HFS's photography // Instagram, post #121

[sandfisch]

Cheers 👍 I'm a Nikon D40 user too. I'll try the settings you mention as I definitely think I need work on some of the settings.

As for the blurring, refer to what I typed above. I've no problem with camera shake, the issue for me is finding the right settings to ensure that things like cornering photos come to life a bit more without the car being too blurred. Am I right in thinking having a very short focal length should allow me to get say, the front of the car in perfect focus while the rear is blurred on a shot like this one?:

ah, now I understand better what you're trying to achieve. Well, I'd say at that distance there is practically no chance to get parts of the car in focus and the rest not. You'd have to use a lens with very high aperture so you'd have an ultra shallow depth of field. Unfortunately at these distances the front of the car and the rear are practically on the same "DOF-plane" so they most likely be in the same focus. If you'd get very much closer and used, lets say f1/1.4 or f1/1.8 then this could be a different story.
Could you maybe post an example of what you'd like to achieve? I think most of it is actually composition, atmosphere (as you've already said) and being at the right spot in the right time. The same pictures would definitely more dynamic if the cars dragged a 20ft high dust cloud behind them, but this can't be done with aperture settings

Recommended reading:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm (I recommend the rest of his site too, pretty interesting and amazing stuff You don't have to agree with everything he says or writes, but the technical and photographical stuff he writes is absolutely spot-on, imho)

PS: I find it interesting how many Opel Mantas drive around there You don't see them over here in Germany any more

 

[homeforsummer]

I actually had a look on the net to find an example when I did my last post, but couldn't. So maybe I'm imagining the effect! I think I'd be happy with a shutter speed (and other settings) that keeps the car clear and shows some motion in the wheels.

Interestingly, I've just been having a look through some of my older photos, and I found a good example of what I'm trying to achieve in a photo I took at Croft a year or so back!

Notice in this shot how the back (locked) wheels are perfectly in focus and yet the rest of the car is a little blurred as it's moving, the front tyres look like they're rotating etc - this is what I'm after and I've already apparently achieved it! In the example of a car going around the hairpin I'd like it so that the rear wheels look like they're spinning but the front is fairly clear as it's not moving as much.

I suppose it's mostly experimentation. Thanks for the link, I'll check it out 👍

As for Mantas, you very rarely see any on the roads here any more (I spotted one and posted it in the DYSAGT thread a while back... in fact, here) but there are still a few rallying. Unfortunately that red one left in rather worse condition than it arrived. The whole left-hand side had been in the wars a little with both arches ripped off and the door severely dented

 

[sandfisch]

That's a great shot of that red Mini Cooper 👍
This could have been achieved in several ways. Two that come immediately to my mind are
a) the front of the car moved slightly relative to the back (so the car was turning and not just sliding)
b) you were closer when shooting and had a wide open aperture, (unfortunately?) focussing on the rear. With a wide open aperture and at reasonable distance the DOF is so narrow that you could get something like this, that only 1-2ft is in focus

 

[homeforsummer]

Thanks for the tips again. I've no idea really how I got that Mini pic but it's turned out nicely. I never even really noticed it before I had to search for what I was trying to explain!

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[Scaff]

Nice shots - in particular I like the last two F Renault ones.

The panning shot with the front tyre just off the track is a great moment to capture and the B&W pit garage shot has a nice atmosphere about it.


Regards

Scaff

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

The sports and saloons look like fun although most of the cars seem to be pretty standard? Keep telling alex to take the evo down for it but i know as soon as the engine starts we will be told to sod off due to the noise of it

 

[homeforsummer]

Nice shots - in particular I like the last two F Renault ones.

The panning shot with the front tyre just off the track is a great moment to capture and the B&W pit garage shot has a nice atmosphere about it.

Thanks Scaff. I was pleased with the panning shot in particular myself. At the circuit I wasn't aware they were raising a tyre and only noticed when I got home. Same goes for the cornering shot above where the inside front is off the tarmac. Shows how stiff they're running even at a relatively bumpy circuit like Croft...

