My Day At The Drag Races With The Leica M8 ~ Billetproof 2009 Lakeland, Florida

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LeicaTom

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Well, sorry there`s only ONE photo to post for now, but this is one of the "pinup" shots I did at the Billetproof Drags here in Lakeland, Florida just afew hours ago......

HotRodBlonde342.jpg


Sarasota`s Adorable Miss Wendi Daye and Chuck Eichenberg`s amazing "old school" 1932 Ford 3-Window coupe shot with the Leica M8 and a 1957 Nikkor HC f2/50 LTM at about f4. (no additional photoretouching was needed on this pic ~ I friggin LOVE this camera!!!!!)

I`ll have more "action" shots of the Drag Racing, shot under really BRIGHT sunny conditions, trying to fake out the M8 into reproducing a 1950`s Kodachrome look?

Enjoy! More Photos Soon 😀

Tom
 
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What are you shooting? JPEGS and DNG or what? Unless you have a slow computer, there shouldn't be any problems. Time to clean up the hard drive?
 
Artorius said:
What are you shooting? JPEGS and DNG or what? Unless you have a slow computer, there shouldn't be any problems. Time to clean up the hard drive?
Click to expand...

Ohh Just Jpeg`s, but my computers been like through hell, nothing, cleaning, defrag etc. etc. can save it, it`s real junk and I cannot afford to replace it now, I`ve gotta save up for more M8 stuff, I need two batteries (does anyone have two LEICA ones cheap out there?) and a aftermarket Case.....running around with the camera as much as I do, sets a challenge to keep it in good condition. 🙂

Tom
 
LeicaTom said:
Ohh Just Jpeg`s, but my computers been like through hell, nothing, cleaning, defrag etc. etc. can save it, it`s real junk and I cannot afford to replace it now, I`ve gotta save up for more M8 stuff, I need two batteries (does anyone have two LEICA ones cheap out there?) and a aftermarket Case.....running around with the camera as much as I do, sets a challenge to keep it in good condition. 🙂

Tom
Click to expand...

i can meet up with you and clean up the pc, since we are going to shoot soon. that image looks kinda flat. did you do any post processing? the image looks different on modelmayhem for some reason, more contrasty.
 
wblanchard said:
i can meet up with you and clean up the pc, since we are going to shoot soon. that image looks kinda flat. did you do any post processing? the image looks different on modelmayhem for some reason, more contrasty.
Click to expand...

Heya Bill!

Maybe it looks more contrasty at MM cuz of the white background?

No post processing on this pic, nope! I sorta want to do as less as possible on these pics, while I want people to see what the vintage lenses can do on the M8 ~ I really think that the Nikkor HC f2/50 is the "car show" lens, that and the modern rigid f2/50 Cron make for two perfect shooters for ultimate details of the cars....

Well, I`m still getting the hang of this camera, my art dealer liked this shot, the car is really a krazy kool old school styled Hot Rod, everything on it is pre 1964!

Tom
 
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Well Bill how`s this?

HotRodBlonde342newversionfornet.jpg


Really just upped the contrast a bit, nothing else.......the shooting conditions were horrible, maybe if I`d had a flash it would have been better? , just not a cloud in the sky and ultra bright Florida Sun like 2pm in the afternoon!

Tom
 
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aHH Bill, one more.........sort of trying for the vintage Kodachrome Slide look 😀

HotRodBlonde342KodachromeSlideLook.jpg


Now, this photo is tweaked, almost out of the cars original color hue, but the model`s lipstick almost matches the car now.......also added a slight blue tint as I upped the contrast.

I really need to own PS/Photoshop, but, untill I can get another computer, I have to struggle with the antique retoucher I use........I need to start a please "support a struggling retro pinup photographer`s career" fund :/

Enjoy!

Tom
 
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And here`s an enhanced color overlay.........

HotRodBlonde342coloroverlayversion.jpg


Hmm well, I really don`t know which one I like the best, poor Wendi`s going to be all confused seeing all these versions.....what do my fellow RRF`s friends here think?

Tom
 
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The second from the last....

The second from the last....

The yellows are obscuring the reds more in all the other pics. The car reds seem nicest in second from the last for me. Also Cindy's left cheek is a little darker in that pic, which optically narrows her face a bit as I look at it. By that I mean her face looks a little thinner... which I am sure she would appreciate.

Interestingly, I often wonder why we seek perfection through agonizing over the Post Processing. We ARE our own worst critics. It may be that an art director purchasing our images might make suggestions, but then the Art editors are going to tweak it before going to press with it.

All of the pics shown here would pass the litmus test for most people.
 
I like the vintage slide look best so far Tom.

I fooled around with the photo a bit in LR on my own just to see if I could replicate your slide version look and feel. The version that I made that I prefer was a slightly warmed version, rather than a slightly cooled version. I think that you might want to try very slightly warming the photo, adjusting the tone curve slightly, and adding just a tiny amount of clarity. I think that would add a bit more pop and warm up the model's skin tone. Of course that may be contrary to what you were going for with the pinup style and the model's makeup. Just throwing it out there.

At any rate, lovely photo. Glad you are enjoying the M8.

As to owning photoshop --- Lightroom's academic license lets you pick up the program for $99. Something to think about.
 
i love that enhanced color overlay Tom, just missing a little blue that i remember Kodak Ektachrome having in the mid 70's.
 
Well, here`s the LAST version I`m doing!

HotRodBlonde342ColorEnhancedOverlay.jpg


a COLOR ENHANCED OVERLAY PART TWO.......I guess the pursuit of perfection in my PinUp/Retro Photography Business is sometimes nerve wrecking, I`m surprised I don`t have ulcers from it, I`m my own worst critic 🙁

Tom
 
That one looks great Tom. the one i sent you, i used liquify tool on her face..why you said you noticed her jaw more lol. but i got the blue look in it 🙂

I thought the model mayhem girls were giving you ulcers like me, lol.
 
The photo looks fantastic Tom. Have you ever considered trying Linux Ubuntu as an operating system rather than Windows. First of all it's free and runs much better on older computers than windows does. Plus Gimp and Lightzone are both very good programs for photo editing. And now Gimp 2.6 can handle 16 bit files. It might be worth looking into.

Mike D.
 
Wow!

It's been ages since I've been back here at RFF....my M8 is keeping me too busy 😀

AHardDaysNight217.jpg


"A Hard Days Night"

This photo is not from the Drag Race day....but a "behind the scenes" snapshot from a Vintage VW magazine shoot I just did this past weekend ~ the model is the beautiful Rachel Louise, as she's tried and getting ready to go home from the shoot.......

The photo was shot with the M8 and a 1992 Rigid Summicron f2/50 at like f2 or f2..8 or thereabouts, and the photo has very limited retouching done to it.

I've been very very happy with the M8, it was one of the BEST decisions I've ever made Photographywise, and really crazy enough the Nikkor HC f2/50, along with vintage Canon LTM's (f1.2/1.5 &1.8/50) work the best in getting my "Vintage" look for my PiNuPS! ~ I use more vintage Japanese glass on the M8 than I do vintage German, though I do really like my "wartime" CZJ Sonnar f1.5/50 and my 1936 Leitz Xenon f1.5/50 on the M8 as well.......the M8 is really overall great fun, but really a shame that it's not as afforable to many people who'd benefit by it's technology.

Tom
 
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