Photography Tips
Outdoor car shows provide a great opportunity to get out and work with your camera offering many subjects in a relatively small area. They have become popular from bigger cities to smaller towns, drawing cars and people from all over the area to one spot. There are a few things you can do to help you make your pictures more than a snapshot image.
1) Try to arrive as early as possible and stay as long as possible. If you are there while exhibitors are still arriving, you will have space between the early arrivals giving you a chance to photograph a car without another vehicle parked close by. If you are able to stay until the show ends you again have more space to photograph the late staying vehicles.
2) Watch the sun. With vehicles on display all around you the sun could be an issue with some of your shots. If you are patient the sun will move, so work the vehicles as the sun moves across the sky. Try to keep the sun at your back.
3) Don't be afraid to use your flash even in the middle of the day. A bright sun can cause some deep shadows so use your flash as a filler light to bring out any dark shadowy areas.
4) Be friendly and courteous to the exhibitors. Ask questions and show an interest. They have spent a lot of time and money on these vehicles and are very proud of them. They will also be more inclined to help you set up the shot you might want, like closing doors or hoods.
5) It sometimes helps to walk around the area before you start taking pictures. You can scout out the angles you might want that provide the best backgrounds. Remember trees and shrubs can cast odd reflections on a vehicle itself. Also, bright colors in the background can be a distraction in the finished picture.
6) A polarizer filter is an important filter to use here. It will greatly reduce reflection in both the body and glass of the vehicle. This can also allow you to see inside the vehicle without glare.
7) Try to take as many angles of your subject as possible. This will give you several images to look over so you can choose the nicest looking shot. For vehicles these are some of the recommended shots; front 3/4 view, rear 3/4 view, full side view, full front view, full rear view, engine shot, dashboard and interior. Also, any shot showing interesting detail. Any combination of these shots gives you a good variety to work with.
8) A standard lens is best for car shows. Something like an 18mm-55mm gives you some flexibility. The wide angle allows you to be fairly close to the vehicle without the distortion of an ultra-wide angle lens. Being close also helps avoid people moving through your shot too much.
9) Hand holding your camera can sometimes result in images that are not as sharp as you would like. One technique that helps is burst mode on your camera. It will take several shots in succession increasing your chance at a sharp image.
10) Watch your shutter speed. Hand holding a camera can result in blurring images if your shutter speed isn't fast enough. The easiest way to determine a safe shutter speed is to take your focal length and multiply it be 2. If you are shooting at 50mm your shutter speed should be at least 1/100. At 200mm your shutter speed should be 1/400. On bright sunny days this will be no problem.
1) Try to arrive as early as possible and stay as long as possible. If you are there while exhibitors are still arriving, you will have space between the early arrivals giving you a chance to photograph a car without another vehicle parked close by. If you are able to stay until the show ends you again have more space to photograph the late staying vehicles.
2) Watch the sun. With vehicles on display all around you the sun could be an issue with some of your shots. If you are patient the sun will move, so work the vehicles as the sun moves across the sky. Try to keep the sun at your back.
3) Don't be afraid to use your flash even in the middle of the day. A bright sun can cause some deep shadows so use your flash as a filler light to bring out any dark shadowy areas.
4) Be friendly and courteous to the exhibitors. Ask questions and show an interest. They have spent a lot of time and money on these vehicles and are very proud of them. They will also be more inclined to help you set up the shot you might want, like closing doors or hoods.
5) It sometimes helps to walk around the area before you start taking pictures. You can scout out the angles you might want that provide the best backgrounds. Remember trees and shrubs can cast odd reflections on a vehicle itself. Also, bright colors in the background can be a distraction in the finished picture.
6) A polarizer filter is an important filter to use here. It will greatly reduce reflection in both the body and glass of the vehicle. This can also allow you to see inside the vehicle without glare.
7) Try to take as many angles of your subject as possible. This will give you several images to look over so you can choose the nicest looking shot. For vehicles these are some of the recommended shots; front 3/4 view, rear 3/4 view, full side view, full front view, full rear view, engine shot, dashboard and interior. Also, any shot showing interesting detail. Any combination of these shots gives you a good variety to work with.
8) A standard lens is best for car shows. Something like an 18mm-55mm gives you some flexibility. The wide angle allows you to be fairly close to the vehicle without the distortion of an ultra-wide angle lens. Being close also helps avoid people moving through your shot too much.
9) Hand holding your camera can sometimes result in images that are not as sharp as you would like. One technique that helps is burst mode on your camera. It will take several shots in succession increasing your chance at a sharp image.
10) Watch your shutter speed. Hand holding a camera can result in blurring images if your shutter speed isn't fast enough. The easiest way to determine a safe shutter speed is to take your focal length and multiply it be 2. If you are shooting at 50mm your shutter speed should be at least 1/100. At 200mm your shutter speed should be 1/400. On bright sunny days this will be no problem.
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