GUIDE: How to get your car to calendar..., seems there are really rules good to follow :) Options

[malpaso]

It's interesting to see results of voting for last calendar don't you think? There are huge differences between numbers so it seems there are rules how to have popular picture and be in calendar...

- Do not make picture from rear or top view!
No one cares to see you car from behind. Car from behind is boring... and from the top looks weird. Make only pictures of front!
- Play with picture in photoshop.
This is a must. More colors, more contrast! If you have some good idea how tune picture with some idea the better. Remember it must be obvious picture is nor realistic. It must look better than reality.
- No one cares if you have OEM look.
OEM look is not an issue at all! Car must look good. No matter what mods are on...
- No one cares in front of what is your car standing
Finding interesting scene for picture is waste of time. No one cares if you car is behind jet plane or some statue or anything. Cool background is not important at all. It's not wrong just needless.
- Make sure car is covering whole picture.
Small car in the middle of nowhere is not "true blue" (BTW. is there any US slang phrase for the same meaning as OZ English has???). So car should not be past of scenery and should cover whole picture (or at least from 2/3).
- When picture made by professional even better!
Professional photographer is not professional for fun. He/She knows! And knows better than you do...
- Nothing mentioned above works when you do not have friends to vote for you

anything forgotten? What you think?

EDIT:
(thanks to Fastbird)
- Don't shoot in the grass.
Cars belong on pavement, not in the grass.
- DO NOT cut out part of the car.
no comment... no question about this


This post has been edited by malpaso: Oct 18, 2009 - 1:03 AM

[malpaso]

wow... I have started this topic mainly as ironic piece of text to show what people prefer to see HERE on this forum so how to success in local votes... Reason was because I was so disappointed to see how great pictures stay unnoticed and literary "run-of-the-mill-snaps" winning. This should not be guide how to make great car picture! What I wrote in first post is far from truth how great car picture should look like! If you really want to make great picture see "small" correction comments below:

- Do not make picture from rear or top view!
No one cares to see you car from behind. Car from behind is boring... and from the top looks weird. Make only pictures of front!

Nonsense. Of course! You should provide different point of view than ordinary one is. Not always just to find the most sexy angle to shoot. To show something different is not anything wrong at all.

- Play with picture in photoshop.
This is a must. More colors, more contrast! If you have some good idea how tune picture with some idea the better. Remember it must be obvious picture is nor realistic. It must look better than reality.

This is sad to say true. We do not live in perfect world and to make great picture is so hard so more or less picture need to be "balanced" or "tuned" (call it how you want). If you had chance to prepare composition, light and background exactly you wish, have a lot of time to shoot PLUS know how to work with your camera you may have picture that do not need photoshop.

- No one cares if you have OEM look.
OEM look is not an issue at all! Car must look good. No matter what mods are on...

Another nonsense . Composition makes great picture not any tuning of the car in the picture.

- No one cares in front of what is your car standing
Finding interesting scene for picture is waste of time. No one cares if you car is behind jet plane or some statue or anything. Cool background is not important at all. It's not wrong just needless.

Another nonsense and big one. Background always matters!

- Make sure car is covering whole picture.
Small car in the middle of nowhere is not "true blue" (BTW. is there any US slang phrase for the same meaning as OZ English has???). So car should not be past of scenery and should cover whole picture (or at least from 2/3).

There always been "rule of thirds" and it is valid all the time! Only question you need to answer: WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF YOUR PICTURE! Do you make picture of the car or picture of "something" with the car? What should take main attention in the picture? Car or another subject? That is the key .

- When picture made by professional even better!
Professional photographer is not professional for fun. He/She knows! And knows better than you do...

True to the letter...

- Nothing mentioned above works when you do not have friends to vote for you

hell of a true