How to Take a Unique Car Show Image? Go at Night!

My friends Dennis Gallus, James McKearney, and I have been frequenting a couple of annual car shows for a few years now. This year, with Dennis moved off to Arizona and James spending more time in Boston, I didn't even know when the Leesburg car show was scheduled. It just so happened that I took my daughter into town to enjoy the evening air and came upon it, just after dark.

 

These are some of the most memorable shots I've ever made there, and it's in large part due to the darkness.

 

Night at the Carshow, by Reed A. George

Nikon Df, Nikkor 50mm f1.2 AIS Lens

 

Later on in the evening, we got a surprise, which I'll cover in a future post.

 

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In Cars - On Composition

I believe that once you've learned the mechanics of photography - exposure, depth of field, focusing, etc., you can begin to look at the less concrete aspects of making good photographs. However, I think there are some concepts that bridge the gap between purely technical and artistic: lighting and composition, for example.

 

I shot a couple of rolls of Gekko 100 black and white film (donated to me by my good friend Dennis Gallus) last weekend. While doing the embassy row walk in DC, I shot two pictures from the Dumbarton Bridge. Here they are, side by side.

 

Two Compositions, by Reed A. George

Leica CL, Rokkor 40mm f2 Lens, Gekko 100 Film

 

Can you see the difference that the location of the cars in the scene makes? To my eye, the line of cars in the image on the left leads the viewer into and up the entrance ramp on the left. In the image on the right, the line of cars leads the eye in a curve to the right, and back to the bridge in the distance. Other than the placement of the cars, these images are nearly identical.

 

I feel that I have mastered the purely technical aspects of photography. Composition and lighting continue to challenge me, and perhaps always will. That's okay; it's part of the fun. I'm just scratching the surface of the higher "artistic" aspects of photography.

 

Here's a fun car shot, made the same day, from the new Metro Silver Line that runs from Reston, VA into DC.

 

Zoom Zoom, by Reed A. George

Leica CL, Rokkor 40mm f2 Lens, Gekko 100 Film

 

 

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Color Instant Shots with the Mamiya Universal

Yesterday, I posted about using Fuji FP3000B black and white pack film in the Mamiya Press Universal camera. So how does the color version (FP100C) work with this big old camera? Pretty well, I'd say.

 

This first shot was made with the Mamiya 100mm f3.5 lens. It's cropped significantly. I focused on the convertible top, folded just behind the seats.

The following two shots were made with the Mamiya 50mm f6.3 (very) wide angle lens.

 

 

The FP100C does an amazing job on the color of skin tones. The shot below is with the 100mm f3.5 again.

 

I'm already having a lot of fun with the Mamiya Universal. I'll enjoy the Fuji pack film while it lasts!

 

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Quick Post from the Bay Area - Tesla Motors Test Drive!

 

Tesla Model S, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss 25mm f2.8 Lens

 

I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area today, visiting friends and attending the LHSA (International Leica Society) annual meeting. I've been running myself silly this week, shuttling between the East Bay and San Francisco; I'll cross the Golden Gate four times today in addition to the cross-bay BART run.

 

Anyway, I did get some time with my friends. One example was going to test drive the awesome electric Model S automobile from Tesla Motors. What a phenomenal machine! As fast as any gasoline-powered car I've ever driven (with maybe the exception of my uncle's '65 Corvette with a 427), this is one luxury sports car.

 

The best thing? No gas station required.

 

Tesla Model S, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss 25mm f2.8 Lens

 

Our Test Car, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Zeiss 25mm f2.8 Lens

 

The price is hard to swallow. But, you really seem to get a lot for your money. At a minimum of about $70,000, Tesla guarantees they'll buy the car back at 36 months for around 50% of the initial price. A nice bottom line assurance. Not exactly a sports car, or a luxury car, the Model S seems to strike a reasonable balance. While it's pretty large overall, the performance and interior feel certainly tip more towards sports car. And, what other car has a 17" Apple-style display and operating software built like Google? No other car, that's the answer.

