ZPOST
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Go Back   ZPOST > BMW Z4 Roadster and Coupe > BMW Z4 Photos, Photoshops, Videos and other Media
  TireRack

SUPPORT ZPOST BY DOING YOUR TIRERACK SHOPPING FROM THIS BANNER, THANKS!
Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      06-04-2015, 09:17 PM   #1
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Night Photo

Was out for a nice drive the other night, decided to do a few test shots. Will try a repeat at some point with a better light source, but turned out alright so I figured I'd share.

Feel free to share any tips. I was just winging it.


__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-04-2015, 10:00 PM   #2
yousefnjr
salty cowboys fan
yousefnjr's Avatar
6115
Rep
3,392
Posts

Drives: ‘06 Z4MR, ‘20 X7, ‘22 M4x
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Bay Area, CA

iTrader: (2)

Great picture
Appreciate 0
      06-04-2015, 10:28 PM   #3
UntzUntzUntz
Lieutenant
UntzUntzUntz's Avatar
United_States
126
Rep
407
Posts

Drives: 21 M2 Comp
Join Date: May 2014
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (2)

That's gorgeous. Theirs one tip though... we want more more MORE! lol no but really I have a tip. Not really a tip but instead an experiment. Try setting the shutter speed to about 30 seconds and move the light around the car. I have no idea how it'll look but I've always wanted to do it. My free camera renting days at school are over lol

Beautiful shot!
Appreciate 0
      06-05-2015, 12:04 AM   #4
mcoupe5/6
Private First Class
mcoupe5/6's Avatar
8
Rep
165
Posts

Drives: 08 M Coupe
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: houston

iTrader: (0)

Great shot! I love the way our cars look with very little light reflecting off the lines of the body.
Appreciate 0
      06-05-2015, 07:17 AM   #5
Nate4641
Major
Nate4641's Avatar
United_States
150
Rep
1,134
Posts

Drives: '07 M Roadster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Warner Robins, GA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Great shot. You have good taste in wheels! Love the look. What was the lightsource?
__________________
Appreciate 0
      06-05-2015, 07:35 AM   #6
M-ster
Enlisted Member
M-ster's Avatar
0
Rep
33
Posts

Drives: 2006 ///M Roadster
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: tarmac

iTrader: (0)

Great shot, Jimswift.

Except for the wheels, it looks like we enjoy the same ///M. Let me know if ever you are in the Okanagan.
__________________

E85 ///M roadster | Black Sapphire metallic |
Light Sepang Bronze Nappa leather | Michelin Pilot Super Sport

E90 335xi | Black Sapphire metallic | Black Dakota leather | 6 speed manual transmission
Appreciate 0
      06-05-2015, 12:09 PM   #7
tiltmode43
I plead the 5th.
tiltmode43's Avatar
United_States
523
Rep
1,519
Posts

Drives: '18 Frontier Pro-4X, '06 Z4MR
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (10)

Nice job! Light painting has gained momentum these past few years, great to see more people picking it up. I'm not really a photographer (though sometimes I like to play with cameras), so take the feedback with a grain of salt

-Is this done via a single pass? Try making multiple passes at different angles and layering these passes in photoshop to help accentuate different areas on the car. Might take some experimenting but you can really make different aspects pop.

-Watch out for ghosting (don't know if that's the term?) of the camera picking up your movement across the front of the car. In this shot, you can see some darker blotches on the ground near the front of the car - you should be able to pshop these out no problem but do look out for it.

-Lastly, I'd say double check your composition - you've got what looks like a pretty cool background but the car seems to be blocking it (maybe that's a limitation of the location though). Also, the car looks like it's pointing up hill a bit here, a bit of tilt to the right would help level things out (again, could be done in post or original framing).

Now, let's see some more pics!
__________________
-Matt

| Z4M Build Thread | @violetnites | flickr |
Appreciate 0
      06-05-2015, 10:18 PM   #8
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Quote:
Originally Posted by UntzUntzUntz View Post
That's gorgeous. Theirs one tip though... we want more more MORE! lol no but really I have a tip. Not really a tip but instead an experiment. Try setting the shutter speed to about 30 seconds and move the light around the car. I have no idea how it'll look but I've always wanted to do it. My free camera renting days at school are over lol

Beautiful shot!
Haha, none of the other test shots turned out quite how I hoped! But I'll try to post some up soon to get more feedback.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Nate4641 View Post
Great shot. You have good taste in wheels! Love the look. What was the lightsource?
I was ill-prepared. All attempts at light painting were done using an iPhone flashlight, which is why I ended up with such hard lines I think. Will need to research a better light source. Also, these will likely forever be my favorite wheels for the Z4M.


Quote:
Originally Posted by M-ster View Post
Great shot, Jimswift.

Except for the wheels, it looks like we enjoy the same ///M. Let me know if ever you are in the Okanagan.
I try to get up to Kelowna/Salmon Arm every second summer. If I make it up this year, I'll let you know. Group photos!


