sixtoes : an automotive fine art gallery : returning soon!

Great gallery. Love the interior SLS shots.

 

Lovely update! The colours are so vivid! My favourite is the large one of the Carousel at the Nurburgring - excellent angle.

I have but one criticism - The reflections on a couple of the phototravel shots seem a bit sharp to me, almost distracting. Aside from that minor point though, great work, love it

 

Love the Zonda pics, looks great in that color.

 

Dude, your shots are the best and I keep putting them on my blog! Keep it up!!

 

I think I prefer the action shots to the stills as the HDR is as usual nice and subtle and well thought out, but since the car is in motion it doesn't have too many reflections on the bodywork.

The phototravel shots are also brilliant but I have to say that the reflections are a bit distracting on such a busy looking car IMO. Combined with the HDR sky I don't know where to look first! The close ups are perfect though.

 

Thanks, guys. I probably went a little more overboard with my HDR on this set than on previous ones - something about the over-the-top design of the Zonda made me go over-the-top in the imagery.

Looks like that Carousel shot's got some fans - it happens to be my favorite out of the action shots as well. I went for a more "illustrative" look, and I think it worked out alright.

Thanks, guys - I can't take credit for the Zonda, s12, but I'll accept the kind words on the images. And, boozy, I'll settle for "only" amazing. :humble:

Thanks guys!

Thanks, Revolution - the Carousel is a natural spot for some great images. I'm working on a set of a Ford Mark IV and have one there as well, but in a very different setting... 0500 hours with the lights on and the sun rising. Should have those done later today. (I'll address your criticism when I respond to Moglet's, below, since they're the same.)

First, I'm glad you like the action shots. Aside from the carousel, they're all 3-shot brackets... one of them isn't even HDR at all (just a single shot, tweaked with curves and masks - guess which one).

As for the Photo Travel images, you and Revolution have both made fair observations/criticisms and I thank you for them. In hindsight, and after a good night's sleep, they are a bit too sharp. I used a bit too much unsharp mask and was apparently in a very "shiny" mood last night! In the interest of full disclosure, there is something so utterly insane about the Zonda (in comparison to "normal" cars like the SLS and the Competizione) that it called for a more intense, over-the-top, Hollywood sort of processing. But yeah... maybe a touch overdone.

If it helps, I'm going for a far more subtle approach to my next two shoots. The first one is another big shoot - with the Ford Mark IV - and the other... will have to remain a surprise for the time being.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions, all - I appreciate every one of them!

 

The Mark IV is now in the sixtoes' photography lab... here's a teaser for the series to come. Enjoy!

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Thats looks really awesome, I'm loving it. Again quite illustrative in appeal with the HDR treatment but I like that personally. An the tones and smooth reflection highlights are stunning. I reckon you're getting better and better.

Looking forward to the complete series.

 

I couldn't stop staring at the zonda set! Softly applied HDR is such a wonderful thing. Its brings out tones and details that you really see but that the camera can rarely pick up. I use HDR in my real life photography, quite a bit, and you are inspiring me to bring it to the game. Looking forward to the Mark IV!!

 

Amazing! The last Zonda shot in photo travel looks real, And the Ford looks very realistic, too! Great job!

 

I have been quietly watching your HDR works. I must say you did a very good job, specially those subtle ones. Your latest GT40 is so beautiful, I really enjoy those amazing details.

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5206/5331393453_5a4d6cc101_b.jpg
wow great shot and you have beautiful color on your Zonda

 

If you want me to be honest, I must say that most of your photos are oversaturated for me. That last one (Ford preview) is very very good though!

 

Thanks, GPR - I'm trying to get better with each set, but the challenges are unique... and the standards set by some of the galleries are very high indeed!

I use a lot of HDR in real-life photography as well (I do a lot of interior architectural work, where it's just about a necessity), so it was a natural transition. Time-consuming (those 2x shots take forever for the PS3 to process, it seems), but definitely worth it.

Thanks, guys. I'll be trying to get back to the more subtle HDR look (that's my "usual" style, if there can be such a thing) with the Ford Mark IV, so I hope you all enjoy it.

Honest? Who said anything about honest?

Just kiddin' - I'm always looking for genuinely constructive criticism, so thanks for being willing to stick your neck out there. While I'll blame some of the oversaturation on the pathetic nature of the sRGB color gamut and the inconsistency of monitor displays, I'll take most of the responsibility - especially for the Zonda set. I may have mentioned it before, but there was something about the over-the-top shape of the Zonda that called for an over-the-top processing. I hope that my other work (the racing modded Camaro and the SLS come to mind) are more in line with your tastes, but I'm definitely glad you like the Ford. I'm really looking forward to working those shots over myself, and will be using it as a springboard to some classics that will be shot in a more old-school style.

All: thanks again for the comments and visits. I hope you continue to enjoy my work, and I look forward to getting more up very soon. Next week (hopefully), I'll be putting together a little HDR tutorial, so stay tuned!

