Car photography

MarkLP

MarkLP

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Mark
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Hi there,

Just after some info really.

Had a recent photoshoot with the guys from Fast Car.

He was using 2 flash units on tripods with battery packs for each, triggered from a wireless unit on the top of the camera.

The photos were stunning, made the shots seem like they were taken a night with the car really bright. Ok that sounds stupid but I'm sure you understand what I mean.

Would anyone have any info on how much these flash units cost? As if they're cheap I might look into getting one or two.

Thanks,
Mark
 
For the kind of set up they'll probably be using you'll be looking at the best part of a grand, probably much more. ;)

You could do it on the cheap for about £150 though



[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/17UeF-hxz4E&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/17UeF-hxz4E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]
 
In the video above they are using speedlights- normal camera flashguns, which will cost you between £50-300 each. Using the studio lights you'd still need a power source plus another light, plus something to trigger the lights with, so maybe £300 all in if you're near somewhere to plug it into the mains, failing that you'll need an external power source, like batteries or a generator...
 
Cavking said:
He explains it all here...

http://brasherphotos.blogspot.com/

Pretty clever stuff...
Click to expand...

Some examples of a vehicle and suitable locations are:

Race car on a racetrack (wow captain obvious)
Long time Project Car in a workshop
Japanese Sports car near a Japanese Garden, or under a cherry blossom
Midnight Street Racer under a dark highway overpass
Elegant Luxury car in the driveway of a mansion



It's thinking outside the box like that which really can make a photo special :lol::lol:
 
Did you see the R32 post?

He even labelled the road to ensure we dont confuse it for a power pack..

Very thoughful :thumbs:
 
depends on the make but realistically for decent ones with decent power around £1100 for two. you'll need at least 500w per head for overpowering the sun although if you shoot it on an over cast day or in somewhere dark its easier to overpower ambient light.

2721792009_8219ea7cd7_o.jpg




out of interest who shot the car?


MarkLP said:
Hi there,

Just after some info really.

Had a recent photoshoot with the guys from Fast Car.

He was using 2 flash units on tripods with battery packs for each, triggered from a wireless unit on the top of the camera.

The photos were stunning, made the shots seem like they were taken a night with the car really bright. Ok that sounds stupid but I'm sure you understand what I mean.

Would anyone have any info on how much these flash units cost? As if they're cheap I might look into getting one or two.

Thanks,
Mark
Click to expand...
 
Oh, he didnt label those - so I'm unsure.
 
There's a lad called Jay who is a good photographer, and seems to shoot all his work just using 2 speedlites (a 580ex II and a 430ex), and pocket wizards, and his shots are very good to say the least.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaymond/

It's something i've been meaning to ask actually, could you run 2 430ex's off camera like that, and just use a trigger to fire them (either pocket wizard, cactus etc), or do you need at least one 580ex?
 
MarkLP said:
Hi there,

Just after some info really.

Had a recent photoshoot with the guys from Fast Car.

He was using 2 flash units on tripods with battery packs for each, triggered from a wireless unit on the top of the camera.

The photos were stunning, made the shots seem like they were taken a night with the car really bright. Ok that sounds stupid but I'm sure you understand what I mean.

Would anyone have any info on how much these flash units cost? As if they're cheap I might look into getting one or two.

Thanks,
Mark
Click to expand...


Think I've met this guy. He was doing a photo shoot in the New Forest last year.

He was using 2 Elinchrome Rangers . Depending on the deal you are looking at around £1600for the power pack including a head. Plus stands plus skyport of similar radio slave.
 
Flash In The Pan said:
That makes Strobist all about studio lighting, right? :thinking:
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it makes someone using the incorrect term. The only time you use a strobe is if you were doing a long exposure in darkness to show up the same person at different places. A single burst of light as used on camera, off camera or in the studio is called a flash
 
POAH said:
it makes someone using the incorrect term. The only time you use a strobe is if you were doing a long exposure in darkness to show up the same person at different places. A single burst of light as used on camera, off camera or in the studio is called a flash
Click to expand...

The term strobe is in common usage to refer to photographic flashlights (of both the "speedlight" and studio varieties), whether it is "correct" or not is a matter of semantics.....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
The term strobe is in common usage to refer to photographic flashlights (of both the "speedlight" and studio varieties), whether it is "correct" or not is a matter of semantics.....
Click to expand...

its not common and it is incorrect in the English Language for the term you are using it for so it has nothing to do with semantics
 
POAH said:
its not common and it is incorrect in the English Language for the term you are using it for so it has nothing to do with semantics
Click to expand...

Okay, you win, you're right and everyone else (including the 200,000+ Strobist members) is wrong. Happy now? :D
 
Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to get hold of one of those so-called "2,000,000" candlepower rechargeable torches (from all good DIY shops) and a camera capable of long exposure shots placed on a tripod?
And while the camera shutter is open, you then "brush" the car with the torch light. I bet the results would be smiliar but for pocket money prices. I might give that a go one day.
Or was I was talking out of my backside? :D
 
Ian D J said:
Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to get hold of one of those so-called "2,000,000" candlepower rechargeable torches (from all good DIY shops) and a camera capable of long exposure shots placed on a tripod?
And while the camera shutter is open, you then "brush" the car with the torch light. I bet the results would be smiliar but for pocket money prices. I might give that a go one day.
Or was I was talking out of my backside? :D
Click to expand...

