Car Show Photography

On Apr 6, 2019, Tony Cooper wrote
(in ):

On Sat, 06 Apr 2019 18:56:03 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

On Apr 6, 2019, Tony Cooper wrote
(in ):

Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography. Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed. I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars. The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car. Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg

It sounds as though you were faced with the typical local car show problem,
cars packed into spaces which prevent any appreciative viewing, and/or
photography.

Car shows are one of those events where a wide, or even ultra-wide angle
angle lens can prove to be useful.

In these examples a 14mm f/2.8 and a 16mm f/1.4.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-dCf3hbN/0/3adc8afa/O/i-dCf3hbN.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-g4MvNs3/0/b8a9c012/O/i-g4MvNs3.jpg

I attended this same show a few years ago when it was held in an area
with a quite a few trees. The shadows, as seen in your photo, drove
me nuts. One part of a car would be in shadow, and part not in
shadow. There would be a limb's shadow right across a car.

Yup! That can be a problem, and off camera lighting is so awkward in that
scenario.

This year they were in a new location which is a huge open area. No
tree shadows, but excessive glare from Florida sun. I didn't carry my
bag into the event and didn't have a polarizing filter with me.

Somehow I don’t believe a CPL would have saved the day. Perhaps some other
solution which might save you from blown highlights.

I don't like shots with a lot of background clutter, and that's always
the problem with car shows. Usually I'll shoot close-ups of grills or
wheels or something, but nothing interesting today.

Unfortunately with many of these shows the location dictates the background,
and then there are those intruding people. You would think they would at
least let us get the shots we want before they contaminate the scene.
Having said that, here is a grill shot from my Nikon days.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-7fVsMZ7/0/d3059b1a/O/i-7fVsMZ7.jpg

As far as the Morris under hood/bonnet shot goes, that car would not get too
far in a Concours show as there doesn’t seem to be much beyond the valve
cover which is original. For starters the twin SU carbs + intake manifold,
non-original fuel filter+line, add-on AC, and alternator are not OEM, and
weren’t even original options. As for the horn, and the red
“Dodgeball�
thing in the upper left...

This was a local event. There are different categories of entrants.
Some enter to be judged, and some enter just to show off their babies.
I forget what the area was labeled where this car was, but it was not
in an area for judging. Most of the areas were for makes of cars, but
this area was mixed.

I don't even think they had "judges". I noticed a box where
spectators turned in ballots for the "People's Choice". There were
about 200 cars there.
There are quite a few local shows that are run that way with some pseudo
formal judging, and a write in popularity contest.

This was not the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

Pity! This year’s Amelia Island event has come and gone, but next year mark
your calendar for March 12-15.
https://www.ameliaconcours.org/news.aspx

Strange the way they like to have these events at golf courses, Amelia
Island, Pebble Beach, Avila Bay....

--
Regards,
Savageduck

On 4/6/2019 9:56 PM, Savageduck wrote:
On Apr 6, 2019, Tony Cooper wrote
(in ):

Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography. Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed. I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars. The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car. Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg

It sounds as though you were faced with the typical local car show problem,
cars packed into spaces which prevent any appreciative viewing, and/or
photography.

Car shows are one of those events where a wide, or even ultra-wide angle
angle lens can prove to be useful.

In these examples a 14mm f/2.8 and a 16mm f/1.4.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-dCf3hbN/0/3adc8afa/O/i-dCf3hbN.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-g4MvNs3/0/b8a9c012/O/i-g4MvNs3.jpg

As far as the Morris under hood/bonnet shot goes, that car would not get too
far in a Concours show as there doesn’t seem to be much beyond the valve
cover which is original. For starters the twin SU carbs + intake manifold,
non-original fuel filter+line, add-on AC, and alternator are not OEM, and
weren’t even original options. As for the horn, and the red “Dodgeball�
thing in the upper left...





when the cars are lined up too closely at a car show, I look for a
different perspective,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iup153dn2rmq45n/_DSC6735.jpg?dl=0


--
PeterN

On Apr 6, 2019, Tony Cooper wrote
(in ):



I don't like shots with a lot of background clutter, and that's always
the problem with car shows. Usually I'll shoot close-ups of grills or
wheels or something, but nothing interesting today.

Sometimes, in not very good conditions, one can find a bit of potential that
everybody else has missed.

The prospective target:
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-zZgq7Nr/0/71c4ce97/O/i-zZgq7Nr.jpg

The shot:
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-6mXQxJQ/0/41a0d254/O/i-6mXQxJQ.jpg

The final edit:
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-BMHK5Pb/0/30ffb209/O/i-BMHK5Pb.jpg

BTW: the vehicle is a 1948 Cisitalia Abarth 204 A Spyder. Even in the
post-War 40’s the Italians made pretty cars.

--
Regards,
Savageduck

On Sun, 7 Apr 2019 22:16:30 -0400, PeterN
wrote:

On 4/6/2019 9:56 PM, Savageduck wrote:
On Apr 6, 2019, Tony Cooper wrote
(in ):

Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography. Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed. I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars. The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car. Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg

It sounds as though you were faced with the typical local car show problem,
cars packed into spaces which prevent any appreciative viewing, and/or
photography.

