Car Photography Tutorial - The Static Front 3/4 Disected - 03/10/06
Matt Watkinson		  
     
     
  Introduction  
 

When i started trying to learn car photography, I was amazed by how little resource there is out there to help the beginner on their way. I learnt everything by analysing photos that I liked and trying to figure out what worked: I shot a load of crap but learnt a lot on the way.

 

I frequently get emails asking me for advice on how to take better car photos, or asking to critique peoples shots, and I've always felt that I should try to put together a piece to answer the most frequently asked questions, so this is my attempt at that. Its primarily aimed at beginners, but some photographers who are looking to improve or get to the next level might find some food for thought here.

 

I've decided to focus on shooting a simple front 3/4 static shot for several reasons:

 

1. Everybody seems to want to shoot rig shots nowadays because they look exciting, and thats fine, but to shoot a great static is far more challenging, requires more creativity, offers far more opportunity to do something unique, and is not in any way dependent on the kit that you have (a pocket digital camera, slr, medium format, whatever, it doesnt matter).

2. The static front 3/4 tends to be flattering for most cars so you can practice on anything and should be able to get good results quickly (this is important to stop you giving up).

3. Its the shot most beginners try to take and get wrong for one reason or another.

 

I will try to illustrate my points by using some photos that I have taken. I apologise if it all gets a bit confusing, repetitive, incomprehensible etc.

 
     
  Conception  
 

Ok. Step one is to think. The secret to great car photos lies in the concept. The biggest mistake that people make is to grab their camera and a car just fire off shit load of frames in the hope that one will be a keeper. I try to think about what I am shooting and create a vision in my mind's eye about what it is that I am trying to achieve. In honesty, I rarely get exactly whats in my mind into the viewfinder, but having something to aim for is the best starting point. Here is how I generally do it.

 

1. Learn the character: all cars have a different character: classy, elegant, rugged, classic, fun, cute, aggressive, etc. This should be the starting point for your shot and what you should remain focussed on.

 

2. Learn the shape: think about unique or particularly interesting or flattering angles. You can do this looking at marketing material, snaps of the car or find photos on the net. Not so important for this tutorial as we are just going to try a front 3/4.

 

3. Formulate your concept: ok, this is the tough bit, and I will illustrate it with some examples in a bit. By this point you should have a good idea about the character and shape of the car, and this is where you decide how to portray that to your audience through the photograph. It doesnt matter how creative you want to get, but try to start with something easily achieveable, for example, a subaru impreza or mitsi evo might look great on a gravel track in the woods because its a rally car. A smart car might look fun in a children's playground (this is an idea i have yet to do but I think it would be great, please don't steal it!) Try to get a clear vision in your head about what you want your photo to say.

 

4. Nail it down: do a sketch to take with you or write down what you want your shot to look like. I cannot draw and my sketches dont even look like cars, but they serve as a mental prompt to remind me what im trying to do.

 
     
  Location  
 

The location can make of break a photo. Often you don't have time or there is some other reason why you have to make do with something fairly uninspiring, but you should try to really think about this before you go shooting. I think that the best shots are where the location really helps emphasis the character or shape of the car, and as such, you should be including an idea for the location in your concept. As an example, you could show how small a car is by parking it by a huge building or bridge or by making it smaller part of the frame. Here are some guidelines:

 

Contrast or complement is a good guideline:

Emphasise a cars curves by having a background where the visual elements are straight or geometric to contrast, or have a wacky curvy background to complement.

 

Contrast a bright colour by having a dull, plain background or complement it by including elements of similar colours.

 

Complement a cars character through the background by association: a gt porsche on a race track, a landrover in a bog are both obvious examples, but a bit of creative thinking along these lines can lead to great images. You dont have to do something totally off the radar, and trying something simple (if a little obvious) is the best place to start.

 

Ok here are some examples of mine:

 
     
 
   

Lamborghini Murcielago


I have always thought this car looks otherworldly, so my concept was to make it look a bit area 51ish, like a UFO hidden away in an anonymous industrial space.

 

The single lit girder gives the shot that industrial look, the grey grab flooring throws all the emphasis onto the shape and colour of the car, and the overhead flourescent lighting completes the image.

 

  
 
     
 
   

Aston Martin V8 Vantage


This shot works because the colour of the slate complements the colour of the car, but the rugged slates really empahsises the smooth curved bodywork and flawless finish of the paint (well the finish was flawless until i sat on the bonnet and a rivet on my jeans scratched it, but thats another story : )

 

 

  
 
     
 
 

 

Dodge Charger

 

Ok ok I know this isnt a front 3/4 but its a goood example: When i first thought about shooting this car i settled on a "sin city" concept to go with the old school muscle car. High contrast black and white and industrial wasteland (croydon was perfect) worked out nicely.

