Non-BMW Photo Shoot

[Werksmini]

What do you guys think?

I got a polarizer and needed to test it out. It was like 100 out so I didnt take that many pictures, im rather dissapointed about that. I get about 1 out of 15 shots that I actualy like. Im still getting a little blurryness in most of the shots though, there just not as crisp as I would like. I was using a tripod in all of the shots, but im wondering if its from my hand. I may invest in a corded remote release.

Also the polarizer didnt screw on very well, its a cokin circular polarizer. It took a while to get it on and it wasnt smooth. Meh.

Thanks for taking a look.

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.

[Digitalwave]

The last shot was good, but there is nothing inspiring about the first ones. Make you sure you shoot at dusk or dawn and not during the day. Also, unsharp mask in Photoshop can make a big difference in the focus of those pics.

[MR 325]

Nice VR6

[Gr00v3]

your tripod may need an extra second or so to stabilize after you push the shutter down. to combat this y ou could set up the automatic timer and let the tripod sit as it counts down to take the shot. also remember that polarizers work best when faced away from the sun and richens the saturation of non-metallic surfaces.

edit: what camera were you using? i have a cokin filter too and i'm not too pleased with it either, im thinkin of switching it up for a hoya.
________
Wendie 99

[Ryan Stewart]

Not bad. Like said make sure your tripod is stout and use the autotimer or a remote trigger (if available) .

What kind of polarizer? Circular, or the orbital you have to turn. It looks like you have a partial effect going on there.

I have a bunch of Hoya ones. They seem alright.

[Werksmini]

I have a digi rebel XT. Its a circular polarizer, the end twists. I dont know much about polarizers. :?

Yea, we were bored and it was 12 so I didnt really feel like waiting till dusk. I would love to go back at night and see what I can get. Thanks for the comments.

[Ryan Stewart]

You sure its circular? Those tend not to have a serrated edge that twists. They are circular so they polarize in every direction a little bit. An orbital polarizer has the cuts in one direction so that you have to rotate it to line up the cuts to the angle of reflection to kill it. Those are usually unpopular for digitals unless its a true SLR because its hard to see the image through the viewfinder.

[Ben Carufel]

You sure its circular? Those tend not to have a serrated edge that twists. They are circular so they polarize in every direction a little bit. An orbital polarizer has the cuts in one direction so that you have to rotate it to line up the cuts to the angle of reflection to kill it. Those are usually unpopular for digitals unless its a true SLR because its hard to see the image through the viewfinder.

Wrong, Stewart.

A circular polarizer is simply a different type of polarization element. You have to rotate both linear and circular polarizers.

Here's a reason why...

"A circular has an additional quarter-wave plate or scrambler behind
the (still linear) polarizing foil. Although not scientifically
correct, it more or less restores the natural 50/50 vertical/horizontal
balance of polarization, without affecting the initial pictoral result.

Only by restoring this natural balance will it allow the light
metering and AF sensors to work properly, as they use polarizing beam
splitters. With a linear filter, you would risk a cross-polarizing
effect, ie a black-out. Bad for both light metering and AF.

In spite of what most people will tell you: the main reason to buy a
circular polarizer is *not* the AF sensor, but the light metering
system. You can *see* when AF goes haywire (it won't shift focus, it
just has more difficulty to lock on), but you can only guess what
happens with your light meter!

Actually, the first circulars were required long before AF existed,
and are still required for non-AF cameras today (Rollei 600x series
is a nice example)."

[Ben Carufel]

...also remember that polarizers work best when faced away from the sun and richens the saturation of non-metallic surfaces.

Wrong. Polarizers are actually most effective when at a 90* angle to the sun. Therefore if you were facing East or West and the sun was to the North or South, you'd get the most effect.

[Ben Carufel]

Re: Non-BMW Photo Shoot

Also the polarizer didnt screw on very well, its a cokin circular polarizer. It took a while to get it on and it wasnt smooth. Meh.

Since you're probably using the kit lens, which I believe has plastic filter threads, you most likely were cross-threading them. The trick to screwing on filters is to put them against the threads as you normally would, but turn them counter-clockwise (as if to loosen them) for a half turn or so. This will 'seat' the threads and allow you to twist the filter on without crossthreading.

If that doesn't work, try it again. You'll get the hang of it. Even after doing it every single day for the past seven years or so, I still have trouble with it every once in a while.

[Ben Carufel]

Lastly, the ONLY filters I recommend are B+W filters, manufactured by Schneider-Kreuznach, one of the biggest names in large-format lenses.

They are very competitively priced with Tiffen, Hoya, et al, and are much better quality.

Remember, your shots are only as good as the glass you put in front of them! This goes for your filters and lenses...a camera is really just a dark box to hold the film flat.

[wiredroach]

you could also put a sandbag on your tripod if it has a good place to hang one from. It'll make the tripod a lot more stable.

Unsharp mask in Photoshop will help with sharpness, but it can't really cure a soft focus problem.

But, the shadow-highlight filter in the newer versions of photoshop will probably pull some additional detail out of your car without blowing the sky out.

Best thing to do is shoot morning/evening, as mentioned above. you'll probably have better luck getting a good highlight along the car's beltline that way.

[ProBimmer]

pretty much what everyone says is true here :)
After shooting for 20 years I still learn something new every day.
More tips:
1) Black cars shoot HORRIBLE at any time of the day. The camera wants to darken it even more than it already is, next time, face the side you want to shoot to the sun. I always shoot black cars/trucks in the morning light with NO filters.
2) The glass makes all the difference. If you're shooting with the stock lens, think about upgrading to at least a 58mm lens and preferably a 72. Canon makes nice glass in their higher end lenses, with the L Series considered the best and of course, most expensive.
3) Think about this, whenever you're shooting, remember, your camera whether it's film or digital, only sees grayscale. It tries to make everything 18% gray, or close to it.
The last photo shows the most potential. Try the same shot next time without a filter, low angle, at about dark :30.
I use P Shop to retouch any poor exposures and now since you are digital-based, shoot TONS of images and learn from trial-and error.

EDIT: Black cars are HARD to find focus points on. Usually you can get a sharper focus on a 3/4 front shot by focusing on the wheel, where there's contrast. Aim for the middle of the car on 3/4 front shots too. Looks like your camera was hunting for a focus point, thus causing the soft focus effect.