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I was attempting to photograph my friend's car but it's proving very difficult to get rid of the specular highlights.. Any ideas on how to improve how to improve this photo? I used a 40X60 softbox handheld with my 430EX shot in to it from top left...

Try lessening the flash power, and giving it a few more pops from a different angle. This will need a long exposure.

This will also help bring out a bit of the brake rotor (cover thing?) as well.

I'm thinking a ring flash, highly diffused. Certainly, one light, from just the one angle, won't be all that helpful.

tangcla wrote:This will also help bring out a bit of the brake rotor (cover thing?) as well.

Rotor? That looks to me a hell of a lot like a drum brake - it sure doesn't look like any rotor that I've seen - which means that this is probably not a Type R.

But to get back to the point, some lights with snoots pointed towards the gaps in the mag might be the go.

I would also, for a shot like this, rotate the wheel so that the hubcap logo is correctly oriented.

gstark wrote:I would also, for a shot like this, rotate the wheel so that the hubcap logo is correctly oriented.

Good point! I forgot all about that.

Thanks for your replies Gary and Tancla. I can confirm that this is a Type R. (As per the badge on the car)

I did cheat a bit and made the brakes red as they are just metallic colour.

I will reshoot with multiple pops of the soft box + snoot as I don't have access to a ring light. I will keep you posted...

surenj wrote:I can confirm that this is a Type R. (As per the badge on the car)

Having the badge doesn't make it a Type R. I'd like to see a better shot of the same wheel and brake, to see more details of the brake assembly.

I did cheat a bit and made the brakes red as they are just metallic colour.

I will reshoot with multiple pops of the soft box + snoot as I don't have access to a ring light. I will keep you posted...

Looking forward to it.

gstark wrote:Having the badge doesn't make it a Type R.

That is rather confusing for the general public like myself!

Did I mention it was CIVIC type R ?
http://www.honda.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/internet/Honda.com.au/Home/Showroom/Civic+Type+R/
It looks just like the one on this website but in black...

surenj wrote:

gstark wrote:

surenj wrote:Having the badge doesn't make it a Type R.

That is rather confusing for the general public like myself!

Yep. That's what some owners want to happen. There's all manner of aftermarket accessories available, including, for instance, a nose kit available for some Hondas that makes them look like an Alfa.

Badges like this are readily available, and many owners like to trick up their cars with these aftermarket bits to make the car look like it's something that it's not. This car may well be the real thing - I don't know, I'm no Honda expert - but the brakes are often a giveaway.

We see heaps of them in Bondi most evenings. The really amusing part is that some people end up spending heaps of money tricking up their cars to look like something they perceive as being better. The reality s that they've reduced the market value of their car, perhaps made it illegal in terms of registration requirements, and probably spent more on the car than they would have had they just bought the thing they're trying to look like in the first place.

I have confirmed with my friend and he has paid the full $40k for this car! I will photograph the wheels better though, should be a good little project...

I do agree that the modified cars look a little silly.. Some could almost fly off with the spoilers..

Gary, it's definitely a Civic Type R. I recognise those brakes... that's one of the first things which intrigued me when I saw one of these in person

surenj wrote:I will reshoot with multiple pops of the soft box + snoot as I don't have access to a ring light. I will keep you posted...

I'm thinking a projecthere. ANother home made ring light....

MATT

photshop out the body panels, ( the guard on the left side of the wheels esp.) and rotate to get the H- emblem orientated .

scott s wrote:photshop out the body panels,

Why?

It's a wheel of a car, and it's on a car.

I loathe the concept of cloning out this, and cloning out that, because you can. That changes the whole concept of the image. May as well shoot a tyre in a wrecking bloody yard.

The challenge is to shoot the subject, and to get the best image possible, not to write a bloody fairy tale! I commend Surenj for accepting the challenge, and for asking for assistance and suggestions as to how to improve the shot.

I would be including more of the car to put it in to context. This image already feels like it's disembodied from the car... currently if I include the car, that would cause problems with lighting as I haven't figured it out yet. Reflecting subjects are pretty unforgiving...

As a suggestion, you could turn the wheel full lock one way or the other, and either shoot from the back of the car forwards, or from the front quarter towards the wheel.


Bit hard to explain with words, but something like this:

Thanks Tangcla I understand what you mean. Your ideas and execution are excellent. I will keep you posted on my next effort.

surenj wrote:Thanks Tangcla! That is kinda what I was thinking. Your ideas and execution are excellent. I will keep you posted on my next effort.

*giggles* thanks