MartL

What you really want is one of these: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sqdr/hexo-your-autonomous-aerial-camera Now that's VERY cool.

Cheers chaps! Bibs - welcome to share any of my images I post here, anytime. Andrew Swift (chevronB37, as he's known on most forums), has written a superb piece on the 3 cars over on his blog - he's sent it out to do the rounds this evening. It features more shots from the same shoot. Here's a selection of my favourites: ...and finally, my favourite shot: See the rest, over on Andy's blog: http://www.motorcardiaries.co.uk/2013/exiges-photo-shoot/ Well worth a visit and a read.

Cheers guys. The car was lit with 3 light sources - the ambient underpass lighting, an off camera remote speedlight to light the flank of the car evenly, and then several frames of 'light painting' with the trusty Snap-On LED torch, to provide appropriate highlights along the roof line, spoiler etc...

With help from a couple of NYLOCers and JCT600 Lotus, on Thursday night I had the chance to shoot the new V6 Exige: Properly, you know, not just a snap on a forecourt, or sitting on some lucky souls driveway! Thanks to JCT600 / Andy Bryan for supplying the V6, and with Andy Swift for doing the organising. There'll be some more to come, including a few other lovely looking Lotus's, with appropriate thanks in due course... Very pleased with the first of the batch… The 2013 Exige S:

You're right Bibs.. Here's a warmer version I did: It's as a result of the LED torch - it's quite a 'blue' light to it. Thought this one was worth a post up too: A combination of a long exposure star trail, and a bit of light painting on the sleeping Lotus: "Let sleeping dogs lie":

Done a few shots like this recently: Long exposures, LED torch, and some deft photoshop layering when you get home: The 'xige: S1 Elise: Think I'll be doing a few more too!

Crikey... has it really been a year since in posted in here?! (Time flies, when you have a baby!) I've probably quite a few others I should add to this thread... I'll have a dig about! Anyway - In preperation for an upcoming Lotus shoot (Stay tuned - I'll post up pics in a couple of weeks...), I thought I'd best dig out the light painting kit, and head out into the darkness to refresh my memory / skills... I say out into the darkness - This was shot in the exotic location that is: my driveway. Hiding in the shadows by Martyn Lewis, on Flickr

I've done a great deal of weddings over the last few years Bibs. Started out, like you, shooting a friends wedding, then it was friends of friends, friends of friends of friends... now UK wide. I don't actively promote 'doing' weddings, but people seem to seek me out regardless - Even ended up shooting one in Krakow, Poland, last year!? I'd echo all the comments above - make sure you have back-up gear with you - shoot RAW, and keep your images on many smaller memory cards, rather than a couple of large capacity one's. (I had a mid-wedding card failure last year, and lost around 300 images, when the card controller chip decide to fry its self - nil recoverable... Luckily, I'd switched cards about 20 mins earlier, so didn't lose much, but still - very frustrating.) If possible, have a 2 body set up - I do, 2 x 5D Mk2 - one with the 24-70 2.8 and the other with 70-200 IS 2.8 on. Then, for other stuff, there's the option to swap on to one of those bodies, a wide angle/tiltshift/fisheye as you feel creatively fit. Those first 2 'work-horse' lenses are a must have for most weddings. If you're shooting a late wedding - make sure you've got 'fast glass' and a body that shoots well in low light. Similarly, with flash, if you have to use it, make sure you've practiced lots before hand, and bear in mind that if you're bouncing it off venue walls/ceilings, any fancy decor colours can colour-cast your shots, so just be prepared for it in post... Formals: the worst bit of the day for me - scout the venue before hand and figure out where's best to shoot them - try and get them done and dusted early, before the booze starts flowing, otherwise you end up with non-cooperative, occasionally rowdy, and iften shabby looking guests... fire of 5-6 frames of the same shot- Aunty Jean s is usually looking in the wrong direction, chewing, or blinking, guaranteed... Take a look at some other wedding shoots at the same venue if you can - Google it! You'll get an idea of what works for that venue and what doesn't, arm yourself with shot ideas, and maybe come across some things you'd not thought of... Most valuable bit of advice? Try to relax and enjoy it - first one is always nerve-racking, but get a few good shots under your belt, and you'll be flying - try not to 'chimp' all the time, although the odd in-camera review and peek at your histogram always set's you at ease. Oh, and don't worry about Uncle Bob and his £5000 camera set up - you've been asked to shoot their special day, not him - Don't be afraid of getting in the way of other guests with fancy camera's - You take precedence! Don't feel self conscious about being the only one at the ceremony who's moving around and shooting - that's what you're there to do and that's what every one expects - most of the guests wouldn't know you from at full time pro, so expect you to be doing what you're doing... Oh, and don't touch a drop of alcohol until you're finished for the day! ;-) I actually enjoy doing them...!

Speakin' of star trails... I haven't been here for a while - too tied up with looking after the new arrival - He's 10 months old now! Time's flying! In any spare few minutes I have, I've been writing some photoshop scripts and plugins - one of which is a useful script for star trail stacking: I posted up on my blog about a 'new' type of trail, that seems to be growing in popularity... http://www.martynlewisphotography.com/blog/post/Star-Trails-with-a-twist!.aspx

Yeah - that's what i was concerned about... Have you thought about a combined set up? I've seen one rig, where a single clamped section (car end) is Ali, and the rest is carbon - but with a shot ali insert in where the magic arm / super clamp goes... Might be worth consideration. Be careful with the clamping - i remember crushing an expensive Hardy carbon fly fishing rod, a few years ago, with not a lot of force!! Regarding stability - I sometimes think that a bit of 'elasticty' in the entire set up alows for some more stable looking shots - on a very short set up, where there's more rigidity to the pole, I tend to see more 'vibrations' in the background: Here's what I mean - this was on a VERY rigid, short length set up: Check out the 'waves' in the passing lights. On a longer boom, those disappear - i think it's down to the dampening effect of the longer length.... Warp Speed by Martyn Lewis, on Flickr

I f*&£*%$ LOVE that shot Andrew. AWE. SOME.

Some craking shots there Malcom. Really like the last one in your first set. Like Andrew says - keep an eye on the Avengers - although I had no issues with mine - I saw a couple of failures that ended up VERY expensive for the shooter! Car & camera damage when they let go - just keep a close eye on the pump redlines... I upgraded from avengers, to these one's from Filmtools - much stronger rating: http://www.filmtools.com/6woodpowgrip.html They also do an oval suction cup - not quite as highly rated in terms of hold, but useful on the Elise/exige where the curved panels are occasionally difficult to attach to... http://www.filmtools.com/filmtools-oval-suction-cup-kit.html btw, how do you find the carbon tubes for 'super clamping' to? I have a set of carbon tubes - got them from here, but have stuck with the Ali ones for now - I was worried about the resilience of the carbon, when a crushing load is applied to the tube? Have you found any issues yet?