# Reduce Car Reflections?



## BOOSTED (Jul 21, 2011)

Shot this vehicle today and it seemed no matter what angle I shot at I would get lot's of reflections and if I had a good shot set up I would be reflected in the shot. I was shooting this vehicle at 9:30pm so there was not that sun used and was using a Hoya HD CPL. Is there an easy way to remove these reflections in Photoshop or another program? Also any ways I can reduce the amount of reflections while shooting? This is my third car photoshoot so I'm still new at this. 

Thanx!


----------



## marmots (Jul 21, 2011)

circular polarizing filters would fix this


----------



## Sw1tchFX (Jul 21, 2011)

Your light sources need to be bigger and broader. Studio's use gigantic, and I mean GIGANTIC silks to make the curves and paint look even.


----------



## marmots (Jul 21, 2011)

i don't think they have *any* off camera lighting


----------



## BOOSTED (Jul 21, 2011)

marmots said:


> circular polarizing filters would fix this



I was using a CPL as stated in the original post. I own a Hoya HD CPL so its not like it is some garbage Hong Kong CPL. I read that I should use a CPL at different adjustments and then combine them as one in photoshop?


----------



## Rampage (Jul 21, 2011)

Nice sentra that you shot, was that the spec v model that you took pics of?


----------



## KmH (Jul 21, 2011)

You need to know more about photographic lighting and how the 'family of angles' determines where reflections will be.

Here is a book every photographer should have handy: Light Science and Magic, Fourth Edition: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting


----------



## MissCream (Jul 21, 2011)

marmots said:


> circular polarizing filters would fix this



Lol so if I put a CPL on my lens and shot a mirror would there be no reflection???


----------



## BOOSTED (Jul 21, 2011)

Rampage said:


> Nice sentra that you shot, was that the spec v model that you took pics of?



SE-R, non Spec-V


----------



## gsgary (Jul 21, 2011)

BOOSTED said:


> marmots said:
> 
> 
> > circular polarizing filters would fix this
> ...



Did you turn the filter ?


----------



## BOOSTED (Jul 22, 2011)

gsgary said:


> BOOSTED said:
> 
> 
> > marmots said:
> ...



Yes, but even when I turned it at the right spot their were still alot of reflections not as many as their were before but still a significant amount.


----------



## WesternGuy (Jul 22, 2011)

BOOSTED said:


> Yes, but even when I turned it at the right spot their were still alot of reflections not as many as their were before but still a significant amount.



This happens for a number of reasons, if you are simply looking at reflected light, then the light will have different sources, some of which may be already polarized, or partially polarized and may pass through your CPL unchanged.  Also, unpolarized light reflecting off a surface comes off the surface at an angle that is dependent upon the angle at which the light approaches the surface and upon the material that the surface is made of. This also determines the extent to which polarization actually occurs.  Your cars have many curved surfaces that are all at different angles to the plane of your camera, so the extent to which your CPL will stop the reflected, polarized waves will not be the same for each surface and even each material.

If the surface is flat or almost flat like a water surface, then the angle of polarization will be pretty much the same for the reflected light and you will see that the CPL is more effective in cutting down the "glare".  Also if the curvature of the surface is large, like the sky, then the angle of reflection, relatively speaking will be best at 90° as we already know.  HTH.

Cheers,

WesternGuy


----------



## Derrel (Jul 22, 2011)

The vehicle is in the shade, and is being lighted by what is called "skylight". The issue is not the "size" of the light source, because the size of the light source is huge, compared to the car--it is as large as the space in between the wall and the next-closest building at the smallest, and is the size of the hectares and hectares of open sky located above at the largest. The "size" of the light source is quite large, compared to the size of the car. SIZE of the light source is not the issue here, it is the angle of the light in relation to the car, and the fact that the car is dark, and the sky is light, and you have overall a huge, uncontrolled light source--skylight, pouring in from above.

The car has dark, shiny, waxed paint, in a dark color...it is positioned in a dark alleyway, and lighted by uncontrolled, reasonably bright evening sky that's probably 10 f/stops brighter....it is GOING TO REFLECT (cough, cough).

