Take A Shot: Babe of the Month Photo Tips & Tricks

So, you want to shoot your woman for Babe of the Month. Rock on! Since the first flathead Ford was stuffed into a car it was never meant for, hot women and hot cars have gone together like hot dogs and mustard, beer and baseball. Well, beer pretty much goes with anything (except driving), but that's another story.

With the Babe of the Month contest becoming more popular with every issue, the crew at 5.0&SF thought it was time to do a story with some hints and tips so you could shoot your girl with your car. As 5.0&SF's resident photographer, helping the citizens of 5.0 Nation take better BOTM pics was given to me. More often than not, potentially winning photos end up in the BOTM reject drawer in Editor Turner's office (not to be confused with the black hole of the universe, Assoc. Editor Johnson's cubicle) because of some serious technical flaw. Sometimes, the pic is out of focus, underexposed, overexposed, or the girl just doesn't look right. Many times we've looked at photos and thought, If only the person had done this when shooting...

With my mission clear, I went in search of appropriate subject matter for this story. Enter the extremely beautiful and talented Jen, Kara, and Rachel. We met Jen and Kara at 5.0's favorite local eating establishment, the Winghouse in Brandon, Florida, where Jen and Kara serve wings, beer, and good cheer to the masses. Rachel is a former Winghouse girl who now models and keeps busy with other things.

Now that I had the subjects, I needed a car to shoot them with. As luck would have it, the two Chip Foose Mustangs built through Unique Performance were at our offices after the Barrett-Jackson West Palm auction for evaluation. Hot women and hot Mustangs--do you notice the general theme?

So, in the studio we went. Now, I know what you guys are grumbling about--you don't have a studio and can't afford one. Well, don't sweat it. These techniques and tips apply to indoor and outdoor photography. And we're going to talk about outdoor shooting and things you should keep in mind.

First, when taking a photo, try to fill the viewfinder with as much of the car/babe as possible. This makes the main subjects of the photo visible so they don't get lost in the background. Second, watch for camera shake. When taking your pictures, try to keep the camera as steady as possible.

If you're using a film camera, have the negatives scanned at the highest resolution possible. If shooting with a digital camera, set the camera at its maximum resolution. This makes the photos look a ton better and helps on our end in case we have to tweak anything in the computer.

Outdoor Shooting

First thing on outdoor shooting--never shoot into the sun! This not only creates unsightly shadows that make your babe and car look bad, but it can also wreak havoc with the camera's exposure of the picture. As a rule of thumb, you always want the sun at your back, preferably at a 45-degree angle to the car.

Try not to shoot between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. During the middle part of the day, the angle of the sun is high and directly overhead. This makes the light on the car and girl flat. It also creates problems with "hot spots" on the car. These are places where the sun causes bright reflections on chrome bumpers, trim, polished wheels, and paint. At this time of day, the sun creates lighting problems that can confuse the camera and result in an overexposed/underexposed problem, and the sky is flat and uninteresting.

If you can only shoot during this "forbidden time," look for a place with even shade. This helps reduce the problem with hotspots and can make the lighting more desirable.

Also avoid shooting too early or too late in the day. If you don't have enough light for a good exposure, the photo won't look good, especially if you have a dark-colored car. A good rule of thumb is, if the sun's low enough you can't see it, it's too early or too late to take the photo.