Take Cool Car Photos With A DIY Specialized Car Rig
The following post is a guest post from James Evins- an automotive photographer from Houston.
Hi! My name is James Evins, and I am going to talk to you guys (and girls) about a nifty way to build your own automotive rig! Who doesn't love rig shots? The sense of motion achieved and the interesting angles that would be nearly impossible in a car to car or panning shot make automotive rigs an invaluable tool to automotive photographers.
Unfortunately, rig shots have been one of the bigger secrets of automotive photography in the last few years. I assume a lot of photographers feel that their methods give them a definitive advantage over their peers. Also, there are companies that will sell you and entire kit for twice as much as you'd spend building it yourself - so why give the secret away?
I've always believed in the sharing of knowledge, as it makes us all stronger photographers.
This tutorial will show you how to build a DIY suction cup mounted automotive rig on a budget. This is not necessarily the best way to do it, and there are many other methods. I feel this tutorial was very important, though, because it is easy enough for the average photographer and won't put too much of a dent in your wallet!
Getting The Parts
The basics of a suction cup mounted rig are as follows:
- Three Aluminum Piping Sections, 1.5" Diameter Approximately, 4-5' in length
- Two Compression Couplers
- Three Manfrotto Super Clamps
- Two Avenger F1000 Suction Cups
- One Manfrotto Magic Arm
The concept is simple. You have a few sections of pipe to use as a boom, couplers to hold them together, two suction cups to attach to the car, three clamps to attach the suction cups and the magic arm, and a magic arm to allow more flexibility in positioning the camera.
Let me show you the parts in more detail.
Here are the cups and the clamps attached to them. The clamps bolt down onto the studs coming from the cups. If you notice, the cups have a small blue extension - this is where you pump them up. You pump until the red line is gone, if it shows up again it means suction is limited, pump some more.
The cups are Avenger F1000s, and the clamps are Manfrotto Super Clamps. These can all be purchased of Adorama or B&H.
Next is the piping, as well as the clamps & cups. The piping is the only "custom" part of the rig. You can use a lot of things. I purchased electrical conduit piping, 1.5" in diameter, and used the matching compression couplers. I have three sections of around 5' feet. This can be found in Lowes or Home Depot (or similar hardware supply store).
(Note: there are better boom options out there, this is the best option that is immediately available. Otherwise you'll want to go shop your local metal supply yard for certain piping)
Here is the magic arm. It's pretty simple. The clamps shown on the cups? Use one of them here, and attach to the stud on the magic arm. Attach magic arm to camera. This can also be replaced by a tripod head, which you could drill the pipe and attach, that would be sturdy as well.
I forgot one thing you need! A friend to push! Just get a smart one that knows how to get out of the way!
I'm kidding, I clicked the shutter too early :P
Building & Mounting The Rig Assembly
Alright, so I've showed you what parts you need - so what about actually getting the shot? Well, the basics of it are simple - attach the cups to the car, roll the car, take a photo while it's moving. I'll go over some of the specifics below.
First of all, attach two super clamps to the end of your cups and then one to the end of the magic arm.
The cups should be arranged on the car and positioned. Remember to put as much distance as you can between camera and car so that you don't have to shoot at the widest angle possible - this helps avoid distortion.
You want to find sturdy, flat sections to attach the cups. Try putting the cups close to the edges of the body panels where they are most sturdy, not directly in the center where they have less support. If you aren't careful, you can dent or flex a panel and possibly crack the paint.
Remember to always use the covers on your cups when you aren't using them. I clean the surface with spray on glass cleaner before I apply it. These cups can leave small pressure rings on paint, and if any dirt is on the cup you can cause deep scratches so be extra careful. Warn the owner of the car that a slight buffing may be needed afterwards. Never apply to a freshly painted surface.
If you have it available, the spray on clear bra can help prevent many issues with paint damage if you apply it before you apply the cups!
Next, you'll want to pump your cups up until they grip and the red line is no longer visible. Now you can apply your pipes to the clamps. Tighten every knob on the cup and clamp, and give it a firm tug to make sure everything is sturdy. Now you can attach your sections of pipe using the compression couplers mentioned.
