I started messing with off camera lighting. It is my first attempt so please critique it as I do want to get better. I only have one strobe and no light softening equipment but that will change soon. Excuse the dirty car.

 

One thing, as you might have already noticed, is that it's impossible to light up a dark color car. I honestly say stick with day light (natural light pictures) or find a color that's easier to light up. Otherwise you'll have hot spots and the car will never be fully lit up. Darker colors (especially black, I know yours isn't but it's close) reflect light, that's why it's so hard to light them up with strobes.

 

Yah I have plenty of dark spots that I missed to fill but your right. Maybe around sunset would be good and use strobes as fill light. As for large soft boxes would they spread the light more evenly?

 

With all that being said... still a great pic!

 

Unlike a bright colored car where you create shadows, using light(s), to give the car its shape, you do the opposite for dark cars. Don't aim the flash directly at the car since they reflect light. Use your flash to light a bed sheet to create the highlight on the car. You'll probably need a few assistants to hold the sheet.

 

Nice pic

take the advice that these guys gave

 

moar pics of this car plz

 

all i can say is you chose a very difficult color to shoot in the dark and with strobes. dark blue is one of the hardest colors for me at least to get out and guess what car color I have? lol fml






I would either use a stronger light source, bump the ISO, or mess with it a lot in post. That's the only ways I have figured out how to get my car color to pop at night with light sources.

 

Another option is to build a big reflector. I have one that cost less than $15 to build and easily collapses into the same box I put my rig in.

With dark colors, you want to "Light the reflection." Also, a painters pole with umbrella mount can be great for getting a flash above the car.

 

Any more info on the reflector? Seems useful!

 

Stobe

 

White shower curtain + PVC pipe + velcro

I used 4 90* angles, 4 t fittings, and about 15 feet of PVC pipe. The T fittings were to make "handles" for my super clamps the hold onto, which then went on top of some light stands. This lets me pivot the reflector. The velcro is used to attach the shower curtain to the frame. Some rip-stop nylon would be better than the shower curtain, but this was a prototype.

Also, you can put your flashes behind the shower curtain and effectively have a giant diffuser. If you wanted to get real crazy, you could make a softbox out of it :O

You mean strobe? That's how the OP lit his shots.

 

or use a white blanket/cloth. an assistant(s) would be needed though. you seriously just need to bump the iso to make it work though unless you dont like some noise and depending on the camera you're using.

 

No... OP used a stobe.

Learn to read.

 

What camera are you shooting with?

 

He used a Nikon D7000 with a Nikon SB-600.

 

Nikon with 2 expos, 320 ISO

 

D'oh! Title is wrong, body is correct. I thought you were replying to the thread w/o reading the OPs question

Check this out:

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglis...s/can-you-read

 

I've been looking at your flickr thread and you seriously inspired me to get some lighting equipment. Seriously those pictures are looking good, definitely better than most night/strobe pictures I've seen with a dark colored car. Do you have any pictures or the setup for these shots?

 

never mind.