Porsche photography open class

Richard Patton, the official photographer of the Porsche TAG Heuer team, has photographed the covers of some of the most famous car magazines in the world. The Englishman shoots cars for some top magazines around the world. In this article, he will introduce shooting equipment, the best and simplest photo editing application, how to make the best use of light to show the shape and lines of cars, and the "three-point method".

1. Best camera and application

Most people's mobile phones have cameras, and I often send some creative photos I took with my mobile phone, always ready to capture the moment in front of me.

I prefer the Lightroom mobile app because it is synchronized with the version on my Mac. It provides the same functions as the desktop version, but you need to remember that these files are not in Raw format, and there will be no files in Raw format for non-inverting or SLR cameras without the same editing range.

VSCO is very suitable for quickly adding filters or creating special effects, which may be my favorite color matching application for mobile phone images.

2. Shutter speed

Shutter speed refers to the opening time of the internal shutter of the camera, ranging from 1/8000 seconds to half a minute.

When it comes to photographing a moving car, there are two different ways. The first is to freeze the picture with a fast enough shutter speed, and the second is to use a slow shutter to create a dynamic effect. All modern cameras have shutter priority mode. You can set the required shutter speed and let the camera calculate other variables for you.

For still photos, I use a fast shutter speed (1/500 seconds or faster). This will freeze any movement and eliminate ambiguity.

If you want to show the speed of the car in the photo, you need a slower shutter speed (1/250 to 1/30 seconds), which requires more practice, because you need to actively rotate the camera.

Of course, no matter what kind of shooting, it is best to press the shutter as much as possible, after all, the success rate is not high.

lamplight

Naturally, light comes from above (the sun), so my first rule of thumb is to shine from a higher angle. For me, light is not the interesting part, but the shadow is. Shadow tells a story about where light comes from, how high or low it is, and how far it is. This is a magical feeling, you can use the light to make the shape of the car look different. My photography style is to try to be backlit. I like to face the sun or light, because it means that the shadow faces the camera, which helps to tell the story with the shadow.

composition

For me, one of the most exciting things about photography is being able to show the world through my own perspective.

Imagine the grid lines in the photo, which will help to put the subject in the best position. The key is to guide your audience's attention to the theme.

Don't just shoot from the top of your head, try to climb to a nearby place to keep yourself in a favorable position, or try to use drones (in a permitted environment). Some good car photos I have taken are often taken from the perspective that you don't usually look at cars from this angle. For example, GT3, it is best to shoot from a lower position to emphasize the shape of the fender.

All-day use

Shooting the endurance race is a great experience, because it provides a photo opportunity from sunrise to sunset, and then to night all day. Although dawn and dusk are usually the best time to take photos in a day, darkness allows you to show your subject in different light.

At the end of 20 19, when shooting Porsche 7 18 Spyder in Kidd Forest, the largest night park in Europe, the topic was about driving at night. Because the shutter speed of the camera is set to 30 seconds, we use the taillights of the vehicle to "describe" the road, giving people a feeling of traveling or sports. When your camera is placed on a tripod, you can also use an artificial light source, a constant light like a flashlight, and after a long exposure, start to illuminate your subject with a flashlight, which we call light painting.

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.