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Auto Detailing and AppearanceShare tips and tricks on how to make your Third Gen shine! Get opinions on products or how something tasteful looks on your Chevrolet Camaro or Pontiac Firebird.
So they're doing lots of these spray paint murals here in the downtown Greensboro area. VERY cool. AMAZING artists. This location is the "Red" Cinema. The wall on the other side is a bunch of Marvel and DC Superheroes! It's pretty awesome, but the sun comes up on this side, and doesn't set on the other wall until the lot is full. Been meaning to roll out there some morning with the camera and Camaro, and finally got the chance a few weekends ago.
One thing I've found over the years is that red is NOT my favorite color to shoot. At a distance it really stands out, but so many details get lost. I also found that as cool as this wall is, again with a red car, the wall and the car fight for the object of attention. I think that's why the black and white shots really shine. I think it really relaxes the picture, and focuses on the details assuming you put the shot together properly. -and that brings me to my final point, for those who also click pics. I like a low F stop, and the auto focus can't always keep up. In the day I shot all manual focus, but my eyes aren't what they used to be. I typically only wear glasses when I'm on the computer, but I may wear them on my next shoot, and take over focus duties. If the focus isn't perfect, you can overcook a little in post processing and hide some of it, but.....well.....that's why I'm only an amateur!!!
Awesome looking pics Chris! Are you sure you are an amateur?
I do see what you mean by the black and white look better with the colorful busy background. it brings the focus on the car.
Awesome looking pics Chris! Are you sure you are an amateur?
A friend once said, with regard to my work "you're talented enough to know you're not a professional". It was meant kinda tongue in cheek but I really identify with it. I can pick apart every photo and know where they could be improved, but don't always know enough to know HOW to do it!
Guys thanks for all the kind words! I always enjoy taking the car out and finding new places to shoot!
A friend once said, with regard to my work "you're talented enough to know you're not a professional". It was meant kinda tongue in cheek but I really identify with it. I can pick apart every photo and know where they could be improved, but don't always know enough to know HOW to do it!
Guys thanks for all the kind words! I always enjoy taking the car out and finding new places to shoot!
Great job with these photos Chris. A lot of cool shots here. My favorite shot is the 2nd to last photo showing the back of the car in B&W. Framing and composition is well done. Here you have enough separation between the car and the wall and from using a larger aperture you've got some good bokeh. Likewise the lower angle to the car hides the reflections of the wall that show up on a few of your other shots. I'd like to see this photo in color. I enjoy B&W photography but in this case with a red car and a vibrant background I don't think the B&W does the photo justice.
Just a thought but a circular polarizer is an option to eliminate reflections to get the car to pop more.
Awesome that you've got backgrounds like this to work with plus a great looking IROC, Thanks for posting.
Awesome that you've got backgrounds like this to work with plus a great looking IROC, Thanks for posting.
Thank you!
That 2nd to last is one of my favorites too. -and yeah, the bokeh is on purpose! I struggle because I feel the camera isn't as sharp with the autofocus with the larger aperture, and my eyes are getting old. -but I do love the effect.
Also, I am using a polarizer. In RAW form the photos DO pop a bit more. I've compressed these down a bit. I don't know if it's the website or the way I'm compressing them. I agree they could pop more. Sometimes I'll bump the contrast and saturation in the jpgs I post online, and I feel they're a bit overcooked! It's weird. I really think it's the something withe the website, because even the small JPGs look pretty good from my hardrive. Once posted though, I never know quite how they'll look.
That 2nd to last is one of my favorites too. -and yeah, the bokeh is on purpose! I struggle because I feel the camera isn't as sharp with the autofocus with the larger aperture, and my eyes are getting old. -but I do love the effect.
Also, I am using a polarizer. In RAW form the photos DO pop a bit more. I've compressed these down a bit. I don't know if it's the website or the way I'm compressing them. I agree they could pop more. Sometimes I'll bump the contrast and saturation in the jpgs I post online, and I feel they're a bit overcooked! It's weird. I really think it's the something withe the website, because even the small JPGs look pretty good from my hardrive. Once posted though, I never know quite how they'll look.
Yes, I agree that some photo hosting websites limit the file size thus potentially losing the details? What camera and lens combination are you using? My experience is that it isn't typically the auto-focus causing "softer" focus at large apertures but just the lens itself may just be softer when wide open. On many Canon and Nikon cameras you can fine tune the auto-focus of any given lens which can help some. Works better with a prime lens than with a zoom lens.
I'm shooting with an EOS Rebel T6. Right now all I'm using is the 18-50 kit lens. Sweet spot seems to be about 18-25 with a higher F Stop. as that's where most of my favorites are taken. I try to take "most" of these shots with a higher focal length, then a shorter....and with a bigger and smaller aperture. Basically exploring the real world differences. I shot quite a bit back in the film days, but this is my first venture into photography in many years. The math hasn't changed but the muscle memory sure has!