 

Well, it would seem I was taking my "quality over quantity" approach very seriously lately. After all, it's been a week since my last big update... my, how time flies.

Here, courtesy of fellow GTP forum member Gerseph, is the Ford Mark IV in all its old-school glory. These were processed with more subtlety than my last work (the Zonda R) and presented in a different way to go along with that approach. Enjoy!

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These are just stunning. The first few photos taken in Photo Travel are very subtle, and it's really nice to see that once in a while. I have no idea how you manage to get the tones so perfectly balanced and the colours so spot on to get that antique feel!

 

Amazing! All of them are amazing!

 

Oh dear, I think I just ****** my pants...

Can't wait to see that tutorial now!

 

WOW! very nice work, sixtoes, you have both good taste and skills for photography!

...last two pictures are simply beautiful!

 

Thanks, Moglet. I was definitely going for a more subtle look on these - especially after the more radical images I did with the Zonda. Getting tonal balance wasn't easy - HDR alone doesn't do it (in my opinion), so I have to apply curves layers with masks in order to get the right look. The antique feel was just a custom action I built in Photoshop - two filters (one blue, one yellow), and a reduction in contrast. I probably ought to try to add some grain to it, as well - but it is what it is for now!

Thank you, sir!

Well, I don't want to be responsible for your dry cleaning bill, sir! In the meantime, I am still working on the tutorial... it's tougher than I thought, with all the screen grabs and everything. But I'll get it done. Eventually.

Thank you kindly. Those last two were a lot of fun to work on... going to do more sunrise/sunset at the 'Ring with other cars.

 

Agreed, the first 6 are just astounding! Tones and lighting are just right, slight cross-processed look, just fantastic! What a great update!

 

Believe me, I am. I have #5 as my background right now and I can't stop staring at it. As soon as I saw sixtoes gallery I knew I had to send this car to him.

In my opinion, one of the most unique parts to the look of this car is illustrated by comparing shots #2 and #6. While the Mark IV looks taller and more angular in the second shot, it appears much more curved in the sixth shot. The car itself seems to be a bit of a chameleon.

The final shot is a bit moving to me. I'm from Kansas and I've had plenty of long hauls over the plains. That shot reminds me of some of my best memories of those drives. My '93 Toyota SR5 was the same color and looked great, but not as nice as the Mark IV. I hope you continue to include sunrise/sunset shots. They showcase these cars in a more dramatic setting.

On a final note, your work is outstanding as usual. And about those drives; if anyone reading this is near Kansas, I highly recomend a night drive on I-70 in the spring. If you time it right, you can see a prairie burn. It's one of the most unique driving experiences I've ever had. Lines of orange flames from the roadside and out onto the horizon. As far as you can see, the the road is surrounded by fire and blackness. I'm adding a link below if anyone is interested in this. There is a nice picture at the top, or you could always google it.

http://www.travelks.com/s/index.cfm?aid=5

 

Fantastic shots of the Mar IV, the colours are beautiful even the more subtle shots look brilliant great job

 

Lovely update. I need to start shooting my Photo Travel shots in 2X mode - the level of detail and clarity you've achieved is outstanding! The colour tones are subtle and suit well. Keep up the excellent work!

 

Super great work on the whole set, some of these are quite hypnotic as it's hard to not keep starring at them. Bravo!

 

RetroGiant: Thank ye, Retro - glad you enjoyed the update! Funny, I wasn't going for cross-processing so much as "old film"... you know how photos from the 60s and 70s look. But yeah, that is kind of what happened, isn't it?

SlipZtrEm: Always good to hear from you, Slip! That headlight detail shot was a tough one - HDR didn't nail it for me, so I had to resort to manual layer blending, but it was definitely worth the effort. The vertical reflection shot took a lot more work than I thought it would, so I'm glad it ended up as one of your favorites (it's definitely one of mine).

Gerseph: I'm glad to have been able to shoot it for you - I'm just grateful I was able to live up to the expectations! The car is certainly unique - every angle seems to give off a different look and feel, and it was a fun challenge to try to "tell the story" through those different angles.

It means a lot to an artist to hear that a shot actually moves someone, so thank you for that comment on the final shot. As a real-life photographer, I find that golden hour to be a magical time for capturing images, so you can rest assured I'll be doing more in the sunrise/sunset vein...

Spyda: Thanks - I try for subtle brilliance. Heheh.

Revolution: I'll tell ya... shooting in 2x is an exercise in frustration. The PS3 simply bogs on processing them, and it seems to take forever... especially when I'm shooting 3 or 5 for an HDR image.

GPR: Oooh, double Seriously, thanks - there's no higher compliment for a photographer than for someone to not be able to take their eyes off the image.

 

Awesome updates sixtoes! incredible amount of detail in each shot event the ones @ f/1.4, it'll be definitely worth the wait to get one of these 60's beauties to shoot!

 

Oh my lord. The Mark IV is simply stunning. I can't really think of anything to say! The angles, tones, post-processing, all of is just....wow.