Not to be a smart-ass, but on a black car reflection is part of what conveys the shape. If you look at the picture of mine, particularly down the left-hand side and the hood, you will see a lot of reflection of the environment, and this contributes to the overall perception of the shape. A polarizer, as you suggested, can remove a lot of of that. But imagine if that reflection was not there. It would look very flat.
Agreed. There are many circumstances where a polarizer will contribute to the clarity, definition, colour saturation of an image. My only point is that in this circumstance, reflection is your friend. Particularly if your goal is to emphasize the lines and contours of the vehicle. Removing reflection may be essential to the type of photography you mention, but it is reflection, and reflection alone, that defines the outline and contours of a dark subject where shadows are not visible. The more you remove, the less obvious the outline and contours will be. But, as you suggest, the OP can give it a try and dial it in to his liking, and see what he prefers.
As Snakebyte said, anything that reflects the light back onto the subject will help. Even parking next to an object that is a light color. Of course, you need to be standing between that object and the car. It's all about the lighting. And don't forget a photographer’s best assistant, post-processing. Even an application like Photos, on Mac, can make a big difference between a good photo and a great one. GlennI’m floundering around with how hard it is to take decent pictures of a black car.
The car looks phenomenal in-person. Its contours and shapes are captivating and compelling. But in photos, all the details seem to “moosh” together, and get lost in a big blob of black. Suggestions / hints?
Beyond waiting for “golden hour” (which I acknowledge I should do)
Thanks, guys.
Nicely done! The car looks great! GlennJust took this one today of my new Mustang GT. So its both in the shade and sun and it really accents the color and the lines. Background is dark making the car the star of the shoot; Now one thing is the black stripe is a flat or satin not a gloss which allows you to shoot in the mixed light condition. Using processing helps with shadowing and color balance. This was shot with a Nikon Z-9 Camera using a 28-70 F-2.8 lens, all natural late afternoon light. Used ASA 800 and low speed 160 and used F8. no variances. Process using Lightroom. Hope this gives you some insight.
Beautiful!Just took this one today of my new Mustang GT. So its both in the shade and sun and it really accents the color and the lines. Background is dark making the car the star of the shoot; Now one thing is the black stripe is a flat or satin not a gloss which allows you to shoot in the mixed light condition. Using processing helps with shadowing and color balance. This was shot with a Nikon Z-9 Camera using a 28-70 F-2.8 lens, all natural late afternoon light. Used ASA 800 and low speed 160 and used F8. no variances. Process using Lightroom. Hope this gives you some insight.
