48 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
PROJECT 1
VIDEO ALSO ONLINE
http://bit.ly/pp_160_1CARS ARE like giant
mirrors – reflecting the
surroundings and nearby
light sources. At first
here we attached a
softbox to the flash unit.
The reflected rectangle
of light from the softbox
emphasizes the
contours, but the
paintwork came out dull.NEXT WE switched
to a smaller reflector
modifier, which makes
the light much harder
and brings out the colour
in the car. It made small
reflections in the body
that can look messy, but
are easily retouched
later. We ended up using
mostly hard light shots.TOP TIPS CHOOSE A MODIFIER
Using modifiers on your flash has a dramatic effect on the quality of the light and the paintwork of the car...
TOP TIPS LIGHTING THE CAR
Use a combination of flash and exposure settings to get the moody studio look
USE A
POLARIZERIf the surroundings are
causing you a headache
by showing up in the
reflective body of the car
then try using a circular
polarizing filter. By
rotating the filter we are
able to cut through the
reflections. Of course,
this could also weaken
the reflection of the car
created by the portable
reflective board. But you
can often find a halfway
point with a polarizer,
where it cancels out the
worst reflections without
overpowering those that
we want to keep.01 SET AN EXPOSURE
After setting the camera up on a tripod, composing
and focusing on the car, we work out a manual
exposure that underexposes the natural light, so it
barely registers. On an overcast day here we had
1/200 sec, f/11, ISO100, giving a near-dark image.03 MOVE THE FLASH
Try lighting the car from all angles with the flash.
Experiment with backlighting from behind the car in
order to highlight the edges and the curves. Direct the
flash at specific areas like the wheels and grill. Take
lots of shots and hold the light up high or down low.02 FIRE THE FLASH
Next, we set up a single studio flash, powered through
the mains. The flash is set to optical slave, triggered
wirelessly and set to full power (400w). By popping
the flash at different angles we can pick out various
parts of the car and emphasize the flowing lines.04 CAPTURE THE REFLECTION
Once we’ve lit the car, we start the reflection. We place
two studio lights on either side to light the sides and
lower section of the car, then take several frames,
moving the reflective board around between shots to
capture a complete reflection.VIEW^ TH
E^ VIDEO