 

So, if you have the funds, I suggest giving the Model S a test drive. I won't be buying one soon, but I won't complain if my friend does!

 

Oh, yeah. The Zeiss 25mm Biogon was the perfect lens for shooting in the showroom with the M9. I did forget to inform the M9 that I'd changed to a wide angle lens, so there is more vignetting than I'd like. These are jpegs straight out of the camera.

 

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Swedish Rally Championship, Photographed on Micro 4/3 by Lars Martensson

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/showthread.php?p=535446#post535446

Swedish photographer Lars Martensson made the image above with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1, Micro 4/3 camera, and Olympus 17mm lens. He didn't say whether it was the original Oly 17mm f2.8, a much-maligned but probably very capable lens, or the newer f1.8 lens (which gets great reviews).

(Click Here) to see all of the pictures Lars posted on mu-43.com.

(Click Here) to see Lars Martensson's web page.

I appreciate a photographer who can put a wide angle lens to good use in an event like this. Martensson also used a 300mm lens on an Olympus E-M5, but I think his wide angle usage adds significantly to the series. My first thought would be to grab a telephoto, and I may bring something wider to shoot the crowd, drivers up close, etc. That would be conventional. Lars shows us how to do that, and still make some unique images using the wide angle lens.

As I've mentioned, I've made the decision to add Micro 4/3 back into my active kit very soon. Just waiting on delivery of my new DMC-GX7.

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Sequence of Thoughts - In Pictures - Small Town Saturday Morning

Small Town Saturday Morning
 
It's Saturday, Labor Day Weekend, in Charlestown, West Virginia, USA. What's going on this morning?
 

Car Show, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f8, 1/1000 sec

Roadkill, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f4.8, 1/750 sec

 
Oh, and the weekly farmer's market is also happening.
 

Farmer's Market, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f9.5, 1/250 sec

 
Do you hear that music? Where's that coming from?
 

Market Music, Acoustic Burgoo, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f13, 1/60 sec

 

Local Music 10AM-Noon, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f6.7, 1/350 sec

 
The music and market wrap up at noon, and things in Charles Town go back to normal. Could be a sleepy afternoon.
 

Back to Normal, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f9.5, 1/250 sec

 
 
I hope you enjoyed this little series.
 
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Diversion From Lumix - Pentax MX, Spotmatic Cameras Go To The Car Show!

 

'57 Chevy Wagon, by Reed A. George

Pentax Spotmatic, Pentax 35mm f3.5

Last Saturday, I loaded up my Pentax Spotmatic and MX cameras with iso 200 film, and headed out to meet my friend James McKearney at the annual car show in Leesburg, VA. I also took along some Pentax lenses, the 35mm f3.5 and 105mm f3.5 for the Spotmatic, and a 50mm f1.7 for the MX.

As I've mentioned, this is a repeat event for me, so I was challenged to find something new and interesting to bring back. To start with, I decided to shoot some of the cars as they rolled into town. The shot above attests to the beautiful weather we had, and I think has that classic car and small town feel to it.

Classic Traffic Jam, by Reed A. George

Cobra Corps Arrives, by Reed A. George

How often do you get to see a line of Cobras like that? Not often.

The locals seem to love the show, for example this restaurant crew that came out to see the cars...

Spectator Sport #1, by Reed A. George

Spectator Sport #2, by Reed A. George

... or anything else that may have caught their attention.

This young lady decided to get her nails done on the spot:

Car Shows Mean Different Things To Different People, by Reed A. George

This guy had some on-site repairs to do:

Minor Tweaks? by Reed A. George

I will finish with a few more favorites from the day:

T-bird, by Reed A. George

Small Town Reflections, by Reed A. George

Classic Boots, by Reed A. George

(Click Here) to go to the full set of images on flickr.