I don't necessarily think the autofocus isn't correct per se, but rather it's focusing on the wrong object. Lot's of shots I have the parking lot in perfect focus, but the car OUT of focus. That's me learning the camera.
For what it's worth.....TGO on the left, Photoshop on the right. The saturation difference is night and day! -though not sure how well you can see it in this picture. Keep in mind the photoshop pic is now ON TGO, so it's desaturated too, but now the pic on the left is DOUBLE desaturated!!!!! If you can follow that then you can see what I mean, lol
I'm shooting with an EOS Rebel T6. Right now all I'm using is the 18-50 kit lens. Sweet spot seems to be about 18-25 with a higher F Stop. as that's where most of my favorites are taken. I try to take "most" of these shots with a higher focal length, then a shorter....and with a bigger and smaller aperture. Basically exploring the real world differences. I shot quite a bit back in the film days, but this is my first venture into photography in many years. The math hasn't changed but the muscle memory sure has!
I don't necessarily think the autofocus isn't correct per se, but rather it's focusing on the wrong object. Lot's of shots I have the parking lot in perfect focus, but the car OUT of focus. That's me learning the camera.
While I'm not familiar with the specific features of the EOS Rebel T6, like most DSLR you should be able to adjust the number of focus points. On my camera (Nikon D750) I typically use just a single point and then with the toggle I can move that point to the exact spot I want in focus on.
For what it's worth.....TGO on the left, Photoshop on the right. The saturation difference is night and day! -though not sure how well you can see it in this picture. Keep in mind the photoshop pic is now ON TGO, so it's desaturated too, but now the pic on the left is DOUBLE desaturated!!!!! If you can follow that then you can see what I mean, lol
you should be able to adjust the number of focus points.
Pretty sure it does, but I haven't dug that deep yet. I'll certainly look into that. I'm looking for another cool spot to shoot. Might grab a few of the guys and have a few cars there too. Also looking into night shots and "light painting" too. That stuff is pretty neat. I follow a few guys on the gram and youtube that do all that stuff.
Great pics Chris! I know exactly where that movie theater is. The artwork on that wall is very nice.Are you planning to go to Cars and Coffee in Greensboro this Saturday?
Great pics Chris! I know exactly where that movie theater is. The artwork on that wall is very nice.Are you planning to go to Cars and Coffee in Greensboro this Saturday?
Hey man! How your car coming along!? -Yes, I'd like to go but, my weekend of deck staining got rained out last weekend, and if it's gonna be clear, I'll probably be doing that.
I have pretty much everything to finish it up . Everything is on hold right now until I can get married in October. Going to start back working on it after that and hopefully have it running by the first of the year.
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Great pics Chris! I know exactly where that movie theater is. The artwork on that wall is very nice.Are you planning to go to Cars and Coffee in Greensboro this Saturday? Hey man! How your car coming along!? -Yes, I'd like to go but, my weekend of deck staining got rained out last weekend, and if it's gonna be clear, I'll probably be doing that.
have pretty much everything to finish it up . Everything is on hold right now until I can get married in October. Going to start back working on it after that and hopefully have it running by the first of the year.I just moved to Jamestown in March.
Very cool pics! I like the first one best. Car looks like it's on a city street. Wet pavement would've added even more pop.
We're getting murals like that out on the west coast, too. Professional graffiti artists painting highly-detailed murals entirely with spray cans.
Partially colorized would be interesting, too, where one feature is made to stand out. The full picture in color, with your car in black and white. Or your car in color, and the full picture in black and white.
Very cool pics! I like the first one best. Car looks like it's on a city street. Wet pavement would've added even more pop.
We're getting murals like that out on the west coast, too. Professional graffiti artists painting highly-detailed murals entirely with spray cans.
Partially colorized would be interesting, too, where one feature is made to stand out. The full picture in color, with your car in black and white. Or your car in color, and the full picture in black and white.
Nice work.
Thank you!!!! ....yeah, that art these guys can produce is amazing. ....I'll play around with partial color a little. See what I can come up with.
Awwwwwww shucks! ....there's an abandoned old Macy's down the street from me. No signage, overgrown landscaping and foot tall weeds in the pavement cracks. Gonna see if I can't get in there..... it says no Trespassing......guess I shouldn't do it.
Been meaning to roll out there some morning with the camera and Camaro, and finally got the chance a few weekends ago.
If you can follow that then you can see what I mean, lol
....there's an abandoned old Macy's down the street from me. No signage, overgrown landscaping and foot tall weeds in the pavement cracks. Gonna see if I can't get in there..... it says no Trespassing......guess I shouldn't do it.
