I’ve been throwing around the idea of learning how to do video for sometime now. I’m always looking to add more to my skill-set. So when I heard that the new Canon 5d Mark II was able to shoot HD video as well as 21.1 megapixel photos, I knew I had to have it. Here’s a couple photo samples.
We all know it’s an awesome still camera so we can skip that and go straight to the video capabilities. One thing you should know is that Canon does not include any video editing software. Also, if you plan on editing HD video, you’ll need some fairly serious computer hardware. I ended up going with Adobe Premiere Elements 7 for editing software. It’s not bad but I’m not even close to using it’s full potential. I’m probably going to hit up my local library for some how-to books.
I’ve gotta tell you though, video is a whole other animal. I definitely have more respect for videographers. Along with creativity, you’ve got to have the patience of a shaolin monk, unless you’re using Batman’s computer or something. The clip I produced was only 34 seconds but it took me like 8 hours to cut. Granted I had no idea what I was doing but hopefully my editing time gets better. I plan to keep adding to the Mazdaspeed 3 video as I learn more. Keep a eye out for OB-VIDEO.COM, haha. If you want to watch the video in HD click the HD button.
I was pretty busy bouncing from press conference to press conference at the 2008 L.A. autoshow. I didn’t cover the Nissan press conference but having previously owned a 350Z I had to check out the newest incarnation of the Z car, the 2009 Nissan 370Z.
My first reaction was, “What did they do to the lights?”. It looked like the new Nissan Maxima headlights, which I wasn’t too fond of. But after closer inspection I started to get what the designers were going for. I love the new shape and roof line. It looks just like the old school Datsun 240Z, a car I would love to own if I had the chance to pick up a project car.
The Nissan 370Z gets a welcome boost in power from a 3.7L V6 engine. This new power plant puts down 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft. of torque. This is about 26 more hp than the previous model. Not bad, but I doubt previous owners will notice much of a difference on the butt dyno. I still think they should’ve come out with a tuner version of the vehicle that has a 4-banger turbo power plant. Take a look at the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe. They’ll be coming in both a V6 and an I4 turbo. Smart move if you ask me.
A lot of 350Z owners are enthusiasts. A lot of enthusiasts like tuning, modifying and upgrading. I’m not sure how this power plant will do, but the old 3.5L V6 didn’t respond too well to modifications. You had to drop some serious coin to put down more power. Granted, it was still fast and a very balanced vehicle. But not tapping into that huge aftermarket is a big mistake. Especially in our current economy. These days, not a lot of people can afford $30,000+ vehicles. So tuners and aftermarket enthusiasts are going to buy cheaper cars that they can upgrade to satisfy their need for speed.
If someone from Nissan happens to read this and a tuner version of the 370Z comes out. You’ll be getting a bill from me Nissan. I’ll also take a 370Z as payment if you would like me to continue my research.
I first spotted his car while roaming the halls of SEMA at 2am, gotta love that 24hr All Access Pass. I recognized the rims first and then the kit. But what threw me off was the new Tokico sponsored vinyl treatment his 350z was sporting. Wouldn’t do it to my daily driver but the vinyl was perfect for SEMA. Mel’s car looked right at home there. I snapped a couple shots and came back the next day to introduce myself to David from Tokico. Great guy, I hope to work with him in the future.
While walking the north hall of the SEMA show l stumbled upon my old friends from Motevo Mobile. It was cool seeing my photography on posters that Nikita was signing. Which reminds me, I still need to call Mike up for a signed poster. I took a few shots of the booth and my friends and continued on my power walking tour through SEMA.
Mike from Motevo Mobile asked me to shoot his car for a poster that Nikita will be signing and handing out at SEMA this year. Not having shot a car in a while, I was eager to get back into the saddle. Not to mention it’ll be cool seeing something I shot printed out poster size and passed out to the masses. Mike wanted to minimize the risk of damaging the car since SEMA is around the corner. We decided to shoot it at their warehouse. Definately not the best place to shoot a black car because it was a bit dim, but I made it work. The white walls did a great job of making sure you could still see detail in the black paint. Nikita did a great job modeling and was very easy to work with. All in all I was pretty happy with the results. Keep an eye out for a full shoot of Mike’s Lexus. Be sure to visit the Motevo booth at SEMA this year for a copy of the poster. Don’t forget to have Nikita sign it for you. Tell her I said, “I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts”, she’ll know what I mean.
I had the opportunity to shoot Tyler’s Daytona Blue Nissan 350Z last week. He drove all the way from Temecula, Ca so the pressure was on again to make his trip worthwhile. I didn’t want him to drive all the way out here just to shoot in a parking garage so we went out into the hills of Santiago Canyon for this shoot. You might recognize the location from a couple of my other shoots but I love how wide open and picturesque it is there. The best part is that the location is fairly secluded and I haven’t been hassled by any authorities yet. That in itself is worth the drive out.
The Nissan GT-R is back and I want one. Ask any car enthusiast about the GT-R and the majority of them will say the same. With insane twin-turbo V-6 power, edgy looks, and a cult-like following rivaling that of the Beatles, the 2009 Nissan GT-R lives up to the hype.
Shooting in a studio is something I’m still very new to. It’s worlds different from shooting on location. The great part about shooting in the studio is that you can control almost everything. It’s awesome for shooting black cars because it’s easier to control reflections. The studio is also good for details and interior shots. In this particular photo I was bouncing light off of a flat above the vehicle using a pair of ARRI hot lights. The benefit of constant lighting is it’s always WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). So if you want highlights to accentuate the fenders you manipulate the lights until you get what you want. Here’s a few other studio shots I took using similar techniques.
When I get a black car to shoot I try to find a nice open space to minimize distracting reflections. A good photographer friend of mine, Ron Perry, suggested a spot that would be perfect. Unfortunately, instead of a colorful sunset I got an overcast marine layer because the location was close to the water. The car looked great but the bland sky made for a bland photo. Luckily, my wife and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and I grabbed a great shot that worked perfectly with the black Dodge Challenger SRT8.
If you looked up Billy Badass in the dictionary you’d find a picture of the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, taken by me of course. You can practically feel the chest hair sprouting every time you mash the pedal. This might not be a desired side effect if you’re of the feminine persuasion but it’s a small price to pay to drive a vehicle putting down 425 horsepower and 420 lb ft of torque. This brute strength emanates from a 6.1L SRT HEMI V8 engine, so you aren’t going to be winning any fuel economy awards. But if you want that old school muscle look without having to worry about old school reliability, the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 should be on the top of your list.
