Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Classic Car Photography

I've always loved old cars, Cuba has quite a few of them! This is one of the places on earth that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. Literally, you have arrived in the 1950's! This image was photographed from behind the windshield of a beautifully maintained Buick 8. To see the old cars on the road is like living an old movie.

The photo above was taken with a 50mm lens using a wide aperture to softly blur the graffiti background. The Nikon 50mm is one of my favorite lenses, great for creating a painterly look. You don't need to go to Cuba to get great pictures of classic cars, you can photograph beautiful vintage cars at car shows. I like to start by photographing the entire car, and then move in for the detail shots.

The Chevy above was photographed at a car show (you can see my self portrait in the bumper)! The graffiti background was photographed separately to create a fun composite. When photographing cars, a polarizer helps to cut down glare and reflections. To create the glossy look in the image above, try using Topaz Adjust Portrait Smooth, a quick and easy wax job! Have fun shooting!