Playing with settings
 

Messing about with the camera and lightroom. I'll try this one again with the lights on and a more neutral background and probably best not on a bright sunny day! But it's a start. :}

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4178/3...aa879490_b.jpg20170504001 by Steve Bird, on Flickr

I prefer the one above, but here is one with the lights on taken a little later which I think has lost too much of the detail.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4161/3...4a61b0fa_b.jpg20170504002 by Steve Bird, on Flickr

First one has it for me but they are both very good indeed:bowdown:

Your camera will capture more information in the highlight pixels than it will in the shadows.
As long as the highlights are unclipped you'll be able to expose as you did in the top photo, then reduce the highlights in Lr

Yes absolutely. I will have a bit more of a play with things.

I think this was because the second shot was taken 3 hours later and the natural light was much lower which lost the detail around the car.

Need to get out to a better location really, these were just quick shots that are taken on the drive which has a high fence one side and the house on the other which throws some distracting shadows and reflections. The Garage door behind is white which is not ideal.

Have you tried a CPL filter? They can be great for taking out reflections and odd light. Work best when the camera is 90 degrees to the light.

Or take 2 exposures whilst using a tripod - one for the lights and one for the car, then merge them together in software - some cameras will do this in body. It is a tough shot with that high dynamic range.

HDR with 3 shots may work, 2 stops either side, but you would have to keep the "detail" element of post production low, or the contrast will be all over the place. I've found the 2 shot will work, but it's a royal pain to get it right in Photoshop Elements. I now have CS6, so I'm learning all over again!

BTW guys, don't know if you are aware, but for those of you using CS6 or higher, Google Nik plug-in is now free and blooming good it is too.

I was thinking more of 2 layers in Photoshop and then and use a layer mask to limit the effect to the headlight area. Some cameras will allow picking a zone for over or under exposing but I think that may be difficult in the car shot.

I use NIK collection in particular for some of my my B & W - it is a very useful piece of software.



Here is one I prepared earlier.
:}


https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/673/30...4381f638_c.jpg

Rover 75 in B & W by Paul Stickley, on Flickr

Unfortunately, in work I can't view pictures :duh:

Maybe try 2 pics with a CPL then? I have the advantage that with my Canon, it has a 3 stop setting that takes seconds to activate. Loads of my HDR shots that you saw on Flikr were done like that and handheld too. That would be easy for a car on a tripod, beauty is, if one of the 3 shots doesn't work after loading in HDR manager, you can use the 2 layer with mask as well with the normal and under exposures :}