Have you ever been outdoors on a bright day, and walked past a window in a darkened, closed shop, and noticed that the darkened shop's window created a virtual mirror, in which you could see yourself clearly?


----------



## WesternGuy (Jul 22, 2011)

Derrel, thanks for the clarification.  My intention was not to focus on the light source necessarily, but simply to try and explain why a CPL will not cut out all the reflections in situations such as this one.  I think that regardless of the light source, its size or the number of them, the fact that the light hitting the car is from uncontrolled sources, as you noted, and because it is reflecting off dark, shiny, waxed, painted surfaces that are not flat will yield light that is polarized in all sorts of directions, consequently, the CPL is unable to fully handle this multi-directional polarized light and therefore it doesn't work completely to reduce all the reflections as the OP has indicated...and yes I have seen my reflection in a darkened window and this happens, in my experience, whether the light source is "sky light", or light from a nearby street light.  I suspect that if one was to go and look at their reflections in the body of the car, that you would find that the reflections conformed to the curvature of the car's body in the same way that the direction of the polarized light would, coming off these curved surfaces.  That's all.

WesternGuy


----------



## Derrel (Jul 22, 2011)

I was actually not really responding directly to your post WesternGuy, but rather to posts #2 and #2 above, which implied, at some level, that bigger light sources would have helped, and the other stating that polarizing would help--but neither are really the answer in this type of situation. But you're right WesternGuy---a CPL will not be able to handle this multi-curved vehicle and its many surfaces...and that dark, shiny paint, outdoors....ARG!!!


----------



## joealcantar (Jul 22, 2011)

Pick a different time of day. 
-
Shoot well, Joe


----------



## WesternGuy (Jul 23, 2011)

Derrel said:


> I was actually not really responding directly to your post WesternGuy, but rather to posts #2 and #2 above, which implied, at some level, that bigger light sources would have helped, and the other stating that polarizing would help--but neither are really the answer in this type of situation. But you're right WesternGuy---a CPL will not be able to handle this multi-curved vehicle and its many surfaces...and that dark, shiny paint, outdoors....ARG!!!



Again, Derrel, thanks for the clarification and I do agree with what you have stated - bigger light sources don't help (always) and polarizing does not help much, even in this case.

Cheers,

WesternGuy


----------



## molested_cow (Jul 23, 2011)

I know many people here have mentioned lighting, time of day etc etc.

For me, it has very little to do with lighting. It has everything to do with the environment that you choose to shoot at.
Matte surface will show how the surface flows with respect to the light source, which means it will show light to dark. This is why if I paint a piece of canvas from light to dark then to light, you will think it is curved. It fools the brain to think what we are used to see.

Glossy surface, however, catches the environment. If you place your car in the desert, the surface will catch the desert ground and the sky. If you place your car in the urban setting, it will catch the walls and the road. If you place your car in a studio, it will catch the controlled ground, wall and light panels.

So it's all about where you shoot and which angle you shoot at. If you place your glossy subject in an environment where the surrounding buildings are very close to the subject and much bigger, then you can't escape from reflections. So you need to be specific about where you shoot. Use your environments to your advantage. If you want less distractions, choose a place where the surrounding is simple.

Going to bed, will update with examples later.


----------



## Mike_E (Jul 23, 2011)

If you are the type that wants to resolve issues in a hurry as opposed to taking years to learn, here you go, it's a bit pricey if you are just an amateur without desire to be paid but if you want to shoot for money it's worth the investment.

Photoshop Training and Photography Training Tutorials - Software Cinema - Training :: Photography :: Dean Collins :: The Best Of Dean Collins On Lighting


----------



## GooniesNeverSayDie11 (Jul 23, 2011)

MissCream said:


> marmots said:
> 
> 
> > circular polarizing filters would fix this
> ...



No, but you WOULD end up with a shot of some hot model in a mirror...........well that is unless you make a duckface in the shot.


----------



## molested_cow (Jul 23, 2011)

This is what I mean.


----------