The sports and saloons look like fun although most of the cars seem to be pretty standard? Keep telling alex to take the evo down for it but i know as soon as the engine starts we will be told to sod off due to the noise of it

If you can call a mid-engined Z-cars Mini standard then yes, they were standard Other than those and a beast of an RX-7, most of the cars there seemed like ex-cup cars - Porsche 968 Turbos, V6 Vectras, a Beetle RSi, Ginettas, an ex-Proton Coupe cup car, and then there were a bunch of bike-engined 7 replicas. Oh, and obviously the very much non standard ex-BTCC 323. There were a couple of different Sports/Saloon events though a number of cars were entrants in both.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

If you can call a mid-engined Z-cars Mini standard then yes, they were standard Other than those and a beast of an RX-7, most of the cars there seemed like ex-cup cars - Porsche 968 Turbos, V6 Vectras, a Beetle RSi, Ginettas, an ex-Proton Coupe cup car, and then there were a bunch of bike-engined 7 replicas. Oh, and obviously the very much non standard ex-BTCC 323. There were a couple of different Sports/Saloon events though a number of cars were entrants in both.

Do they not use road tyres though? remember when they were at knockhill all bar 2 were on those dunlop direzza's. Cup cars shouldn't be too much of an issue

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm not sure to be honest. The race with the RX-7, BTCC 323 etc certainly weren't using road tyres - the BTCC car was definitely on full slicks. And given the overlap between the events I think even the less powerful cars were using fairly serious tyres. If they were road ones then they must have been barely legal ones.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

I'm not sure to be honest. The race with the RX-7, BTCC 323 etc certainly weren't using road tyres - the BTCC car was definitely on full slicks. And given the overlap between the events I think even the less powerful cars were using fairly serious tyres. If they were road ones then they must have been barely legal ones.

In fact it was Pzero Corsa's they were using up here that i seen.

The ones in the picture you posted are road legals yokohama's.
Only ones that had slicks up here was headen's caterham and simpson's marcos.

Do you know if there's a rule pdf somewhere for the NSAS? Tried to look for one a while ago but never did find one.

 

[homeforsummer]

A few more photos from the other day:

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[Syntax error]

Not a bad set at all. The very last batch you probably had the shutterspeed set a little too quick so the wheels don’t have any motion blur in them.

My favorite in the previous set is the black & white silhouette of the cart in the garage 👍 awesome shot. Oh and the mini drifting is pretty sweet, plenty of action in that shot.

 

[homeforsummer]

Not a bad set at all. The very last batch you probably had the shutterspeed set a little too quick so the wheels don’t have any motion blur in them.

My favorite in the previous set is the black & white silhouette of the cart in the garage 👍 awesome shot. Oh and the mini drifting is pretty sweet, plenty of action in that shot.

Thanks for your comment. I definitely agree that there isn't enough motion blur in the wheels - it's something I'm working on with cornering shots so hopefully next time there's a motorsport event of some sort there'll be a bit more action in my photography.

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[homeforsummer]

No comments?

Perhaps a few more...

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[Boffin]

Awesome shots man! I love the first one of the second last last set (the bike) as well as that (is it a Ford Anglier?) red thing.

There is some great pp choices in various other shots aswell.

Great stuff 👍

 

[Syntax error]

The Polo shot is fantastic.

Had to laugh at the dude that looks like he's taking the close up shot of the "dancer".

 

[homeforsummer]

Thanks for the comments 👍 And 80Y, yeah, that's an Anglia near the top. Was a really nice build.

The Polo shot is fantastic.

Do you mean Lupo?

If so, thanks There is a little photo editing here, as I decided the original was too busy so blurred the background.

Had to laugh at the dude that looks like he's taking the close up shot of the "dancer".

Yeah, it was too good an opportunity to miss that shot...

 

[sandfisch]

I like most that blueish-greenish Clio. But I think it could have needed a little fill-flash. Don't you ever use it in harsh sunlight?

 

[Syntax error]

Do you mean Lupo?

I stand corrected.

Personally I think the best editing is the one that fools everyone into thinking there was no editing at all and I think you’ve achieved that very well here. 👍

 

[homeforsummer]

Occasionally, but most of the time I simply forget! Do you mean harsh light in general too, as the sunlight was fairly scattered that day (as you can see, it was largely cloudy with the sun breaking through).

I stand corrected.

Personally I think the best editing is the one that fools everyone into thinking there was no editing at all and I think you’ve achieved that very well here. 👍

Thank you 👍 I really liked the effect in that photo and I'm glad you liked it too.