Quote:
Originally Posted by tiltmode43 View Post
Nice job! Light painting has gained momentum these past few years, great to see more people picking it up. I'm not really a photographer (though sometimes I like to play with cameras), so take the feedback with a grain of salt

-Is this done via a single pass? Try making multiple passes at different angles and layering these passes in photoshop to help accentuate different areas on the car. Might take some experimenting but you can really make different aspects pop.

-Watch out for ghosting (don't know if that's the term?) of the camera picking up your movement across the front of the car. In this shot, you can see some darker blotches on the ground near the front of the car - you should be able to pshop these out no problem but do look out for it.

-Lastly, I'd say double check your composition - you've got what looks like a pretty cool background but the car seems to be blocking it (maybe that's a limitation of the location though). Also, the car looks like it's pointing up hill a bit here, a bit of tilt to the right would help level things out (again, could be done in post or original framing).

Now, let's see some more pics!
I really appreciate the tips and feedback. I hadn't thought of using multiple layers, which should be pretty easy to do. I will definitely try that next time. As for the ghosting, I cannot unsee it now. Certainly something I'll try and avoid. Multiple images should mean less time walking in front of the camera, which should help with this.

Who needs to look out at a background when the Z4M is the foreground?!? I'll see if I can keep all these ideas in my head next time!
__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-05-2015, 10:26 PM   #9
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Also, here's an example of a failed shot where I ended up with the iPhone light facing the camera...

__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-06-2015, 06:48 AM   #10
Nate4641
Major
Nate4641's Avatar
United_States
150
Rep
1,134
Posts

Drives: '07 M Roadster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Warner Robins, GA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimswift View Post

I was ill-prepared. All attempts at light painting were done using an iPhone flashlight, which is why I ended up with such hard lines I think. Will need to research a better light source. Also, these will likely forever be my favorite wheels for the Z4M.
I feel the same way about the wheels, it's my favorite mod on my car.

For the light source the sharp line actually works pretty well, but isnt effective. Try looking at the dollar stores or home depot for LED lamps. something with a row of white LEDs would be a good light source and if it's bright enough you can stay out of the view of the camera. Add an extending paint roller pole and you can get the light above the car too.

Something like this
__________________
Appreciate 0
      06-06-2015, 04:27 PM   #11
tiltmode43
I plead the 5th.
tiltmode43's Avatar
United_States
523
Rep
1,519
Posts

Drives: '18 Frontier Pro-4X, '06 Z4MR
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (10)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nate4641 View Post
I feel the same way about the wheels, it's my favorite mod on my car.

For the light source the sharp line actually works pretty well, but isnt effective. Try looking at the dollar stores or home depot for LED lamps. something with a row of white LEDs would be a good light source and if it's bright enough you can stay out of the view of the camera. Add an extending paint roller pole and you can get the light above the car too.

Something like this
+1 on a more spread out light source via some sort of LED wand but OP, be sure to watch out for light leak - when the light from your source goes direct to the lens you'll end up with streaks above the car such as that last photo. Some people like that style but it's not always desired/intentional.

When using another light source, try using some sort of shield behind it, blocking it from view of the camera.

Also, are you doing timed exposures or manual exposure? The ghosting will occur when you're spending a bit too much time in the frame - if you aren't already, try using manual shutter speed and walking the light source over the car, following the lines of the car, and closing the shutter once out of frame. You'll definitely need a remote for this.

Really, it'll come down to a whole lot of experimentation Looking forward to the next batch!
__________________
-Matt

| Z4M Build Thread | @violetnites | flickr |
Appreciate 0
      06-11-2015, 01:19 AM   #12
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Tried a few more shots the other night, but unfortunately the temperature was causing moisture to build up on some of the panels, so I only got a few photos. Tried some layering techniques, used a different light source (worked better in some ways, but was also challenging to get the right amount of light.

Composition will have to wait for a better opportunity. Thanks again for the tips so far. One day I'll figure out how this camera works.

Light Paint Test 2 on Flickr

Light Paint Test 3 on Flickr
__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 01:43 PM   #13
Huz-Z
Brigadier General
Huz-Z's Avatar
Canada
843
Rep
4,051
Posts

Drives: Z4 3.0si, 328 XDrive, X5 35i
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Canada

iTrader: (0)

Nice pics!!

Since there were so many comments on the rims, what are they and what size?
__________________
Huz-Z


BMW Z4 3.0si Roadster. Montego Blue Metallic. Premium and Sport Package.
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 02:13 PM   #14
PLCZ4MC
Proud E86M Owner
PLCZ4MC's Avatar
United_States
79
Rep
650
Posts

Drives: 07 Z4M Coupe Monaco Blue
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: South California

iTrader: (4)

Very nice photos. Love your wheels too!
__________________
2007 Z4///M Coupe Monaco Blue (Weekend + Track)
2018 S1000RR San Marino Blue Wrap (Weekend + Commute)
2016 Honda CR-Z EX Jet Black (Daily Commute)
2008 Kawasaki ZX6R Plasma Blue (SOLD)
2008 Z4///M Roadster Space Gray (SOLD)
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 02:35 PM   #15
UntzUntzUntz
Lieutenant
UntzUntzUntz's Avatar
United_States
126
Rep
407
Posts

Drives: 21 M2 Comp
Join Date: May 2014
Location: SoCal

iTrader: (2)

You should also put the city background as a separate layer. Focus on it to have the lights exposed yet not have that "flare" look. I think it takes away from the overall quality of the photo.

