57 Thunderbird
Collectors grade 57 T-bird at sunset parked at Lake Hefner in OKC.
Collectors grade 57 T-bird at sunset parked at Lake Hefner in OKC.
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Sep, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma City. The setting is the Louie's restaurant parking lot on the east side of the lake, facing west.Time
The original plan for photographing this magnificent car was to set it in front of the marina at this same lake. Unfortunately, my friend who was set to meet me and open the marina had to work late. I drove the car around until I found this great little spot, and sandwiched it between two SUVs just out of the frame. It was about 5:30 then and the sun was setting fast. I had to scramble to get the camera and flashes set up. Taken December 1st, 2010.Lighting
Originally I had set up the shot to use three Speedlight 580EX II's, but on this particular shot, the one in my hand failed to fire. The flash inside the car fired, as did the one pointed at the door from the side. The lighting on the hood is from a street light illuminating the parking lot. After reviewing my other shots where all the flashes fired, I decided I liked the color better in this shot.Equipment
I was using a Canon 7D, set to manual, a Canon 18-135 f4.5 lens, three Speedlight 580EX II flashes, and cheap no-name radio frequency flash remotes which I replaced later.Inspiration
I was asked to photograph this classic car by the owner who is also the CEO of the corporation I work for. I knew I had to pick a setting as glorious and classy as this beautiful car. I ended up driving the car to the shoot and back, which helped inspire the setting choice.Editing
I was having a hard time balancing the light from the flashes against the sunset. In this final shot, I had set the flashes quite soft, and even had one not pop at all. With a 1/250 shutter, I managed to capture a good balance between the sunset and the lighting on the car. In post-processing, I turned up the intensity on the red, increased the exposure, and pumped up the saturation a little bit. I also darkened the parking lot on either side and removed some trash and oil spots on the ground that was visible.In my camera bag
Canon 7D, Speedlight 580EX II's, 18-135 lens, 12-22 lens, extra batteries, etc.Feedback
I recommend setting up your sunset shots as early as possible. In this case, I lucked out that there were three open parking spaces in a crowded parking lot, facing the right direction. Always take a friend - if nothing else to help direct traffic and keep you from getting run over.