I went to another event today, the Sunderland International Airshow. Whilst there, I took some largely uninspiring photos My first time taking photos at an airshow and I really don't have the knack for it. Any tips? I can't remember who's gallery it was but someone here took some great airshow photos recently.

 

[homeforsummer]

No comments on the air show? I know they aren't very good but even so...

Took this today:

 

[LongbowX]

No comments on the air show? I know they aren't very good but even so...

Don't sell yourself short, I think they are quite good. I hope when I go in a few weeks to see one near where I live, mine turn out as well. I like...the first shot and the one with the parachuters. ^^;

The Ferrari shot is good as well. The colours are the best part. Plus the 360 is one of my favourites, the best looking recent Ferrari (in my opinion.)

 

[boiltheocean]

The Ferrari shot is good as well. The colours are the best part.

Agreed, the consitent blue background and red look great together! If anything I would say the saturation is abit high on the car.

This shot is fantastic! 👍
Loads of action and the colouring is excellent. I love how it seems as if they exploded from one point, Human Firework!

 

[NLxAROSA]

I love the airshow shots. 👍 But why did you crop the rear of the Ferrari? Something there you don't like?

 

[homeforsummer]

Thanks for the comments. I too quite liked the parachutist shot.

As for the Ferrari, I didn't crop it, I just took it in a bit of a rush and framed it badly!

 

[homeforsummer]

Volkswagen Festival, Harewood House

Went to the vee-dub show today, first time I've been to one of these. Didn't disappoint, I'm a big fan of both air-cooled and water-cooled VWs and there was a good mix of all at the show. A select few photos are below, the rest are in the vids and photos forum.

Colour splash image of a Passat

Golf

Lupo interior. I was quite pleased at how this came out - as you can see it was taken through glass, but to get the shot I held my hand up to put a shadow on the glass. It's just pleasing that the area that did reflect perfectly reflected a couple of cars!

Polo

Type I (or Beetle, for those who don't know what a Type I is)

 

[Syntax error]

Nice stuff. Missed an update or two.

I'll start with the air show. I've never photographed one so I have little in the way of experience/advice to offer. Shots 1, 4 & 6 are awesome and stand out of the pack for me. 👍

With the VW show, I really dig shot 3 (the Lupo interior). It's different, it's cool and it makes you look at it for a while to make out what's going on with the reflections but at the same time appreciate the old school/new school interior stylings of the subject itself.

The last shot (blue VW with badge) is very nice as well. Good vibrant colour and sharp. I like it.

 

[LongbowX]

The last shot is my favourite - that blue is just gorgeous.

Apparently no one likes VW's wheels. So they put on Bentley/Porsche (that red Lupo's has wheels similar to a 944's, I think) or Audi. Hah.

 

[boiltheocean]

I love the colour in the last shot! The shiny gradient change is really nice 👍

 

[homeforsummer]

Thanks for the comments Syntax - thanks for the comments on the air show. My main problem with photography in the UK is terrible lighting - everything I go to seems to have bright but overcast weather, so the sky ends up looking grey/white and completely bland, but because it's bright enough it's difficult to find the right exposure to make objects look clear and vibrant.

I was really pleased with the Lupo interior shot. Considering it's usually a bad idea shooting through glass and the effect I got was a complete accident, it turned out really well! And save for the reflections you can see, the interior itself came out really well too, almost as if there was no glass in the way at all.

The wheels on the red Polo (not Lupo!) are from a Porsche 924S. I'm pleased they suit it, as I've been looking at Polo/SEAT Cordoba saloons to replace my car and I'd actually thought about how it might look with those exact wheels. I'd have had them polished or painted though rather than just left stock.

Thanks for the comments on the last shot. It's probably one of the best photos I've ever taken. I'm mega-chuffed with the DOF, the clarity, the colour, the shading, the angle, everything! And it needed virtually no post-production at all, I just increased the contrast a tiny bit. Here's the data for the shot, for anyone who's interested: f/9, 1/1250s, ISO 200, 85mm. I took the shot with my 55-200mm lens, which is why the focus is so good (auto and not manual!) The quality of the lens is higher than the kit 18-55mm too which explains the clarity.