Learning Center

Crème de la Chrome showcases some of the classiest hot rods, sports, and muscle cars in the Rocky Mountain West. Armed with a Canon EOS 5D and EOS 20D, fitted with wide-angle zooms, I was excited to photograph it for the first time. This hot rod was photographed with Tamron’s SP AF11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) set at 11mm on a Canon EOS20D. Exposure was 1/30th of a second at f4.5 in Aperture Priority mode at ISO 1600.

THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

To make interesting photographs at a car show, you gotta love cars. A passion for your subject is always a plus and enables you to look beyond the surface of a car to see its essence, its soul.

Tip #1: Before taking pictures try to talk to the owner. You don’t need to be an expert; just be curious and polite. Most owners can talk for hours about their cars because there never was a restoration project that didn’t have some interesting twists and turns. One of the best ways to get to know the owner involves Tip #2: Do not make photographs with the hoods—or bonnets if they are British—raised. Many owners like to display the cleanliness or sparkling chrome underneath, but that’s not the best way to photograph a vehicle because it breaks up the car’s lines. Since he or she is probably nearby, ask the owner if they would close the hood so you can make a photograph. In exchange, offer to give them a print. That print automatically positions you as a photographer who cares. Tip #3: It’s also a good idea to remove show placards such as the identification cards placed on the dash or under the windshield wiper. Ask the owner before touching any part of his or her car! It’s best to have them do it, so ask politely.

RIGHT GEAR & TECHNIQUE

Tip #4: Be sure to make images of parts of cars. Don’t be frustrated by the lack of space and crowded conditions found at shows. Use that to your advantage by finding small details, such as the delicate nature of a Bugatti’s grille or the sensuous lines of a street rod’s fender and capture them in sharp focus. While almost all of the good car shows are crowded, the people are unfailingly polite and it doesn’t make any difference if you’re using a one-time use camera or the newest digital SLR.

Tip #5: Get close to the car. Begin by working in close and gradually back off until extraneous non-car details or people start to appear in the frame. Wide-angle lenses and wide angle zooms let you fill up the frame with part or even the entire car while making sure distractions are eliminated. Make sure your zoom lens allows close focusing. I once purchased a wide-angle zoom lens only to discover it didn’t focus close enough to do me any good. On the other hand, Tamron’s 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di II lens focuses as close as 9.8" inches.

Getting close to the cars is always a good idea because it produces a dramatic look, especially with a wide-angle lens. Since Tamron’s SP AF11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) focuses as close as 9.8" inches I could sit on the floor (See Tip #7) and get up close and personal with this striking red hot rod. Exposure with a Canon EOS 20D was 1/13th of second in Aperture Priority mode (to control depth of field) at f/11 and ISO 1600. The lens is at the 11mm setting.

Tip #6: Explore unconventional views of the car. Tilt the camera to provide a dynamic image. The crowds at most car shows—although they are some of the most polite people you will find anywhere—make it almost impossible to use a tripod so I seldom bring one. Monopods can provide a steady platform for low light conditions, such as end of the day shots or you can use a tabletop tripod or on-the-ground low angle shots. Tip #7: Dress for success. Dress comfortably and wear the kind of clothing you won’t be afraid to get dirty when trying to get an interesting camera angle. For outdoor shows, be sure to wear a hat to keep the sun off your head and like the song says, “be sure to wear sunscreen.

The 103 degree angle-of-view of Tamron’s SP AF11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens gives you lots of control over composition and allowed me to get close to this 1950 Mercury while capturing the entire expanse of its display area. All the extraneous ceiling and floor areas were cropped to produce a panoramic image of this beautiful blue “lead sled.” Exposure with a Canon EOS 20D was 1/15th of a second at f/11 and ISO 1600. The lens was at the 11mm setting.

Tip #8: To take advantage of the best light get to the show early and stay late. As cars began to leave, space opens up allowing you to photograph entire cars as well as some of the environment. Tip #9: When photographing cars late in the day, ask the owner to turn on the parking lights to add a subtle glow to the side marker, taillights, and turn signals. Tip #10: Next to your camera and a good wide-angle zoom lens, the most important thing to bring to a car show is lots of memory cards or film. You never know when you’ll get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to photograph a rare or exotic automobile.

I call this photograph my “THX 1138” shot because the pattern of the fluorescent tubes in the ceiling remind me of the garage scenes in George Lucas’ first movie even if the cars couldn’t be more different. (Maybe American Graffiti, his second film.) This photograph was made with a Canon EOS 20D set in AWB (Auto White balance) mode and the final images received either a little or no color correction in Adobe Photoshop. Exposure with a Canon EOS 20D was 1/13th of a second at f/11 and ISO 1600. Tamron’s SP AF11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens is at the 11mm setting.

If anything that’s the real lesson to be taken away from these tips and suggestions: Don’t let your automobile photographs look like everybody else’s.

Joe Farace is an award-winning photographer/writer who has written or edited 25 books and more than 1500 magazine stories. You can see his car photography at www.joefaraceshootscars.com. The Joe Farace Reporter backpack (there’s room for a laptop) is available from the Store section of www.joefarace.com.