 

  

Range Rover Sport Supercharged
(evo magazine)


This is quite a good example: The industrial metal stuff in the background complements the boxy shape and powerful character of the rangie, whilst the muddy water hints at the off roading potential and really shows off the vesuvius orange of the car. The clouds were a stroke of luck and I darkened them with an nd grad filter to add the finishing touch.

 

 

  
 
     
 
   

Lamborghini Gallardo SE
(top gear magazine)


The gallardo SE is in your face, particularly in pearlescent white. A bit of graffiti sends all the right messages about this car. The rainbows in the headlamps caused by the polariser matching the colours of the background was lucky, but the finishing touch : )

 

  
 
     
  Composition and Execution  
 

This is a tricky one to explain so Ill try and break it down into checkpoints or guidelines:

 

1. There are basically 2 different front 3/4's that usually work: 70:30 or 30:70 side:front ratio's. The murcielago is a classic 70:30 front:side composition, whereas the gallardo is about 60:40 side:front if that makes sense. I find anything else can be a bit awkward (including the gallardo!), but there are no hard and fast rules. Try to remember I've put this together primarily for a beginner who wants to get some good shots in the bag on day one. I tend to put a bit of lock on the wheels as well to show off the wheels, but don't overdo it : )

 

2. Elevation is an interesting one that people get wrong. When I started I was told that shooting from really low down makes an interesting composition. It does a lot of the time, but actually you can emphasise a cars ground clearance by adjusting this. If you shoot a sports/ racing car from too low you will be able to see under it, where as shooting from higher up will bring the aggressive road hugging stance to the fore. You could do the opposite with a 4x4 (nb. I didnt do that with the range sport because i wanted to include more of the background and clouds. Try to evaluate the relative importance of the visual elements that form the image before you shoot: the background in the gallardo isnt important because you can tell its graffiti for example).

 

3. Rule of thirds. Do a google search on this if you don't know this, or just look at my example below. It works and is a great guideline for composing front 3/4 shots.

 

4. Lens selection is where a lot of slr users go wrong, with most people shooting too wide because they are too close to the subject matter and are trying to squeeze the whole car into the frame. 50mm plus is a good guide for an slr, neither wide or telephoto. You can lift a subject off the background using a longer focal length to compress the perspective but thats getting a bit technical for here (google seach on the effect of focal lengths if you are bored enough).

 

5. Fill the frame. Loads of people ruin what should be a nice shot by not having the car dominant enough in the frame, the worst offenders do this and use a wide angle, the result being that the subject matter is completely lost in its surroundings.

 

6. Foreground > Middleground > Background. Following on from the above, as I mentioned earlier, consider the relevant importance of each visual element in the composition. Is there too much foreground, or can you put something in the foreground to add a bit of fizz to the picture or lead the eye into the subject matter? (see murcielago example below) Is the car lost against the background? Is there anything that distracts from the car?

 

7. Take your time. Take your time and make sure that you are really happy with the composition before you shoot. Resist the temptation just to take the shot anyway, and don't feel pressured to rush the shot by an impatient owner or journalist ; ) Check the composition for anything that will really piss you off later that you didnt notice (the telegraph pole sticking out through the roof, the reflection of your make in the door, etc).

 

8. Expose for the car. A common mistake is to take your car out and put it in front of a beautiful sunset thinking it will look great, then shoot for the sunset and the car is just a dull underexposed mess. If you want to try this (its very difficult) you need to get some nd grad filters. Don't be afraid to shoot loads of frames at different exposures to guarantee that you have nailed it (if you know how you can use the histogram on a digital camera to help), having spent all that effort on getting the concept and composition right! For those who are more proficient or have a camera that shoots in a raw format, remember to shoot a frame with a grey card to white balance the shot afterwards.

 

9. Polarising. A polarising filter can help control unwanted reflections. Buy one and experiment.

 

Ok here are some examples:

 
     
 
   

Lamborghini Murcielago - Foreground Framing


The police helmet in the foreground tells a story and adds interest to the front of the image, while the diagonal converging lines (the white road markings and pavement) lead your eye into the frame and onto the car.

 

  
 
     
 
   

Delorean - Rule of Thirds


The primary focus of the photo intersects the lines which are spaced in 3rds of a frame. Other things to note about this picture: the strongly geometric surface complements the boxy shape and the pattern formed by the gullwing doors, the strong diagonal roofing leads the eye across the frame, and the cold white balance / blue tint gives it that futuristic look.

  
 
     
  Conclusions  
 

A great way to learn is to try and copy other peoples photos and then see what the differences are. Try to get inspired and don't be afraid to try. With digital its never been cheaper to experiment.

 

I hope this helps you out and improves your images. I'd really like to hear from you if you think the tutorial could be improved or its helped you, as its taken me a while to put together. Drop me an email to matt@mattwatkinson.com

  
     
   
 

I love it when a plan comes together. This shot took over an hour: the car was positioned to show the car's most flattering angle and be in the right place in front of the mountains. We then waited for the rain to stop and the sunlight to emerge (that could have taken a week in itself!) but the result is one of my favourite shots. : )