Direct, Bright, White Sunlight - Bonneville Salt Flats

[Pikesan]

Hello,
I joined so I can try to get a few pointers about shooting at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. If you've never been for "Speed Week" the land speed racing that happens there every August (that's why I'm going for the 3rd year in a row), then go another time for the amazing site!

When the sky is bright blue, there's a few fluffy clouds and the mountains are in the distance, you almost can't lose because the subject you're shooting is on a stark white surface. That's the salt. White and blinding white!

I want to improve my pictures out there. Any suggestions? I wouldn't mind trying something off the wall or done other places but may be new to car photography?? Filters or odd composition or blurred shots (reading that post next!).

Any ideas? Here's a sample of shots out there. Thanks for any tips or advice!

[Izzy]

You might want to try a grad ND upside down - Just a crazy idea that just might work. Not sure what it will do with the salt color. Usually I would give one a burn grad filter in Lightroom 3 in PP which does nicely.

[Pikesan]

Originally Posted by Izzy

You might want to try a grad ND upside down - Just a crazy idea that just might work..

Googling that now...

[Krusty79]

You could try this technique, which is actually the current DPS assignment:

http://digital-photography-school.co...-aug-10-a.html

[Pikesan]

Originally Posted by Krusty79

You could try this technique, which is actually the current DPS assignment:

I'm absolutely trying that while I'm up there. I also want to try some panning. I've got both of those pages book marked (with Evernote = awesome ap) on my phone.

Thanks for that suggestion!

[faeriegodess612]

This sounds like a question for Maxharvard.

[SwissJon]

Originally Posted by Izzy

You might want to try a grad ND upside down - Just a crazy idea that just might work. Not sure what it will do with the salt color. Usually I would give one a burn grad filter in Lightroom 3 in PP which does nicely.

The upside down grad filter "shouldn't" do anything to the salt colour.. In reality though, unless you shell out an absolute mint, it's likely to give you a very slight yellowing.. Easily correctable.

The result is that the sky will look lighter and you may have exposure issues with the cars.. However I'm basing this on the photo you gave there.. If you start to find the cars and the sky are getting under exposed, or the salt is overexposed then absolutely, a ND grad over the White salt is a must.

You'd also do well with a polarising filter, I'd try that before the ND grad.

In general, I'd suggest you base your research on snow as it looks like the conditions are likely to be very similar to taking photos in the snow.

[Chip]

If a car has great lines, and you're there late or early in the day, maybe shoot into the sun and create a silhouette?

Or try to combine a silhouette with panning? (Though I imagine finding the right combination of shutter speed/camera panning speed would be tough in bright conditions, if the sky is part of the photo. Grad ND filter could help.)

[mshockley]

Oh Maaaaxxxxx, where are you?.......

[sk66]

CPL as a minimum.
Super wide angle lens.

For other ideas, I think this would be an excellent situation to use the sun as a harsh backlight and use (diffused) flashes for main lighting....