Capturing the color....

One of my main concerns when photographing anything is trying to capture the color of the subject. To show what I mean, I'll use my pic and another. The first is mine, obviously. The 2nd is FerrariDreamer's. Now, I don't know if there is a setting in my camera (Kodak P850) that can capture a picture the same way FerrariDreamer has, but I'm just focused on the camera bringing out the color. I do realize there's more than just the color that makes a great picture, but it is where I'd like to start. You can how sharp the green is on the Gallardo, while my 360...well, was just a click & shoot.

Basically, my question is how can I bring out the Rosso Corsa in the 360 like FerrariDreamer has brought out the Verde Ithica in the Gallardo? Is there a particular setting, or touch up that's done? Or do I just not have the camera for it?

I apologize for making this explanation seem more confusing than it should be.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You will need a SLR camera for this type of photography.

or you can always use photoshop if dont want a slr..

 

So, it's the camera, not the settings?
That's quite the opposite of what I wanted hear. But looks like I'll have to do some looking around then.

BTW, is the SLR simple to use like any other camera?

 

uh im not really sure, i had a few digital camera's and i had the same problem as you, didn't get good pictures with the colors and stuff, so i got a slr

I actually just got it, only had it 1 week, i didn't get anytime yet to take some picture's of cars, but yes its pretty simple to use, it just take's some time to get the pictures you want.

im not sure if its your camera or not, im sure other people may know...

 

No, it's not the camera. For one, your color balance is off in the 360 photo.

What makes the lambo really... POP, is the color saturation. You probably have a setting for saturation somewhere in your camera menu. And, if you are lucky, you may have vibrance as well.

I suggest first playing with custom white balance (if you have that option), and then spiking the saturation.

If you can add to the blacks it will further improve the poppiness.

But first figure out color.

Also, what would certainly make a substantial difference is shooting with the sun low in the sky. When it's high overhead, you get a lot of specular highlights which throw off your cameras metering. It's very damaging to auto exposure, but also doesn't help color.

 

Totally agree with Marc, colour balance and lighting are the keys. But just a bit of work in post processing will bring out the colours more. Personally I'd adjust the colours in post processing than in-camera though.

 

Thanks for the advice Marc. I will definately dig out the manual today. I appreciate your help.

 

No problem! Let us know/see how it turns out.

You'll probably have white balance presets for things like Shade, Cloudy, Sunny, etc.. You camera is most likely set to Auto. Auto does a decent job most of the time, but when you are shooting highly reflective objects, particularly curvy ones (like cars), it most often fails. Especially indoors (like car shows).

But yah, even neglecting color balance, shooting around dawn or dusk will make a huge difference. And try not to have trees around the car. The shadows they cast are absolutely horrible.

 

Not true.

Get a lens extender/hood, and attach a CPL to it.

That will solve your problem.

 

Not quite. Neither hood nor CPL would help if the colour/white balance was off and in difficult/poor lighting conditions.

 

Hello everyone...

I don't play photographer on TV, but I play one in real life.

Hey LamboLover
What's happening is not that the camera is not an SLR, its all relative to the weather conditions. Here's a quick tip...

look at the sky behind that beautiful 360, what does it look like? Looks to me like a real big diffusion panel...

Now what happens when you diffuse your only light source? Well you get no contrast, no saturation, and no seperation between your subject and your background. Sadly, thats what you got, a muddy, flat, lifeless image. Im sure you really wanted to make it brilliant!!

Now look at the lighting conditions in the Gallardo pic. Boatloads of cloudless sun to work with. The light is very specular, it hits the surface of the car with very little diffusion, and makes that gorgeous green pop (as well as the sky and the pavement).

Now I would bet the photographer of the Lambo pic has also equiped his lens with a polarizing filter to help filter the light even more. By removing some of the additional reflection from the surface of the subject, more of the brilliant color is transfered through the lens. (think of polarizing sunglasses, that remove glare, same concept)

Photoshop cannot fix this, a more expensive camera cannot fix this, thats just throwing money at a problem that is simply solved, look to the sky!

get a Polarizing filter, (look online for your make and model, there are different maunfactures as well as different types of filters, look into them..) If they dont make one, and your serious about taking quality images, you may want to look into an SLR.

play with the settings on the camera and take pics of the same subject, add the filter and take pics of the same subject, take pics of the same subject at different times of the day (you'll see DRAMATIC results)

I could tell you what time of the day would be the best to shoot that car, but that wouldn't make you a better photographer!

heres some pics from one of the C&C threads ...IMAGES ARE NOT MINE... and are being used for demonstration purposes only..

i know the blue and silver on this monster have a LOT more depth then is being perceived. poor light + poor light = Undesirable results



see the sky and atmosphere conditions here, looks similar to the same conditions you were photographing in..


you can see the reflection in the roof, looks like a grey sheet is over the sun, cause there is a grey sheet over the sun!



now look at these images from MB. ...IMAGES ARE NOT MINE... and are being used for demonstration purposes only..

see the trend here? Ideal time of day + the right tools = Desired results.





http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a119/LuxPride/merc-300sl-road-03-700.jpg

hope this helps, and good luck!!!

Ryan

 

I'm no pro, so take this with a grain of salt.

I have completely stopped using my CPL when shooting cars. It never fails to... play games* with glass and plastic (particularly tinted windows and headlamp covers).

*I'm not sure what the right word is, but the attached picture is an example of what I mean (Shot through a Hoya Super HMC Pro 1 CPL).

Could not agree more. Therein lies the true power of digital cameras. You can afford to take the same subject/scene a bazillion different times. I've seen it said that people should start with film because it forces them to be more choosy in their photography. I think that's true only as far as composition goes. The technical side of shooting photos (which is half of the battle) comes from shooting, and shooting, and shooting some more.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

a few differences:

- Camera quality, or at least notable lens difference
- Rule of Thirds
- Lighting
- composition, yours is too centered, too skewed
- distracting background objects and reflections on car
- polarizing lens?
- when sky is washed out consider a filter

here's about 7 mins of photoshop (just slapped together)
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Interesting thread, ive been wondering this myself.

 

Is this more what you are looking for? It is obviously VERY exaggerated...

It was done with a combination of curves, selective color (most important), and a bit of contrast.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

All good points. And after you start learning to incorporate them you can go back to pictures you took before.....and cringe.

 

Amazing shot of that SE

 

you never told us the best time of the day to make the photo shoot.
thanks in advance.

 

Lambolover,

I don't have a DSLR, and had the same problem as you, but in photoshop you can correct the pictures in some part, if you don't know much about levels and curves, you can always use AUTOCOLOR, AUTOCONTRAST, AUTOLEVELS, in the image menu. that would help you out, that is what I use, and I'm not an expert in computers or photoshop.

Best Regards

Ever Lopez

 

Dawn or Dusk.

That is all.