Attach the magic arm to the end of the pipe via the super clamp. Position the camera and set it to shutter priority mode, or manual mode. Attach your wireless shutter trigger or set the camera to timed shutter release. Now you're ready to take the shot! Its time to push!
When pushing the car, you'll want to move very slowly. The slower the better, to prevent camera shake. Make sure the engine is off, and if possible lock the steering wheel in place to keep it from moving.
Taking The Shot
The technique to taking the shot is to take a long enough exposure to show a sense of motion while still showing detail in the background. This is really up to you and your own preference - try a few at a slower shutter, and try a few at a longer shutter. You may need to use a neutral density filter to get the exposure times you need - the fastest shutter speed I'd recommend is 1.5 seconds. I've done as long as 20 second exposures.
Set the timer or use your wireless remote, and slowly push the car and take the photo. You may want to take a static shot first so you have a sharp image of the body of the car you can merge and blend into your moving shot if it doesn't come out as sharp as you desire.
Post Processing
Notice you don't see the rig on any of the car shots. You will need to post process the rig away. As far as the post processing goes, it takes a little creativity - practice with your clone tool! Remember, use the biggest and softest brush you can get away with. Practice makes perfect, and never rush the job!
Thanks for reading my quick tutorial - there is much more to really soak in when it comes to taking a rig shot, but the best way to figure it out is to get out and try yourself!
Check out more cool car photography by James.
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Comments
Good advice!
All good advice, and well-timed since I was out doing the same thing last night: Rolling in the Maxima.
Pushing the car on a smooth surface made a biggest improvement in my shots.
Another cheap DIY route is to use hardware store suction cups, though you have to keep an eye on them since there's no suction indicator.
re: Maxima
Thanks for the suction cup tip. It is amazing to see how the same concept was build in two completely separate locations :)
kinda like inventing the use of electricity on railroads :)
Also, I love your Maxima shots.
TY!
Wow, thank you very much for sharing this! I'm been interested in trying this type of shots but did not know where to begin! kudos for sharing! /bow
Post processing
Post processing seems to be the hardest part here.
If only there is a way to get a cleaner shot.
If anyone has any questions,
If anyone has any questions, ask away!
By the way, if anyone that uses an automotive rig on a regular basis wants to chime in and discuss differences in their setup, that'd be great - there are many, many ways to build a good rig.
I gotta try this! I like
I gotta try this! I like your use of the double suction cups, Matt!
cool
Didn't realize this would be so simple. I wonder if post would go faster if you painted the boom and clamps with blue or green or something, like greenscreen in reverse?
Ian, Either way you'd
Ian,
Either way you'd probably have to clone it out. It isn't that hard of a job once you get used to it!
Also, I just noticed the compression coupler link. That may not be the style you want to use.
The boom I used was made with electrical conduit piping you can get in any old hardware store and they usually have the compression couplers close by!
great photography!!!
awesome DIY man, great tips and always helping the community!!!
Here is another way to work
Here is another way to work your boom:
http://jeffcreech.com/blog/?p=106
Jeff Creech does excellent rig shots, as well. His website is definitely worth a look!
great ideas everyone
Awesome write-up. It's a bit pricey to get started, but so cool once you have the set-up. Thanks for sharing your method.
Eric
Wow!!
Thanx for the insight. Had some ideas about how to make some great car photo's but using these techniques / rigs will defiantly improve my skills.
Cool
Cool! I've got to give this a go! How much do you think I should budget?
Please help :*(
I just received my magic arm and I'm stumped when it comes to assembling it.
It didn't come with instructions unfortunately and I have no idea where the tiny odd looking pieces should go. Any help is much appreciated !
Nice pics!
Excellent idea! Keep shootin'.
Thanks...good write up gonna
Thanks...good write up gonna try it out.
on a daily basis
the set up described here is pretty much the norm across the world with pro snappers now. the trick for removing the bolt on equip is just to take a static shot of the car in the same position with the equipment removed. you can also then use this shot to clone in areas which arent quite sharp enough.
Actually, the equipment is
Actually, the equipment is cloned out in photoshop - there is no other shot with the equipment removed. That would be too difficult to line up.
But what about video!?
Hey all.