These look wonderful man great job!
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 03:30 PM   #16
Nate4641
Major
Nate4641's Avatar
United_States
150
Rep
1,134
Posts

Drives: '07 M Roadster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Warner Robins, GA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
These new shots look great! I agree with Untz, a seperate layer for the city lights might help a little. Looking at your EXIF on flikr, try going to a smaller aperture (f11 or f16). This will make the "starburst" of the city lights more of a sharper shape. Raise the ISO a little bit to compensate.

OH! Also, if you can, find a way to wet down the asphalt around the car, it will really make the photo pop. If you have one of those plant sprayer things they work out great for this. Night time car photos look so good with a wet ground. For example:
VR4 Sunset by Nathan McCord, on Flickr
__________________
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 03:49 PM   #17
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

This community is so awesome for constructive feedback! Thanks for all the continued tips.

This location was quite a ways from where I live, so I'll need to find another location if I want to try wetting the ground (or get someone else to come that can haul something with water). Love the tip for doing the background lights on a separate layer.
__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 04:05 PM   #18
Nate4641
Major
Nate4641's Avatar
United_States
150
Rep
1,134
Posts

Drives: '07 M Roadster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Warner Robins, GA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Something like this is what I meant for wetting the ground
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RL-Flo-Ma...401P/100188485.

As long as it is a quality product you can throw it in your trunk with some water in it without worry and spray down wherever you are going to do your photos. It'll make using less water cover more area, just spray down before you park the car so you don't get a dry spot under the car.

What are you using for light now? Or are you still using the iphone light?
__________________
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 11:19 PM   #19
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Huz-Z View Post
Nice pics!!

Since there were so many comments on the rims, what are they and what size?
The rims are Morr vs8.2 wrapped in RE11s.
19x8.5 ET35 front with 235/35 tires
19x10 ET38 rear with 275/30 tires and 15mm spacers

Moderately lowered on KW V3s, pins pulled for front camber with rare rubbing.

Morr was kind enough to refinish the wheels themselves after I bought them used off an old forum member. They were originally a standard gloss silver finish.

__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-12-2015, 11:29 PM   #20
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nate4641 View Post
Something like this is what I meant for wetting the ground
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RL-Flo-Ma...401P/100188485.

As long as it is a quality product you can throw it in your trunk with some water in it without worry and spray down wherever you are going to do your photos. It'll make using less water cover more area, just spray down before you park the car so you don't get a dry spot under the car.

What are you using for light now? Or are you still using the iphone light?
I'll look into the sprayer, but honestly I have no idea where I'd store it. I do love the look of the light reflecting in wet pavement.
The light source I'm using now is pretty close to the one suggested with a bunch of white LEDs. Unfortunately it also shines through the back of the light so I need to hold up a cloth behind it to direct the light.
__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
      06-13-2015, 06:47 AM   #21
Nate4641
Major
Nate4641's Avatar
United_States
150
Rep
1,134
Posts

Drives: '07 M Roadster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Warner Robins, GA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimswift View Post
Morr was kind enough to refinish the wheels themselves after I bought them used off an old forum member. They were originally a standard gloss silver finish.
What did you have them refinished to? Mine were kind of a mirror polished finish on the face and a satin silver finish on the rest of the wheel. They were definitely daily driven and had some curb rash and even some cracks so I had them repaired and they lost the mirror finish, which I liked. Morr quoted me about a grand to refinish the set with the brushed finish like what Dubsesd had, and I wish I would have gone for that.
__________________
Appreciate 0
      06-13-2015, 01:46 PM   #22
Jimswift
Private
Canada
6
Rep
50
Posts

Drives: 2006 Z4MR
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vancouver, Canada

iTrader: (2)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nate4641 View Post
What did you have them refinished to? Mine were kind of a mirror polished finish on the face and a satin silver finish on the rest of the wheel. They were definitely daily driven and had some curb rash and even some cracks so I had them repaired and they lost the mirror finish, which I liked. Morr quoted me about a grand to refinish the set with the brushed finish like what Dubsesd had, and I wish I would have gone for that.
I believe mine is now the same finish as Dubsesd'd old wheels; hand brushed and clear coated, no tint. Morr did a great job and I was happy I went through the hassle getting the wheels to them. Had I known Dub would have sold his wheels, I would saved a ton of money, time and paperwork. Oh well.

Any close up photos of your current finish? I'll dig through old posts later to take a look too. For now, it's time to get out to enjoy the sun!
__________________
_______________________________________

2006 Z4MR / RPI / Gruppe M / Euro / DKF / KW V3 / Morr vs8.2
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:59 PM.




zpost
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST