Lightning Lancer

[Astro Visual]

We bought a new car a couple of months ago and I decided to have some with it.



The background is a photo I took a couple of years ago ... a long exposure shot I got of 4 lightning strikes.

To get the car as it is here I took several long exposure shots with a tripod and remote release while light painting the car with a very strong LED night riding light-set for cycling while the car was sitting in my backyard. Light painting allowed me to shoot the light as I wanted to create those shadows and highlights where I wanted them for blending together later.

The interior glow was simply created by another long exposure shot with the LED light sitting inside with the camera on the tungsten WB setting to get that blue-ish colour.

From there it was into Photoshop to blend it all together and process for the look I was happy with.

Settings were simple enough ... f8 and slightly higher to get as much DOF as possible and exposures ranged from 10 secs through to 30 secs.

Lens was a 10-22mm at 10mm.

[cucurbi]

Very nice result. It could even be an add for the car.

[Krusty79]

Very cool shot. That interior glow was a nice touch.

When I saw there were 63 views, but only one comment, I was expecting a weak image, but I was pleasantly surprised to see this well done shot!

[Astro Visual]

Thanks Cucurbi and Krusty

Not an add but it is printed and sitting on the wall in the Mitsubishi dealers sales office where I bought the car.

[SigmaDraconis]

I love the picture you have here, it really does look like an advert of some kind - maybe you should think up a slogan to go with it... something along the lines of lightning fast or white hot?

I don't think I would do this to one of my photos though (not that I have any photos of lightning)... I can't really explain why. Do you not feel so proud of the lightning shot that the car kind of detracts from that? or are you more proud of your new car?

It's not too bad for a first attempt. I don't mind the edited background so much as I mind the way the car is lit... it's unevenly lit and blotchy. The front needs light as much as the side.

The crop is a bit tight as well.

Also, you might want to brush up on your lighting techniques as you mentioned the f-stop doing more with DOF.... yes and no, here with the artificial lighting it has more to do with how bright your light shows up on your subject.

Here's a good example.

1/15th -handheld
f/2.8
3 external flashes

See that a lot of it is in focus, even for 2.8? I had to maximize my lighting and use a larger aperture.

[Astro Visual]

Originally Posted by SigmaDraconis

Do you not feel so proud of the lightning shot that the car kind of detracts from that? or are you more proud of your new car?

Thanks for your comments. I've shown the lightning shots before (not here though) ... it was just an idea that popped into my head when I got the car. Just a fun project.


Max ... thanks for looking but if I wanted critique ... I'd put this in the Critique section.

Originally Posted by Astro Visual

Max ... thanks for looking but if I wanted critique ... I'd put this in the Critique section.

Well, you did come here to brag. So good luck with that.

And if you wanted only praise, why not just post it in the SYS section? where in the rules of the "how I took it" section does it say critiques aren't welcome?

In the rules of the subsection it does say:

For others

If you'd like to respond to the submission you might like to:

1. Give feedback/encouragement
2. As a question or get more information
3. Make suggestions (while the critique is more focussed on this I'm sure those submitting images won't mind if your feedback is constructive and helpful)

My comments are a like a shoe store, you may not like them but you have to at least try it on.

~Eric

[Fernando]

Very nice shot.
Only thing I would have probably done different was clone out your licence plate, at least get rid of the numbers. Kinda personal dont ya think?

[Astro Visual]

Originally Posted by maxharvard

Well, you did come here to brag. So good luck with that.

Brag? I thought I did exactly as the title suggested.
You want bragging ... have a look at what you wrote AND even adding one of your own photos to someone elses thread. I'm new here though so perhaps that's not considered rude here as in many other forums. I'll figure it out ... or not.