We’ve been asked, “What’s so different about your pictures and mine?”  The equipment and software we use isn’t all that dramatically expensive, and it can be recreated by some people, however, there are two distinctions we like to point out.  First, it’s all about the angle or point-of-view.  Most people take photographs standing up, looking at the LCD screen.  The result is a photograph that looks like, well, every other photograph.  We try to take photographs from the perspective of the car owner and the point of view they experience while working many hours on their project car.

Second, through hours of practice and trial and error we’ve created a process that produces images that capture all the available light and content of the image.  This process employs HDR (High Dynamic Range).  This includes not only staging, taking the photograph and the post-processing, but thinking through and trying to visualize the final product.

We start with seven identical photographs, each taken with different light settings (auto-bracketing).  These seven photographs are then layered on top of each other and merged into one image using software.  During this step the software options have over thirty different settings to create the unique look and feel of each image.  It’s in this area we’ve crafted our technique.

Below is an example of how a standard photograph looks, how it looks after initial HDR processing and the final product after post-processing.

Standard Photograph:

While this may look like a ‘good’ photograph, notice some areas of the image are washed-out.  For example the sky and reflection in the door panel don’t offer much detail to the image.

Initial HDR Process:

The initial HDR processed image offers much more detail in the reflections and if you compare the reflection in the wheel’s knock-off you’ll see a great deal more of the available image.  It’s in these subtleties where the uniqueness of our work is embedded.  It requires an ‘eye’ for the image as well as a host of technical skills to process.

Final Post-Process Image:

The final product is where we’ve also crafted some technique.  The purpose of post-processing is to focus the eye on the right details of the image, giving a unique perspective to the subject.

The final goal of every image is to give the car owner a perspective of their vehicle; something they would see while spending countless hours polishing, repairing and restoring their prized vehicle.  This perspective is not something people would see just admiring your vehicle.  It creates an intimate connection with the car owner and allows others the opportunity to see what the craftsman would see while restoring or customizing their car.  What makes our photography different?  It’s the combination of unique perspectives relative to what the owner sees with a crafted process of producing an eye-catching image anyone would be proud to share.

Finally, the critics!  A good friend of mine who has been a professional photographer longer than I’ve been alive rejects HDR images and high levels of post-processing citing that it’s not ‘pure’.  We agree – to a point!  Most of the images we see in magazines, on TV or in advertisement are heavy on post-processing for one reason:  It appeals to the eye!  This same friend also rejected digital photography for years while the world launched into the digital revolution.  After finally giving in he had to spend considerable time and effort playing catch-up when he could have been working on perfecting his craft.  We agree that HDR images are not pure, but they are fun to create and the final results can be amazing.

To see more examples of the final post-process result take a look at our portfolio page.  You can also see more photos from past events on our Scrapbooks page.

We have other HDR related images (urban decay, nature, etc.) at our other website comptois.com.

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