Hot Wheels Black F50 1:18

I saw them at the shop. I thought the roof was too straight.

 

On that...outdoor pics work best with the natural lighting. However, if it needs to be indoors, use a light colored background and soften the flash with a piece of tissue held in front of it.

On to the car...Nice! I still need to find one myself. It will look nice having a Black F50 next to my Black Enzo

 

Black objects are among the most challenging to photograph! Its the transition from 3-D reality of the model to a 2-dimensional medium like a painting or photograph that makes the shape of the subject tend to look like a silhouette or uncolored space in a photo. In photos, common problems are:

Inadvertant over-exposure with auto-exposure cameras.
The meter is trying to read the door on that black Enzo at as a gray door. On a close-up meter reading off of a black surface, it will over-expose the film by at least 1 to 2 f-stops on color film, 3 or 4 stops on black & white. On white surfaces, its just the opposite. The meter is fooled into under-exposing (trying to read white as a gray). I recommend going to a higher f-stop to increase your depth of field (the range of sharpness in a picture, from foreground to background). You may need a tripod to eliminate shutter speed as a limiting factor, if the camera was hand-held.

Cluttered backgrounds compete too easily with black objects.
On car models, try matte postor board or seamless background paper from a photo studio. Nothing too reflective, coated or glossy. For black cars, try a dark red. For a challenge, try a white background. If you do, be sure you are using a...

Not using a polarizing filter.
This filter controls reflections on all visible (to the camera) sides or surfaces of the car, like roof & hood reflections versus the reflection on the windshield or side windows. Reflections help give "shape" to the object and create shades of black, instead of just a dense puddle of black on a page. Should have one in every camera bag. They are really important as an accessory. Could turn an avg photo into a great photo.

These tips are applicable when shooting the real thing, not just on 1:18s. And there's no substitute for centimeters when it comes to formats. 35mm is OK, but you really can see a huge difference when you go medium format, using 6x6 film. Pentax 6x7 is the easiest to use, like a 35mm on steriods.

Someone earlier this year was posting pictures of their models taken outside by roadways with the car on posterboard. Nice job on the illusion. Post your efforts and have fun!

KevFla