Approximately 3:00 PM. It was really overcast.
Might be time to call in a professional.

 

I worked all weekend so not much P-car stuff done but I am off today so I hope to finish wrestling with the shifter.

Marc

 

Paul, what's the exif on the shot? I can't get it off the posted image.

 

Thanks Rob, that's what I love about this place.
I'm reviewing past threads and looking into how to make a 36 degree screwdriver...and how to get my car on the highest point on my jackstands

 

I found it easiest to wait til it was her idea... which sometimes does happen.

 

I have 36 deg. screwdrivers available if you find it's worth buying instead of making. $25

http://www.obd1interface.com.

 

Overcast is good for skin tones and for natural lighting in the fall colors. When shooting people it is much more flattering. IMHO, on a shiny object, you might try light on a clear day near sunset, which may create more contrast on the finish of your car. OR try a late afternoon on a nice day when your car is parked among trees with bright fall color...

To me the magic in shiny objects is in the shadows, either the dark sides of the car will reflect things, or the shadows themselves will play on the surface of the car.

In the photos I uploaded,(none with polarizers in this case) check out the blue 356. Its a cloudy/rainy day, but since the car is in the shadow of a tree, there is more room for highlights to show and really sing on the glossy paint.
The Ferrari in the sun is nice, but once the shadows and reflections of trees get to play on the surface, we really get to see the form of the car begin to sing.

In my avatar pic (which is only a mediocre shot) you'll see that the ground light was very low, and the sky was much brighter (shot a few mins after sunset while the sky was still bright) It creates a more dramatic effect.

Also using a circular polarizer as Hawk mentions allows you to control the reflections coming from the surface of the paint. You can eliminate some, and also strengthen others as you try different settings.

Finally, what lens are you using? I find that a reflection hood dramatically increases the quality of light coming through. Without it, often the outer end of the lens (near the subject) gets light at oblique angles which tends to make it look more pale or washed out overall.

Post corrections can be made, but why not get the best shot overall?

 

I wish my pictures were that clear, Tom

 

P-car heavy weekend

Started the engine rebuild! Rings are on, pistons installed, cylinders honed and added, heads added (great job by the machine shop - all new intake valves, plus all guides and seals replaced) and cam housing on, then everything torqued!

Wednesday, the next steps - cams, rockers and timing gears, then dialing in the cams and setting the valves!

 

I used to help a few car photographers when they shot for magazines. They would do interior first while the sun set, and then shoot the exterior stuff at sunset. You can use long exposures to get that depth of field since the car isn't moving. Paul, what gear do you have, including lenses?

Tom, I already broke the seal on that idea, so it's no longer her idea

 

We held a wine-tasting party on Saturday - actually Porsche related. We are the "Gold Creek Guzzlers Racing Team and Wine Club" ("our drinking team has a racing problem") My neighbor and I have the Porsches, and everyone else drinks our wine.
I returned last week from a 11-day vacation out in Arizona and Utah on Lake Powell with a tour led by a local photographer and self-taught geologist and cosmologist, Gary Ladd. What an amazing area for photography. And, best of all, little or no cell phone coverage for almost the entire time. Sleeping outside in the open, under the stars. On a houseboat with a great bunch of people, lots of good food, great hiking, killer photos, no work email or voicemail,.... Here are a some samples of the photos (no photoshopping...)

 

Nice shots Darrell!

 

Bide your time Hawk. She'll eventually see your natural genius.

 

Honey, I'm either buying a supercharger for the Porsche, or new ***** for you. Which do you think we'll use more?