After scouring the net for DIY camera rigs for cars, this so far has been the most informative. Thanks!
But what about video? Cloning out the rig in Photoshop is a snap, but what about when it's video?
Like this movie here at 4:39 into the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP9w7UtLffo
I guess were talking some heavy duty roto work huh?
Kinda like when they take wires out of shots in action movies.
re: video
Hi Justin,
I would have to guess that i was taken from another car. and Probably not as fast as the movie seems :)
As much as I love Clive Owen, I doubt he can drive THAT well.
Hey, There's actually a video
Hey,
There's actually a video on how they made all the movies in the BMW mini film series (including that one)... It's pretty sweet. Looks like hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rigs used to film it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vdq2b4NbB4&feature=related
distorted car shots
I can't understand the interest in the terribly distorted car shots that are produced by those home made or commercially available rigs. I have photographed cars for many years. Ads, brochures, direct mail and point of sale. Most have been assignments for the car companies but some are shots of exotic cars for ads other than "car" ads. In no particular order, here are some of my clients: VW, Audi Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford, Lincoln, Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Buick, GM Trucks, Fiat, Renault, Peugeot, Rolls Royce, Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Corvette, Volvo, Saab, Karmen Ghia and even Yugo. All these were shoots for the ad agencies hired by the car companies.
Some of the other cars I have photographed are: Lambrogini, Ferrari, Masarsti, DeLorian, Cooper, Tucker, Studabaker, Desoto, Hudson, Packard, Pontiac, Mazda, Edsel and Hertz. Yes Hertz tried their hand at car manufacturing. Only 3 were made and only one has survived. It's in the lobby of the Hertz headquarters in NJ. It was found out west with chickens living in it.
If I had ever delivered a photograph as distorted as those shots done by these rigs my career would have lasted for 50 minutes instead of 50 years.
Car designers do not design with a wide angle pencil. In fact if you had to choose a focal length for their pencils it would surely be long focus. From time to time I have used a wide angle lens on a car shoot, but this was to shoot a "caricature" shot of a car and never for the car manufacturer.
Car photographer refer to their profession as "sheet metal". Shooting cars in the studio is one of the most challenging forms of photography. A car is a 20 foot still life that has the world reflected in it's surface, especially if it's a dark color. I cut my teeth on VW Beetles and if there is a car that has more compound curves in it's body, let me know.
Most of the "sheet metal" shooters are out of the biz now because the car companies are using DGI for their ads and they look it. They look like their drawn and really suck.
If you want to take great car shots with blurred backgrounds I have a much cheaper solution: Rent (don't buy, they're very expensive) a Kenyan stabilizer, find an abandon or inactive air strip, get a friend with a convertible and shoot car to car at about 15 or 20 miles an hour, hand held at 1/8 to 1/30 of a second. Stay on about 50% more than your normal focal length. For a 35mm film camera that means 75-100mm is good.
In the NYC area Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn is great but you need a Parks permit to shoot their. Used to about $100 but is probably more now.
If the automobile designers could see those distorted images I'm sure they would hunt the shooters down and distort their bodies.
Happy shooting, Dave
Dear Old Washed Up Elitist Dave Langley...
David Langley, you may be experienced but you come across like a ... well, I won't use that expletive here.
Automotive rigs are cheap alternatives that the young enthusiast can use to produce these sort of images. Guys shooting as a hobby can't shell out hundreds of dollars for weekend rentals. Is it a perfect method? No, but it is an affordable solution.
I guess the hundreds of professional automotive photographers that shoot for publication are wrong. I guess 99% of every current automotive magazine on the shelf is wrong for using these sort of shots on their cover.
Thanks for the input....
So I've built this exact rig,
So I've built this exact rig, and I am having trouble keeping the poles straight- with the magic arm and the camera attached to the end, it bends quite a bit. I can still shoot decently, but it worries me it wont hold out for long.
Can you recommend anything? I was thinking of getting 12" piping, just a little smaller diameter, and renforcing the insides of the connecters.
rigid rig
I almost have the same set-up, but to answer the post above, I ended up using a mast for TV antenna. It's pretty light and pretty rigid too. I managed to find some measuring 2m... not always enough unfortunately for all type of pov but still, it works pretty well!
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