I mentioned in my last post that I had spent money on a new gadget, namely a rig. This is a moderately complicated contraption which is used for affixing a camera to a car. You then move the car about taking pictures and then do some jiggery pokery image editing and end up with a photo of a car looking like it’s zooming around at breakneck speeds.

With my stomach bulging with beer and pizza, I got Tuan to drive me to a car park in my car (Chauffeur service no less) after picking up our mate James we then proceeded to make the first attempt at using the rig.

A few problems were obvious when I came to post process this – not least the fact that my image editing skills are limited to cack handed selections and over the top adjustments.

The biggest issue was that the rig was almost completely obscuring the front light. The net result is that the front 1/4 of the car doesn’t look right at all – but I learned some valuable lessons. Aside from the dodgy front light area I really like this image, and will be back to recreate it very soon.

The following morning, I set out alone and had another try. Although this second image lacks the drama of the first, it was much easier to process and the whole result gels together a bit better, thanks to the lack of obvious low quality image editing!

All things considered, as my first and second ever attempts I’m fairly pleased with these. I’m already planning attempt number three!

Without looking for a car, thinking about a car or asking anyone about a car, I find that I have suddenly purchased a new car. Richard over at Performance Car Dreams took a car in part exchange for his Focus RS, and as soon as I saw it I had to have it.

So the Ignis has gone. It came in for a lot of stick because of the way it looked – I actually quite liked it, and I’m not one to be too bothered by what people think. Ultimately though, when you get a fair bit of abuse from your nearest and dearest for the car you drive it can’t help but get to you a bit.

As a result I’ve got mixed feelings about the Ignis going – it was quite simply great fun to drive – the rorty little 1.5 litre engine was plenty quick enough for me, and the handling was always entertaining (in a good way).

Where the Ignis lacked a bit was in the luxury department. With little or no sound deadening, it wasn’t the most refined of steeds, but it was no worse than my 205GTI is!

So what has replaced the Ignis? I wont share any full pictures until I’ve had a chance to do a proper shoot, but I do have this one here….

fin.

I went to a wedding this weekend and managed to take about 300 photos before getting too inebriated to safely handle my camera any more. I wasn’t being paid to photograph – I was just a guest but I never miss a chance to wave my camera in people’s faces.

Wedding photography scares the poop out of me – I can’t see why anyone would want to do it. I’m sure it pays quite well but I get the fear just watching someone else do it.

The happy couple arrived at the reception in a gorgeous 1920s Rolls Royce – which looked fantastic with the driver in period chauffeur clothing. Unfortunately the TomTom satnav on the windscreen spoiled the overall effect!

I wrote a week or so ago about my slightly inebriated photo shoot of a Ford Focus RS. This (like the Audi A3 and VX220 before it) was carried out for Richard at Performance Car Dreams a sports car sales and sourcing company. As well as sourcing and selling very nice cars, Richard is also a nice guy. So no reason not to use his services. My only issue is that if I buy the Focus RS he’s currently selling, I’ll end up single and homeless. I would have a nice car though….

So I shambled around a field with my Vivitar 285HVs and my new radio triggers to see if I could get any interesting photos. I ended up bright yellow from the pollen of all the lovely yellow buttercups, and had to run squealing from several wasps but apart from that it was relatively uneventful.

This here photomographic image was taken using the two Vivitar 285s to the left and right of the frame, triggered by radio.

As Richard needed some shots to help the car look as good as possible for the sales advert, I took a few interior ones and detail photos as well, which are alright I s’pose.

Starting to get a few more cars lined up for shoots, which is nice. Nothing more to say at this stage!

Best pun ever, because I’m taking photos and have to focus, and the car I am photographing is a Focus, and I’m very drunk and finding it hard to focus.

In the style of an episode of a mediocre US TV series, flash back 24 hours. Richard sends me a text message as he needs me to take some pictures of his Ford Focus RS before he sells it, and I’m happy to oblige, so I scrawl some notes in my journal in what is possibly the least preparation I’ve done for a car shoot since I started the whole journal affair.

Fast forward to lunchtime the next day and I find myself at a barbeque at a friends house. Naturally as it’s one of the first half decent days weather of the year I start swilling beer and eat a load of meat and get some nice sunburn, before rolling home in time to do a photoshoot.

So to recap;

1.) Not enough preparation
2.) Full to the brim with beer and meat.
3.) Sunburn

It was never going to result in the best photographs ever but I did get a chance to use my new radio flash triggers and they are a definite improvement on the optical ones, although the range is still a bt lacking, which was a disappointment.

I rolled around on the grass firing away and got about 70 odd shots which I’ll no doubt whittle down to about one that I don’t totally hate.

My flashes went off most times I wanted them to though – woo!

Last week I had a chance to shoot a z-cars bike engined mini, owned by a work colleague.

First things first, this car is nuts. Rather than a mini A series engine it’s running a Suzuki GSXR 1000 engine. In the back. I kid you not.

Sequential gearbox, wilwood brakes, 4 point harnesses, if you know what any of that means you’ll probably like the sound of it. If you don’t you are probably bored already.

You can find the full set of a dozen pictures here – z cars bike engined mini, or you can just enjoy the highlights