How would you shoot it?

OptiKen · Mar 14, 2016

At lunch today I needed to stop at the store for dog food and in the parking lot was this beautiful black and chrome 57<?> Thunderbird.
I quickly grabbed my camera - Leica II If with Collapsible Industar 50mm f3.5 lens loaded with Ultrafine Extreme 400 ASA - and studied the car and did a quick walk-around while clicking the shutter.
Judging from what I saw in the viewfinder, I am not going to be happy with any of the shots. For some reason, I just could not get the composition right.
So i pose the question to the group....

How would you shoot it?

markbarendt · Mar 14, 2016

Like you I would've tried a variety of shots.

I think the struggle in a shot like this is the trash in the background so:

I would shoot wide open to blur the background.
I would shoot from a low angle so that the camera couldn't see the car behind.
I'd shoot close again to get rid of the trash.
I'm might concentrate on details rather than the whole for a few shots.
I'm might back up to actually put the car in context.
And if at all possible I would pose the owner in front of the car for a few shots.

ignatiu5 · Mar 14, 2016

markbarendt said:
I'm might concentrate on details rather than the whole for a few shots.

This is my initial thinking, given where the car is and its proximity to distracting surroundings like the truck.
Perhaps just isolating bits and parts that are so characteristically Thunderbird. A single tail light and fin and portion of gleaming bumper. That round window and glossy black paint. Half the front wheel with the whitewall and spokes in focus, leading down the length of the car increasingly out of focus. Nothing but the front grille.

That sort of thing.

Like (there was a url link here which no longer exists), but not so poorly executed.

ic-racer · Mar 14, 2016

In terms of the car, 1956. Too bad about the wheels. In terms of your photograph, composition seems fine...it is a car in a parking lot. When I first saw Ruche's empty "Parking Lots" I spent a few years taking pictures of parking lots with cars in them.

Actually I still like parked cars, in fact you are reminding me of a recent incident where I had my 8x10 camera set up taking a picture of a full parking lot. Some jogger queried out loud in a voice of distain and disrespect "...you aren't taking a picture of the parking lot are you?" F-you mister art expert in jogging pants....

Kirks518 · Mar 14, 2016

I would have gone for close detail only. I'm not a huge car aficionado, but I do like to shoot them, so I'll go to the local car 'shows'. Recently went to a duPont Registry show, and all the cars were stacked next to each other. Almost impossible to get a nice full car shot, so I did the details.

jeffreyg · Mar 14, 2016

I also would move in for details and either wait for the owner or leave a note on the windshield that you would like to photograph the car in a different setting and make some prints for him/her.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

RobC · Mar 14, 2016

I would wait for the owner to come back, tell him how much you love the car and would like to photograph it. But since its in a bad location for photography could he put it in better position for some photographs and you will send him a print or two for his trouble. Sorted. And if you're lucky he might take you for a spin in it. Nothing ventured nothing gained...

removed account4 · Mar 14, 2016

i'd have done a couple a-3 things ...
lie on my back / belly and do a worms eye view looking up from the rear +front wheels( all 4 sides)
step back further, front focus, wide open the car with the truck behind it to give context
maybe sitting on the ground let the roof be the top of hte frame 3 sides ( elevation views if this was a building )
then maybe a couple of abstractions ( details ).
i'd sit there and stare at it a little, and let it speak to me.
if you are quiet enough you might hear it.
maybe i've done too many habs documentations.
i might not have used the leica, its hard to get close with a leica

HiHoSilver · Mar 14, 2016

Ken, I've struggled in a similar fashion - trying to make every mistake a few times. Here, I usually succeed - at making the mistakes. In the situation you show - I think MarkB makes quick work of the issues - and answers, though if an owner showed, I like the idea of trading a print for a few min. of shooting time in a more favorable location. If I could decipher the voodoo for an inline print, I'd show how I solved it on one occaision. 'Not necc. the best or even good, but shot the center steering column w/ emblem & some dash - through the porthole. Somewhat interesting to non-enthusiasts, but motorheads know only one car offered this perspective.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 14, 2016

As many have said, go for the details. I'm a car aficionado, so I encounter this situation a lot. I'll make a few photos from a distance to show the location and context, then I'll go in for details. I always try to get the interior and instrument panel. A polarizer is necessary for eliminating distracting or nasty reflections and for photos through glass. I'm very careful not to become visible in a reflection as well - slight adjustments to your position can make your reflection disappear.

Even at car shows and for photos made of the whole car, I often have to wait for many minutes because sometimes there are some people you just don't want in the photo, e.g. a few years ago there was some guy with an exposed belly and a profane t-shirt (shouldn't've even been allowed at a public event with young kids).

Doc W · Mar 14, 2016

ic-racer said:
In terms of the car, 1956. Too bad about the wheels. In terms of your photograph, composition seems fine...it is a car in a parking lot. When I first saw Ruche's empty "Parking Lots" I spent a few years taking pictures of parking lots with cars in them.

Actually I still like parked cars, in fact you are reminding me of a recent incident where I had my 8x10 camera set up taking a picture of a full parking lot. Some jogger queried out loud in a voice of distain and disrespect "...you aren't taking a picture of the parking lot are you?" F-you mister art expert in jogging pants....

What is wrong with the wheels? What am I missing?

I have also had people give me advice on what I "should" be shooting. That can be extremely funny.

OptiKen · Mar 15, 2016

Kirks518 said:
I would have gone for close detail only. I'm not a huge car aficionado, but I do like to shoot them, so I'll go to the local car 'shows'. Recently went to a duPont Registry show, and all the cars were stacked next to each other. Almost impossible to get a nice full car shot, so I did the details.
View attachment 152573 View attachment 152574 View attachment 152575

That is pretty much what I did.
Judging from what I saw in my viewfinder, though, I doubt I'll get anything close to yours.
When I was looking through the viewfinder, even though I was trying for shots like yours, I am afraid they will all look like 'snap-shots', if you know what I mean.

Bob Carnie · Mar 15, 2016

Plus one the obvious solution

RobC said:
I would wait for the owner to come back, tell him how much you love the car and would like to photograph it. But since its in a bad location for photography could he put it in better position for some photographs and you will send him a print or two for his trouble. Sorted. And if you're lucky he might take you for a spin in it. Nothing ventured nothing gained...

Ai Print · Mar 20, 2016

Theo Sulphate said:
Even at car shows and for photos made of the whole car, I often have to wait for many minutes because sometimes there are some people you just don't want in the photo, e.g. a few years ago there was some guy with an exposed belly and a profane t-shirt (shouldn't've even been allowed at a public event with young kids).

I would have been all over this in a way that only a small portion of the car would have protruded into the frame and instead would have added an odd humorous element to what would could easily have ended up being the same expected and highly boring car show photo.

Sometimes one needs to feel their way through a photo rather than see their way.

How would you shoot it?

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