Probably not because he wants to overpower the ambient light and long exposures will make that harder to do plus it mens your flash has to work harder against the reduced aperture or ND filter.

It sounds like the guy from fast car was using quantums. They're advertised in most magazines and sit somewhere between flashguns (or strobes depending on how you like it) and flash heads.
 
Ian D J said:
Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to get hold of one of those so-called "2,000,000" candlepower rechargeable torches (from all good DIY shops) and a camera capable of long exposure shots placed on a tripod?
And while the camera shutter is open, you then "brush" the car with the torch light. I bet the results would be smiliar but for pocket money prices. I might give that a go one day.
Or was I was talking out of my backside? :D
Click to expand...


I've done this but you can only do it in very low light as in daylight you'd not be able to get a long enough shutter
 
At the moment I use Povery Wizards, photocell slaves 2 Nikons SB800s and a Sunpak 383 for my flash work. I had studio heads but not battery operated though ALDi do a nice 1050w genny for £69 with a 3 year warranty :D
 
Rikki said:
At the moment I use Povery Wizards, photocell slaves 2 Nikons SB800s and a Sunpak 383 for my flash work. I had studio heads but not battery operated though ALDi do a nice 1050w genny for £69 with a 3 year warranty :D
Click to expand...

:thinking:

ALDI....I wonder if the ones round here have them, mind you B&Q probably do something similar
 
B&Q will probably have something similar. Or you could buy a large car battery and a 1kw inverter. Just make sure your flash heads dont try to consume more power than that in the one go (they shouldnt).

Genny's are LOUD so remember that it wont be a quiet shoot, I use them on video assignments mainly to power hot lamps (eg: ScrewFix work lamps).
 
Little Man said:
It's something i've been meaning to ask actually, could you run 2 430ex's off camera like that, and just use a trigger to fire them (either pocket wizard, cactus etc), or do you need at least one 580ex?
Click to expand...
 
If you're using something like the Cactus triggers or Pocket Wizards you don't need the 580EX, you just need either a second receiver (£10 Cactus, £150 PW) or an optical trigger (£5) to set off the second strobe ;) flash
 
Much appreciated boss!
 
Flash - actually he is right. STROBE is an Americanism, and is incorrectly used by them for the context. Just because they have greater numbers than we do does not make them correct. Americans are very bad at English grammar.

So bad, in fact, that I think we should rescind their independence, make them swear allegience to H.M. The Queen, insist they learn corrcet English, oh, and while they are at it, they can learn to drive on the left in a proper manner.

As a parallel, the majority of traffic on motorways in this country is travelling at 80+ mph - it doesn't make it correct when the speed limit is 70mph. Just because a majority are wrong, does not make it right!

However, most people are aware of the term "strobe" to describe a flash unit. However, the correct definition of a "strobe", the noun, is viewing of vibrations with a stroboscope. Nothing to do with photographic lighting at all. Instead of a spinning disc with slots in it to view motion slowed down or even appearing to be halted, scientists began to use intermittent light sources - a strobe. Hence the term used to describe a flashing light.

So, YES, those 200,000 (and more) are incorrect (not wrong, just incorrect) in their use of the word, but with Americans this is what we have come to expect - and if they shout the term louder it makes it more correct too!

By the way, it wasn't semantics, it was actually pedantic.
 
:lol: I am well aware of the "correct" usage of the word strobe, however,you do realise that the only reason that POAH went to such lengths to dig me up over this is because I dared challenge his assertion that The Genius of Photography was rubbish, just because he thinks that any type of photography that he doesn't engage in is "poncy".

The next post he replied to asked about power supply for a strobe, yet POAH went on to describe the set up he used for his flash units, which by inferrence would suggest that even he considers the words interchangeable, correct or not.....

Thanks for the chuckle about the Americans being forced to use "corrcet" english, btw - glass houses and all that :lol: :thumbs:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
:lol: I am well aware of the "correct" usage of the word strobe, however,you do realise that the only reason that POAH went to such lengths to dig me up over this is because I dared challenge his assertion that The Genius of Photography was rubbish, just because he thinks that any type of photography that he doesn't engage in is "poncy".
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the only reason I discussed it with you was because I was right.

I don't do landscapes, porn, macro or the vast majority of sports but I don't think they are poncy. If you are going to have a discussion please make sure you get your facts right :nono:
 
POAH said:
the only reason I discussed it with you was because I was right.
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:shake: This is like having an arguement because someone "hoovers" rather than vacuums (I appreciate it's not 100% the same as Hoover is a brand name).

Perhaps instead of engaging in these "discussions" you share your obviously extensive experience (I'm not being sarcastic here,but rather 100& sincere, just in case it comes across that way) could give us all a quick masterclass on lighting for car photography. I think many of us (me included) would appreciate that :)
 
POAH said:
its not common and it is incorrect in the English Language for the term you are using it for so it has nothing to do with semantics
Click to expand...

in all honestly.... who gives a...?

we know what they mean, they know what we mean. sorted. hey poah :D
 
Flash In The Pan said:
:shake: This is like having an arguement because someone "hoovers" rather than vacuums (I appreciate it's not 100% the same as Hoover is a brand name).

Perhaps instead of engaging in these "discussions" you share your obviously extensive experience (I'm not being sarcastic here,but rather 100& sincere, just in case it comes across that way) could give us all a quick masterclass on lighting for car photography. I think many of us (me included) would appreciate that :)
Click to expand...


car, light, expose press shutter button and repeat




p.s I have a dyson :naughty:
 
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