MK5 Golf GTI

General => Detailing => Topic started by: 08micsta on April 13, 2009, 03:49:37 pm

Title: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: 08micsta on April 13, 2009, 03:49:37 pm
Hello guys

The time has come to start getting a few how to's up in this section.

Now if I may.

Detailing:

We have a few very experienced and very good detailers here. These being JPC, Phil Mcavity, Greenouse and others which I cant think of right now. Guys if you want to do a how to guide then please feel free to post it up. We want to encourage detailing here.

Photography:

Although I really enjoy detailing my real strength is Photography. I know a fair bit about camera's and photography styles

So here is the idea!

This thread is here for you to ask for How to's. You want to know how to use clay? Then we will explain. You have a SLR camera but dont know what most of the signs on it means? Ask here and we will try do a how to asap for you.

Now this section has been running for a while and a few things have been covered...

I will be putting these things into 2 sections that will be stickied. They will be called:

Detailing Guide and Photography guide. Inside there will be links to the various details and info you need.

So lets here what you guys want help with!

:happy2:
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: stealthwolf on April 13, 2009, 04:19:26 pm
How about some stickied guides on basic things?
eg
I know there are loads of guides over on detailing world, but we could easily adapt them for MKV use specifically.
There are always posts asking about what product to use for say tyre dressings - we could always have a "recommended by forumites" product list ranging from basic to advanced products?

Or is that too much?
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: 08micsta on April 13, 2009, 04:25:08 pm
Thats perfect... As stated.

I will set up two sticky's at the top of this section. One for detailing and one for photography. Inside those threads will be links to the guides. And we can include what you said inside there too.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Mike
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: stealthwolf on April 13, 2009, 04:27:38 pm
^^^If I'd known you were gonna do this, I'd have taken some pics when I was giving the car a scrub yesterday!
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: JPC on April 13, 2009, 07:33:49 pm
ive already done a comprehensive washing/drying guide. ill post that up soon.

I have written it, quite a long one, in word. i just need to finish it off in photoshop.
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: 08micsta on April 13, 2009, 10:02:50 pm
Brilliant!

Thanks JPC
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: Top Cat on April 13, 2009, 10:34:51 pm
OK Micsta share with me your knowledge.  :smiley:

A kind young chap from here has helped me get photoshop so i can use this in the future to sort out pics like the one below.
First off take a look at this please and tell me if the composition and positioning is correct, i have cropped it to a better size and then added a bit of shade and hi-light, i only used a basic photo editing sweet.
Please tell me where i can improve with these editing tools and also the whole composition of the photo.

(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Ftomashandmilly%2FDetailing_pics%2Ffixedparkshot.jpg&hash=4abd9dca54d7ca4df3c0715c8a739cf458ee483f)
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: gazbutS3 on April 13, 2009, 10:38:11 pm
completely off topic, but your ride height is spot on TC :happy2:

Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: 08micsta on April 14, 2009, 07:49:17 am
Hello TC

I think the picture is perfectly fine.  :happy2:

In this case having the car in the middle of the pic seems to have worked quite well else the tree's etc would have been too much of a distraction and we dont want that.

Also... You really should try that method I explained a few weeks ago. Where you focus on the car. Then move away and then take the picture... If you look at the car you will see the front of the car is slightly blurred. This is because of the Auto focus. Auto Focus will focus (95% of the time) on what is closest to the camera. Because the car is at an angle it focuses on the boot and you get over exposure on the bonnet or blurry front rims. This is even more apparent when taking pics of white cars as the reflections on the paint are that much more vivid. By focusing on the car first the camera will compensate for the extra light and fix the reflection and blurry wheels...

I quite like how you had the car in between the trees... This is nice cos it draws your eyes from the tree's down to the car.

Below I have posted a slightly edited version of your pic. Heres what I did:

1. Your car is white which gives a really nice chance to make the pictures dramatic. Saturate the greens, and browns so that your car stands out that much more.
2. Enhance the whites... Makes it a little more blinding...
3. Then do some cropping. Your pic has a lot of dead space at the top (with lots of white sky white once again distracts from your car) Just crop a bit off the top...
4. Sharpen the pic slightly. Dont do too much as you will end up pixelating a really good pic.
5. Formality.... Borders make a huge difference. Even just for your own personal viewing.... But if posting on the forum it really looks good with a border.

Heres my version of your pic:

(https://www.mk5golfgti.co.uk/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdaz.co%2Fmedia%2Fx255%2F08micsta%2FDoneResized.jpg&hash=c78cd627dfa9a0349cbf282a91f2ee5e767da1a5)

I hope you like?

Obviously we all have our own styles and our own likes... Thats just how I feel the picture should look. I love the dramatic effect  :rolleye:

Mike
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: Top Cat on April 14, 2009, 08:00:09 am
I am at work Micsta so i cant see your handy work, but thanks for the help that is exactly what i am looking for.  :drinking:
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: 08micsta on April 14, 2009, 09:02:30 am
Its a pleasure.

I think I will start a thread where people can critique other peoples photos and make suggestions and show how they feel the pic should look.

Mike
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: Phil Mcavity on April 14, 2009, 09:05:02 am
Great changes there Mike, TC you have now a great sig pic right there :happy2:
Title: Re: The Detailing and Photography Guide - What do you need help with?
Post by: 08micsta on April 14, 2009, 10:44:29 am
Why thank you  :happy2: