Indoor Car Show

[dmrphotography]

I will be heading off to a indoor car show this weekend to get some pictures. Was wondering if anyone uses any filters inside and what settings would be best. I was thinking of using my low light lens which is a 35mm 1.8. Any tips would be much appreciated.

[dt86vyss]

No good to see there no replies to your thread! I hope you ended up with some nice shots, you should post some in the CC section...

[ricktas]

Sorry I missed this thread

Firstly, your low light lens is not really a low light lens. You need to understand aperture and depth of field more. Yes you can go to f.18, but that leaves you will a very shallow depth of field, and any photo taken will have a lot of out of focus area, behind and in front of the focus point. I suggest you look at the NTP and have a read through it, cause an understanding of the exposure triangle (ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed) and how each works and interacts with the other is what you need, then you will know what to do

Use of filters is not necessary at all for this sort of photography. Filters are mostly the domain of landscapes, so don't use any filters, and if you have a UV "protection' filter, take it off, and throw it out, its useless.

What you do need if the light is low, is a higher ISO. Try something around 800 to start with, though not knowing which camera you have, it is hard to give you an idea of which ISO to use, to get faster shutter speeds, and balance that with noise from the higher ISO.

Shoot at around f8-f14 try and keep your shutter speed up to say at least 1/250th (to ensure camera shake doesn't affect the results), by increasing your ISO. Hard to give you exact settings cause we have no idea what sort of light, light levels etc would be available at the venue.

I too hope you got some good shots, and sorry for missing this thread and not replying earlier

[Patagonia]

A Polarizer can be handy for getting rid of reflections on the car surfaces, I was recommended that here in the forum and it worked out fine...the down side is that the filter usually takes of a little of the available light. A tripod would be handy also.

[enigmatic]

a polarizer sounds like a good idea... i need to get one.

dont be afraid to crank the iso, better to have a bit of noise than blur

[ricktas]

The only issue with a polariser here, is that a polariser reduces the amount of light getting to the sensor, and with an indoor show, it could mean that by using a polariser you have to increase your ISO by another stop, and as you go up in ISO, you get more and more noise in the resultant photos. It really is a balancing act (as is all creative exposures). So whilst a polariser could work, it would have to be evaluated against the intensity of the available light at the indoor venue.

[Patagonia]

For a car show I would prefer a longer exposure before pumping up ISO...but then you have another problem: people!!! its really hard to achieve a clean shot specially if you want a long exposure you need to try and try before you achieve your preferred balance.

regards

[98kellrs]

I think you should bring a polariser just in case, because the extra stop of light it blocks could be countered by a tripod and slower shutter speed if conditions/security allow. Horrible glaring reflections all over the shiny paintwork and windows however, cannot be removed without hefty photoshopping. A prime lens is also probably not the best idea, even if it does have a large aperture. You will most likely be very constrained in shooting positions, so the ability to zoom could prove invaluable.

I would also consider packing an external flash which could be bounced off a wall or ceiling or fitted with a diffuser, this will enable you to shoot handheld, and most shows don't have a problem with flashes.

If you have a lens hood it would be a good idea to have that fitted, they tend to have lights all over the place at these shows, and the last thing you need is a whacking great blob of lens flare in the centre of the frame.

Make sure you post up some pictures for us to have a look at. You will learn quicker by getting as many eyes as possible viewing your work.