Car shows are one of those events where a wide, or even ultra-wide angle
angle lens can prove to be useful.

In these examples a 14mm f/2.8 and a 16mm f/1.4.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-dCf3hbN/0/3adc8afa/O/i-dCf3hbN.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-g4MvNs3/0/b8a9c012/O/i-g4MvNs3.jpg

As far as the Morris under hood/bonnet shot goes, that car would not get too
far in a Concours show as there doesn’t seem to be much beyond the valve
cover which is original. For starters the twin SU carbs + intake manifold,
non-original fuel filter+line, add-on AC, and alternator are not OEM, and
weren’t even original options. As for the horn, and the red “Dodgeball”
thing in the upper left...





when the cars are lined up too closely at a car show, I look for a
different perspective,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/iup153dn2rmq45n/_DSC6735.jpg?dl=0

There are always some non-vehicle subjects to shoot:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Candids/i...2-01-21-2G.jpg
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

On 06/04/2019 21:52, RJH wrote:
On 06/04/2019 21:16, Tony Cooper wrote:
Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography.Â* Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed.Â* I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars.Â* The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car.Â* Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg



Nice photo - but pretty far removed from the standard Minor I think. The
AC unit (on the left - is that an AC compressor?) and the twin
carburettors take up a lot of space in what is by most standards a
cavernous engine bay. And that horn isn't standard!

I was just going to say that!

I can't recall for the moment whether similar twin carb setups were
found on the similar engine of things like the MG Midget / Austin Healey
Sprite of the same period.

We Brits certainly thought that aircon was strictly for softies, in
those days.

On 08/04/2019 14:25, newshound wrote:
On 06/04/2019 21:52, RJH wrote:
On 06/04/2019 21:16, Tony Cooper wrote:
Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography.Â* Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed.Â* I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars.Â* The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car.Â* Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg



Nice photo - but pretty far removed from the standard Minor I think.
The AC unit (on the left - is that an AC compressor?) and the twin
carburettors take up a lot of space in what is by most standards a
cavernous engine bay. And that horn isn't standard!

I was just going to say that!

I can't recall for the moment whether similar twin carb setups were
found on the similar engine of things like the MG Midget / Austin Healey
Sprite of the same period.


Pretty sure they were. Like the Cooper versions of the Mini - I was
lucky enough to have a 1963 Cooper. Happy days, 'balancing' with a bit
of plastic tube :-)

We Brits certainly thought that aircon was strictly for softies, in
those days.

Indeed! It was only about 10 years back that I bought my first car with
aircon.

--
Cheers, Rob

On 4/6/2019 6:31 PM, RichA wrote:
On Saturday, 6 April 2019 16:16:34 UTC-4, Tony Cooper wrote:
Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography. Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed. I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars. The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car. Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg
--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida

Most car show shots are typical side-aimed 3/4 views, often with wide angle lenses which distort because of the lack of space at these events.

See my prior response.

Also:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/upwjepim88y9ip5/20180603_cars%20antique%20flowers_6748-Edit.jpg?dl=0


Or if you are not into abstract, talk to the owner. Most that I have
spoken with are reasonably accommodating, after the judging. I also
carry some extra disks, and offer them one with at least one JPEG of the
car. (I only make the offer if they have done me a favor, and the
professional photographer has left for the day.)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e3xsjzhquvng0hm/20180603_cars%20antique%20flowers_6871.jpg?dl=0

--
PeterN

On 4/8/2019 9:25 AM, newshound wrote:
On 06/04/2019 21:52, RJH wrote:
On 06/04/2019 21:16, Tony Cooper wrote:
Today's Central Florida All-British Car Show was great for the
spectators, but not so good for photography.Â* Almost all of the cars
had the bonnets up so the engine could be viewed.Â* I suppose some
people like looking at engines, but it doesn't allow photographs of
the lines of some really classy cars.Â* The cars were parked very close
together, and every shot included some old dudes in Bermuda shorts and
black socks.

I did take one photograph of the engine compartment of a car.Â* Lotta
stuff crammed under the bonnet of a car about the size of a baby
buggy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/Current/i...19-04-06-L.jpg



Nice photo - but pretty far removed from the standard Minor I think.
The AC unit (on the left - is that an AC compressor?) and the twin
carburettors take up a lot of space in what is by most standards a
cavernous engine bay. And that horn isn't standard!

I was just going to say that!

I can't recall for the moment whether similar twin carb setups were
found on the similar engine of things like the MG Midget / Austin Healey
Sprite of the same period.

We Brits certainly thought that aircon was strictly for softies, in
those days.

Twin SU carbs were standard for Austin Healy Sprites/MG Midgets, MGB &
MGC, Moris Mini & Minor, Most Triumph models, etc. Triple SUs were used
on some of the 6-cylinder engines as an option.

--
best regards,

Neil