Enzo
A close-up shot of an Enzo Ferrari at Cars and Coffee in Gainey Ranch in the early morning light.
A close-up shot of an Enzo Ferrari at Cars and Coffee in Gainey Ranch in the early morning light.
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Jan, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo at the Cars and Coffee show in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. The Scottsdale show is always the first Saturday of every month, bright-and-early from 7am-10am. This particular photo was taken at the September show.Time
Being a car show for those who can wake up early enough for it, I took the photo in the morning at around 9:30am. By this time, the sun is already relatively high in the sky, meaning that usually the Arizonan sun ruins pictures from the inability to balance light and dark colors. However, it was a cloudy day this day, giving good lighting.Lighting
Overcast skies are my favorite lighting situation, not just for cars, but for almost everything else too, like landscapes. Perhaps it's the result of living in a desert all my life. Clouds blocking the sun allow for just the right amount of light, even reflections, and a cooler temperature of color. Thus, a car show under the clouds was perfect for me. As I made my way around the car, taking pictures of the details and lines of the design, I found myself at this angle, looking at the headlight. As I looked through the viewfinder, I noticed that there was a reflection from the sun on the mirror and that, since that part of the car faced east, the sky was brighter on that side. I decided to enhance that effect in post-processing.Equipment
I used my trusty Nikon D5300 and by brand-new (at the time) Nikon DX 35mm f/1.8 lens and a lower quality ebay ($10USD-ish) circular polarizer, since I was still experimenting with polarizers.Inspiration
My prime lens was brand new to me at the time. I was shooting with an 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens for a year until then, and I was astounded by the kind of depth-of-field I could achieve from a fast lens. So, I spent a lot of time that show taking close-up pictures of the details of cars at low f-stop numbers to create a dramatic depth-of-field effect. I couldn't take pictures of the cars from too far away with the 35mm lens due to the crop factor and because of how many people attend the show. Furthermore, I was new to using circular polarizers, which are essential for automotive photography due to how, since metal and paint tends to be shiny, a lot of light reflects off, which can cause a huge imbalance in exposure. This also helps bring out the darkness of blacks in automotive paint, which often times get washed out in sunlight in photos. Polarizers help even out the reflections, and as an added bonus, if plastics, such as headlights, are well-maintained and freshly waxed, the swirls from the polish will show up like in this picture, a brilliant rainbow of color. When I saw the angle, the depth-of-field, how brilliant the black of the paint was, the swirls in the headlights, and the potential in post-processing, I immediately took the photo. To me, the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true. There is a story behind each and every picture. Mundane or not, the story tells some part of a person's, or an object's, life. I want to invoke emotion and feeling in my photos. I knew of the potential in post-processing that I could do to achieve this.Editing
This photo received simple post-processing. I used Lightroom for basic exposure/contrast/etc. adjustments. Seeing the reflection of light on the mirror and the blank space above it made me open the photo in Photoshop as well. From there, I added a lens flare to the top-left corner of the image. When I took the photo, I thought that the original lighting would lend itself well to a bright light source in the top left corner. The end result of this editing, I hope, achieved a sense of awe and wonder in the automobile, both in its aesthetic design and its engineering, two schools of thoughts that usually oppose each other, but, when done right, enhance each other. This car, an Enzo Ferrari, was the pinnacle of engineering when it was released a decade ago, and it still brings wonder to those who look at it.In my camera bag
I usually carry the same things in my bag at all times, unless I'm trying to reduce weight/bulk. I carry around my Nikon D5300, which is either mated to my Nikon DX 35mm f/1.8 lens, my preferred lens due to the depth-of-field and sharpness I can get from it), or my Nikon DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 VRII lens, for when I need its versatility. All of my filters (circular ND, polarizers, and UV) are also always in my bag. I also carry around a speedlight and mini-softbox, just in case. If I'm going out at dawn/dusk/night, I always bring my tripod with me as well.Feedback
First and foremost, if you're looking to take an image like this with brilliant color in the plastic and glass, the setting has to be just right. The car's headlights must be polished in the first place for the rainbow colors to appear. Furthermore, overcast skies will really help when it comes to reflections in the windshield like in my photo. The lowered amount of light reduces the intensity of the reflections, letting them appear with better color rather than washed out. Plus, the clouds add detail. A circular polarizer is a must. The higher quality it is (and more expensive), the better your image quality will be. While I did take this with a cheap polarizer, I highly suggest that, if you find you'll be using polarizers often, you invest in a high-quality one if you can. Of course, practice with the lower-end ones like I was here to make sure you can utilize them properly; no point in spending a ton of money on something you'll never use! A polarizer will allow for most of the reflected light to be eliminated (the top of the car would appear white or a washed-out black if I took this without one), and furthermore, it will dramatically bring out the colors of polished plastics light the headlight cover here. For the depth of field, you'll need a fast lens. The lower f-stop number you can go, the better, as it will allow more and more unfocused light in, creating the dramatic depth-of-field. While you could replicate this effect in Photoshop with the Gaussian Blur tool, it's definitely easier and better looking to do it in real life. Get low with the car. This means you're going to have to squat, bend over, sit/lie down on the ground, etc. Being low with the car either puts you at its level or lower, allowing for more interesting compositions since the car is being seen from unfamiliar angles. And for exotic cars like this, I'm not kidding when I say you might be sitting or lying down on the ground; the Enzo's ground clearance is only 99mm. If you're at a car show like where this photo is taken, you're going to have to be very, very, VERY patient. People are everywhere, and they'll constantly be getting into your shots, either directly or indirectly in the background, in reflections, etc. If you really want a shot, you'll have to plant yourself in a "ready position" with your subject focused and finger on the shutter button.
