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Pleasanton (CA) – Photographing car shows is great… not only do you have good looking cars, but you also have plenty of attractive models who are more than willing to pose for the camera. At these shows, you’re jostling against dozens of other photographers trying to get the perfect shot – in short it’s a friendly battleground where getting the perfect shot requires a technique, patience and the right gear. In this multiple part series, we’ll show you all the secrets behind getting all the best pictures possible and we’ll start it off with this article about gear.
There’s almost an unlimited variety of photography gear you can buy, so maybe it’s easiest to show you all the equipment I carry to a car show, specifically Hot Import Nights. Billed as a lifestyle show, HIN has morphed from a pure car modding show into a hip party filled with tricked out cars, gogo girls and even video games. At most shows they’ll even throw in a motorcycle stunt demonstration full of burnouts, ramp jumping and wheelies. For beginning to advanced photographers this is a great show because you have a variety of difficult shots fast action motorcycle and car shots to glamour close-ups of models, but we’ll talk about all that in future articles.
Before I talk about the equipment, I want to make one thing absolutely clear. Great gear is never a complete replacement for good photography technique. I’ve seen too many people invest several thousands of dollars into expensive cameras and lenses in the mistaken belief that the gear will take the pictures for them. In fact, the truth is usually the opposite and their pictures come out worse than they did before!
My Gear
Cameras
- Canon 40D with battery grip
- Canon Rebel XT with battery grip
I carry two camera bodies because I have two lenses, one for close-up model shots and a telephone for “sniper” shots. You can get away with only carrying one body and two lenses, but you will waste time unscrewing the attached lens and putting on the replacement. Two cameras also provide redundancy – if one camera dies, you still have the other one.
The Canon 40D and Rebel XT normally hold a single battery which may not last you for a busy shoot. I’ve seen photographers blast through 3000+ photos at HIN and this would probably roast a single battery. The Canon battery grip attaches to the bottom of the camera and holds two batteries thereby giving you double the staying power. These grips also add a little more weight and extra gripping area.
Lenses
- Canon 35mm 1.4L lens
- Canon 70-200 2.8L IS lens
It’s often said that the lens is what makes the camera and this is especially true in the digital SLR world. Don’t skimp on lenses and buy the best that you can afford. Canon “L” lenses the equivalent Nikon ones are indeed extremely expensive, but they should last you several years. Think of them as a long term investment, because good quality lenses will stay with you through several camera generations.
You’ll notice that the 35mm lens is what’s called a “prime” lens. This means there’s no zoom – I zoom with my feet. Prime lenses have fewer elements inside and generally focus much faster than zoom lenses. This particular lens also lets me take shots in relatively dark lighting situations without flash – a situation that happens quite often as I’ll detail in upcoming articles in this series.
The 70-200L lens is for my faraway shots like people dancing on a stage or a motorcycle flying through the air. I’ve had this lens for approximately three years and it has yet to fail on me. The image stabilization is great and I’m still amazed at how it resists my hand shaking. Oh and being an L lens, this thing is built like a tank.
Lens protection
- Canon lens hoods
- UV lens filter
Crowded shows are a very hostile environment for your lenses. At any moment, your camera can be elbowed, knocked out of your hand or even dropped. How many times have you stood behind someone, only to have them suddenly turn or back up? Now imagine what would happen if you were holding a camera with an unprotected lens. You guessed it, shattered glass all over the place.
The main protection against impact in a hard Canon lens hood. This shroud protrudes out several inches and not only shields the lens, but also prevents lens flare from errant light. Hey it looks cool too. The UV lens filter is another essential piece of protection and really isn’t used for filtering out ultraviolet light at all – it’s meant to sacrifice itself for impact. These filters screw onto the front of the lens and will block anything that gets past the lens hood. Sure it may get shattered, but hopefully the real lens under the filter will be ok.
Some people disagree with me on the need for a UV filter, but I think it’s only prudent to protect your $1000+ lens with a relatively inexpensive UV filter. Be advised that there are many grades of filters and the cheaper ones will have a yellowish or greenish tint. More expensive filters should be as clear as possible.
Flash and diffusers
- Canon 580 EX flash
- Gary Fong Light Sphere II
For flashes, you are most interested in the “Guide Number” which is how far the flash will project. The higher the guide number, the more powerful the flash will be. Flash diffusers soften the light and will give models a flattering studio-like look. The Gary Fong Light Sphere has served me well for two years and it is probably the most popular diffuser you’ll see at the car shows.
Memory and readers
- PNY 4GB 266X CF card
- 2 X Transcend 8 GB 133X CF cards
- Cheapo Sandisk USB CF/SD card reader
Flash memory cards are very cheap these days and you should get the fastest ones available. I keep the 266X card in the 40D and then transition to the 133X cards after it fills up.
Miscellaneous stuff
- Rocket blower to blow off dust
- Extra Lenmar camera batteries for the battery grip
- 16 spare 2500-2700 mAh AA batteries
All of this stuff is packed into a Pelican case that is approved for airplane carry on.