Thought I'd shake up my editing a little as opposed to my usual workflow. So I wanted to start with a simple image that I could replicate should I choose to scale up in the future!
Easiest option was the Lego model of the VW T1. The shooting style was mimicked from that of the photographers at Stanceworks opting for an incredibly shallow depth of field when shooting such that literally the front portion of the car is in focus and everything else blends away.
Pulling the image up in post was a simple combination of a 16:9 aspect ratio and then adding a letter box to restore the original aspect ratio for a cinematic effect.
Desaturated and brought the white levels down as I did use a flash (in order to enable a darker background). A lens correction profile and basic sharpening was then applied.
Day 63 - Sparklers
Following from the previous day's accomplishments I thought I'd try my hand at the shot again but change it up a little. I opted to take the shot when it was dark and there was no external light source. This initially posed issues for focusing as the camera had issues locking on to the subject, so with the help of my phone's torch the focus was set.
The exposure was set for 13 seconds and I then lit a sparkler. Light painting with something other than a flash was the goal here.
The first two shots weren't quite right, the first exposure was far too lengthy resulting in a lot of clipping and the second didn't have a visible light trail.
With the final shot (third time lucky) I circled with the sparkler above the van to illuminate the front and then went behind for a light trail. Thankfully the length of the exposure made for a pretty cool effect!
Day 64 - Retuning
My social media feed was full of people preparing for Ultimate Dubs (One of the first car shows of the season, VAG only and we'll leave it at that...) So I did some summer preparations of my own.
Since slapping the audio in last year, it had a tune but over time I've found the highs to be a little too bright. Not a bad thing, but when I initially had my system, that's how I liked my music.
Putting off this simply easy job was a bad idea I think, literally taking half an hour to do, the difference is night and day.
Day 65 - Test shot
Made a short clip last week. Enjoyed it so much that I will be doing more in the summer. So I've started to put together stills of the shots I would like to use.
This below is one. Super shallow depth of field and turning on of the halo light which BMW's are famous for having (often imitated too by others, similar to what Audi LED's are today).
Post was approached with a summer vibe to it, warmer colour temperature as well as some split toning to really add warmth.
Day 66 - Present
My next door neighbour is a publisher. He saw the track car and came over for a chat. After expressing my initial desire for an e30 we got talking over one of my favourite BMW chassis. Shortly after leaving, I was presented with one of the books he had helped publish.
Incredibly well written and for anyone considering restoring an e30, this book is certainly one that should feature as part of the collection!
Day 67 - IT Tech Support
Not had to do a job like this for a while but was left with a computer claiming that it would restart on its own. Few minor issues that could be causing the problem such as power supply issues and so forth so I ended up taking everything out and fitting everything back, cleaning all the components as I went.
After that, the software was looked at such as a different antivirus software used (Avast!) in addition to a browser upgrade as Chrome wouldn't update itself, and ran a few different extensions such as HTTPS everywhere and Adblock plus.
Was surprised to find how untidily the auxiliary fan wiring was left from the PC builder when I first opened the computer. I won't name names here, but it was something that could be of a concern given the potential thermal issues being a cramped case.
Day 68 - Tools for the Job
So yet again, I'm reminded of the obvious fact that using the right tools makes a world of a difference. For anyone who has tacked a brake disc change on an older car will know that the disc retaining bolt has a tendency to seize. Of course being my first time attempting to change a brake disc, the simple procedure wouldn't be so simple...
As documented before, there was a lot of pain and suffering that was endured to attempt to get the screw out but eventually I threw in the towel of trying to hammer a screwdriver in to the screw and ended up getting a screw extractor.
Again a huge task even getting old of them as 3 of the staff at my local Halfords didn't even know what it does; useless!
Well, once getting home, it was as simple as offering up the different sizes to find the right one, drilling a pilot hole, and within literally a minute, the screw was out.
Hopefully the other three are just as easy now.
