How to get a even shine.....

Hi i need help with usign the camera.....
how come when ever i take pics it never looks liek hwo its suppsoe to look in real life...
eg look at this pic the front has that glossy shine but the rest is just not showing the glossy shine liek the front....
any suggestion on hwo this can be fixed...? :eek7:
Hehehe me no photo taking pro :icon16: really need soem help

Hi Davoaldo,

Not that I am any kinda of photography expert when it comes to modelling I have picked up a little from my dad who has enjoyed photography for many years.

My first impression would be you have a bad light source, fair enough its beside a window but there are a lot of shadows being cast across the body. I think you would be better taking the pic outside.

The second point is what time of day did you take that pic, to me it looks like it was as the sun was going down so that might be part of it also.

And lastly I am assuming that paint is either some kind of metallic or Mica, did you clear coat over it? Metallics and Micas need to be clear coated even though they might still have a slight shine to it.


Anyway Hope this has helped a little, and I would like to point out I will stand to be corrected on any of these points.

Ciaran

First of all, did you clearcoat the paint? That metallic color will only shine 50% without clear.

Secondly, in that case the light is concentrated in those certain spots shining through the window blinds. If you want a realistic shine, go outside on a sunny day with a cloudy overcast and find a spot on concrete next to some grass. You might need to get down low on all fours to get a certain angle, but good photography makes the presentation of your model 200% better. That setting of course, is very general since most people have concrete and grass outside their house. I found a spot on the shelf of my BBQ Grill which is next to the brick wall, which turns out to be a very good location for photos because of the varying contrasts in light and colors in the back.



http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/937177DSC00300.jpg
As you can see in this picture, the indoor lightning of my bathroom provides for a unrealistic, yellow light. This also highlights the uneven-ness of the paint. Not good for presentation.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/503108DSC00302.jpg
In this picture, which was taken outside on a cool, almost-stormy day, the light turned out to be my friend. You can't exactly tell what color the car is due to the flood of light reflecting off it. The tupperware container below it and the grass in the background provides depth and contrast.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/495425DSC00676.jpg
This picture was taken on my BBQ grill today while it was bright and sunny outside. By looking at the windshield, you can see the light is coming in at an angle because the shell of the grill is blocking the light. At the same time, there's enough light all around to make the wood shelf reflect off the side of the truck. The brick wall in the background adds depth to the picture.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/930041DSC00684.jpg
This is the same exact position of the cars, only I shot it from above. The darkness of the picture comes from the lack of contrast in the background (and I guess me shadowing over it :iceslolan ). It still provides for a unique effect, but at the sake of clarity.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/uploads/204815DSC00619.jpg
This picture was taken at the same location as the picture above, on a sunny day with no clouds. The main focus is right on the model, while everything else serves to highlight the brightness of the paint.


I hope this gives you an idea of what to look for when taking pictures of models. I'm not the absolute authority on this, and never will be compared to some of the guys on here, but I'm still working to get better. :bigthumb:

TheSyndicate, thats pretty much what I was saying except you had the pics to back it up :D . Unless you are going to build something indoors with plenty of light then the only place to take the pics is outside. If you want a good example of indoor pics have a look at Freakrays pics. It simple but very effective.

WOW cool that helped alot thanks guys
hehehh never took my models outside for a pic before heheh might start doing that from now on.....

:icon16:

yeah i clear coated it heheh its a must for metallic stuff :P learnt it here