Becoming a Jedi master of light is knowing how to shape it. Lighting for automotive photography requires you to join the automotive luminous flux alliance (ALFA) and struggle against the evil reflective refracting empire.
In these first steps of joining the powerful ALFA Order we will push studio automotive photography lighting over location car photography tips. Studio lighting for car photography will weed out the weak. Lighting for automotive photography in a studio is arguably the most difficult lighting skill there is. Starting here will give superior light shaping skills that transfer to other lighting realms with confidence against the reflective refracting empire.
1. Additive or Subtractive Lighting Method
Additive light is directing the light source at the subject. Pointing a light directly at sheet metal has the advantage of bringing out rich color, beautiful metal flake sparkles, and enhanced contours and shapes that define the unique designs of a car. The disadvantage of additive car photography lighting is this law of light – *the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection* – in most cases this means you’ll see your light source reflected in the car.
Subtractive Lighting – is lighting the complete studio environment and using large light sucking black objects to subtract the light reflecting on the car surfaces. The advantage of manipulating the dark side (subtractive lighting) in automotive photography is speed. The whole car is evenly lit and you just have to place black material where you want the shadows. This is literally light shaping. The disadvantage can be the large soft nature of the highlights doesn’t bring out the juicy rich color, beautiful metal flake sparkles, and enhanced contours that additive lighting does. Subtractive lighting aka augmented lighting for car photography is normally done with Duvatyne and 4X8 flat black foam core.
2. Quality of Light for Automotive Photography
Diffuse Light
Large glossy opaque to translucent highlights that cover the car surface with soft shadow line falloff. Diffuse light on a reflective surface makes the paint sheet metal, and chrome look sexy and smooth. The Subtractive Lighting method is diffuse light.
Other ways of creating diffuse light are what we call a flying flat or a soft box. Both need to be large enough to cover the length of the car plus a little more. 10X30′ (3X9m) or 15X40′ (4.5X12m) are common sizes.
A overhead track system to move the light source is needed. Flying flats are more useful in positioning the light accurately, and achieving different car photography styles. With a flying flat the light is bounced off the surface or transmitted through it. A soft-box or light bank is transmitted (additive) light only.
Hard Light
Small specular highlights with hard shadow line falloff. Using hard light on reflective surfaces is the Additive light method. The visuals advantage is paint color saturation, enhanced subject shape, and hard light can result in a more natural look. Just like sunshine. This is a more advance technique that requires shooting the car in pieces to eliminate the law of reflection discussed above. The pieces are then put together in post-production.
Tube Light
Large florescent tubes produce highlights similar to Hard Light and softer shadow falloff like Diffused Light. Some say tube lights are the best of both hard and diffuse car photography lighting. I say it’s a lighting quality that is a must have in your Jedi mastery of light struggle. Kino Flo makes beautiful Kenobi Flo eight foot lights, and if your budget doesn’t permit Home Depot has T5 florescent strip light fixtures that can be mounted together.
Car’s are giant curved mirrors that reflect everything.
These are the Jedi car photographer lighting shaping skills. Mastery of automotive photography lighting is an hero’s journey on the path to the illustrious automotive luminous flux alliance.
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Check out more automotive photography samples.