 
I thoroughly enjoyed pulling out these two old film cameras for this event. Those Pentax lenses are really something. I even enjoyed waiting to see "how they came out." I hope you enjoyed seeing them.
 

 

All Up In My Grille!, by Reed A. George

 
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More Great Car Shots by littleMT on mu-43.com

 

GTO, by littleMT on mu-43.com

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f42/my-2006-twin-turbo-gto-shot-e-pl1-27130/

I've been on a little diversion with car photography lately. Poster littleMT on mu-43.com has been a great source for me. littleMT posted a few intriguing images of the 2006 GTO shown above.

(Click Here) to see the others on mu-43.com.

You saw a post a while back from the same source:

(Click Here) for littleMT's other work I posted here.

I'm heading out to a car show myself this afternoon (which will be some days old before you read this), after getting a little work done at the office. It is one I've been to before, so I'm struggling to think of ways to do something different with my photography there. The people are always fun. Here's one from 2009:
 
 

Car Show Attendee, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, Lumix 14-45mm Kit Lens

iso100, f8, 1/125 sec

Here's another, trying to do something a little different:

Jag on Glass, by Reed A. George

Leica M8, Leica 35mm f1.4 Summilux

iso640, f-stop not recorded, 1/250 sec

So, wish me luck. I'm hoping for some inspiration this afternoon. Will report back :).

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Been Around the Block - Car Photography Is Fun

 

Image Source: http://www.mu-43.com/f88/been-around-block-few-times-27007/

Member littleMT on mu-43.com posted a few pictures of this old beast, taken with an Olympus E-PL1 and Lumix 14mm f2.5 lens.

(Click Here) to see the post.

I am going to a car show this weekend with my friend James McKearney. It's sort of an annual ritual for us, and until two years ago included Dennis Gallus, who has since moved off to Arizona. The old cars don't look like the one above, in general; they're all fixed up and nicer than they were on the showroom in many cases. Again, this is an opportunity for me to combine two interests - cars and photography, with the enjoyment of seeing a friend and fellow photographer.

Dennis - What A Smile, by Reed A. George

Leica M8, Leica 35mm Summilux f1.4, iso 320, 1/60sec (f-stop not recorded)

Last year, I shot exclusively with my Nikomat, given to me by the aforementioned Dennis. I was quite pleased with the results. Here's an example:

Farm Use, by Reed A. George

Nikomat, sepia and additional grain a la Lightroom

I think I'll use something from my camera collection that hasn't been out for a while again this year. I'll have to think about what. I do have a new stock of 120 film that hasn't been touched yet. Maybe the Bronica...

Regardless, I'm looking forward to it.

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Specialty Blogs Are Cool - Check Out Micromotorsport

 

Classic Corvette Interior, by Reed A. George

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, Leica Summarit 50mm f1.5 (LTM)

iso 100, 1/800sec

When I started this blog, specifically focused on Panasonic Lumix cameras and my uses of them, I was concerned about it being focused on too small of a subject. However, what I read about blogging indicated that it was better to focus tightly, so I gave it a try. While I do write about things other than purely Lumix topics, there is always a connection to my photography interests, which all include Panasonic in some way, or at some time or another.

Anyway, I found this very focused blog, centered on the use of Micro 4/3 cameras to photograph automobiles and automotive events:

http://micromotorsport.wordpress.com/about/

(Click Here) to check it out.

This intersection of Micro 4/3 gear and automobile interests is clearly focused, but I'm sure still draws quite a number of followers. There are excellent examples of car images throughout, a shooting guide, and interesting writing about techniques and equipment. Bravo!

I love to attend car shows, and used to be seen pretty regularly at the Laguna Seca Antique races in Monterey, California, when I lived near there.

(Click Here) for the Laguna Seca website.

Black Cat, by Reed A. George

I hope those of you who are car and Micro 4/3 enthusiasts will enjoy this site. If cars aren't your bag, you may still want to read the shooting guide's information on motion panning - it works for anything in motion.

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