Took a few pics last night. *PICS* [56k warning]

[Kman]

I got bored so I figured I should go take some pics. My car is nothing special. Pretty much stock...for now. I took these pics with a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W7. Took the pics at 3 mega pixel. I used a Velbon VS-3 tripod. This is the first time I have taken pics like this. I did not touch them up in photoshop in any way.

Yes, I know I need to lower my car and so on. Planned mods are as follows...

GMMG, new rotors and pads, BMR SFC's, lowering springs (not sure which ones yet), Koni SA's, rims and tires (no idea yet, so many to choose from).

If anyone is wondering, the pics are taken right by the Irvine Spectrum.

I washed my car Friday night. Gold Class car wash, wiped down with NXT quick detailer, Deep Crystal Polish, followed up with #26. I like the Deep Crystal polish more than the #7. Meguiar's Natural Shine on the dash and plastics. Stoner's Tire Shine on the tires and Stoner's Invisible Glass on the windows.






















What do you guys think?

[bullet1]

I think its hard to see the shine in your car under those lights. Definitely need to find a place with white parking lights and more around it to see reflected in your paint to show off how good the shine is. Also, the car seems to be secondary in all your photos since you are so far away. If you get closer you are bound to bring out more detail in the car and make it more of the centerpiece of the pictures. Camaro looks in good shape though.

[Kman]

Originally posted by bullet1
I think its hard to see the shine in your car under those lights. Definitely need to find a place with white parking lights and more around it to see reflected in your paint to show off how good the shine is. Also, the car seems to be secondary in all your photos since you are so far away. If you get closer you are bound to bring out more detail in the car and make it more of the centerpiece of the pictures. Camaro looks in good shape though.

Thanks. I'm going to a parking garage tonight that has white lights.

[Michael Stoops]

Originally posted by Kman
Thanks. I'm going to a parking garage tonight that has white lights.

I take it you're heading to the new parking garages at the Spectrum, near where you shot these pictures? Do a white balance adjustment before you shoot because the pictures will still come out quite yellow otherwise. I took the shot below with a Canon Digital Rebel SLR in RAW mode and was then able to adjust the light temperature in Photoshop CS2. The little thumbnail shows the color "as shot".

It's a nice clean garage with very little traffic midweek on the upper levels.

[Kman]

Yea, I was thinking about going over to the Spec parking garages. How do I adjust the white light in the cam before I take shots?

[STG]

Night shoots aren't easy. Especially with consumer grade cameras.

First, composition. The main focal points of your shots seem to be either light standards or parking lot stripes. The subject is the car.

Turn off the auto or program mode as well as the flash.

Use a tripod, box, etc. and set the timer on the camera. You can't hold it steady for the shutter speed required. (See blurred license plate above.)

Put the car under a light. The lights in your photos make the stripes on the concrete even more obvious.

Whatever you do, you will need to massage your photos in PS.

Here's a quick fix:




Here's a night shot takern with a serious digital camera and tripod. (1.8 second shutter speed F2.8 lens, F22, available light).

[Michael Stoops]

Originally posted by Kman
Yea, I was thinking about going over to the Spec parking garages. How do I adjust the white light in the cam before I take shots?

Double check your owners manual for the camera, but in simple terms you point the camera at a pure white sheet of paper under the light you'll be using and hit the appropriate "white balance" button on the camera. Basically what it does is teach the camera what "white" is and the camera can balance the color accordingly. As you can see from the thumbnail in my post above, those lights in the garage aren't as white as you think!

[Kman]

Well, where I was orginally planning on taking pics in a private parking garage. The lights in there are ghost white. I ended up going over to the Spectrum Parking Garage. Lights aren't that white, but not to yellow. Kind of inbetween.

The pics came out alright. They look better on the cam, then on the computer. They look lighter on the cam.

You can see the reflection on the paint better in these pics then of the pics I took last night outside.

I love Meg's.

[bullet1]

Pics look a lot better. Not sure what type of camera you are using, but you could make them whiter by doing what the previous poster said by adjusting the white balance. Either way the lighting is definitely better for showing off your finish.

[Zet]

While it is a little hard to see the car in the first series of pics, they sure are full of athmosphere. I think I like pic #3 the best, the position of the car, the contrast between the yellowish parking lot, the purple looking sky, and the lamp posts giving the impression of small islands of light in the background. Sure looks like the car has a nice shine

[Kman]

Originally posted by Zet
While it is a little hard to see the car in the first series of pics, they sure are full of athmosphere. I think I like pic #3 the best, the position of the car, the contrast between the yellowish parking lot, the purple looking sky, and the lamp posts giving the impression of small islands of light in the background. Sure looks like the car has a nice shine

Thanks.

[Kickin Griffin]

I think both sets of pics are excellent - the first set being very artistic and as mentioned, full of atmosphere. The second show the car up very well, its looking very nice and glossy.

[Megafast13]

Re: Took a few pics last night. *PICS* [56k warning]

Did you install HID headlights on that thing. Those night time pics make those headlights look really bright man.

Nice Pics

[Carfire]

Re: Took a few pics last night. *PICS* [56k warning]

Awesome Night Shots!!
Car Looks Great!!

[Golden]

Re: Took a few pics last night. *PICS* [56k warning]

Oooh, Monterey red. Rare color! Nice looking Z! LS1's are where it's at.

I say go with Chrome C5 z06 wheels!