A "Closed hood--photography" hour at the car show?

[mrpushbutton]

One thing I noticed this year was that many of the cars there had their hoods open for the duration of the show, even later in the day after the Judging would have been completed.
Is it insane to ask that a certain time period, let's say late in the show, 2:00-3:00 PM be declared a time where hoods are closed and people stay back from the cars? for those who wish to photograph the cars this way. I love seeing all of the pristine engine compartments, and always learn about originality features this way, but the car does not present "its look" this way, it breaks the styling and looks like it is broken down. Just an idea, it is still the best show I attend all year.

[Bill Clark]

I'm with you John. I don't do many pictures of cars with the hoods up unless I'm documenting some odd hood pad or the engine compartment. I find the light pretty bad most afternoons and try to get to shows as early as possible. This gets me much better morning light and gets cars while the hood is down before the engine clean up starts. My other problem with most pictures is people stand too close to the car and use the 28mm lens or worse that comes with their pocket camera instead of backing up and zooming in and getting the car in proportion. If I'm there early, I can stand back without having to wait for the crowd to clear. If I miss a shot, I'm not beyond asking the owner if they could close the hood for a picture. Another afternoon crowd trick is to get ready for the picture, then have someone go pose by the car. The crowd will part and when they do, the poser skoots and you can get your shot.
Bill

[mrpushbutton]

I've been doing this since 1980, so I'm not new at it, I know how to ask!

[starfireelvis]

I've been doing this since 1980, so I'm not new at it, I know how to ask!

As an avid picture-taker myself, I also would like to see a "designated hour" after the judging is done, if possible. I always try to have a period of time at any car show I attend where, part of the time, I leave my hood (and trunk) open, and also with everything shut so that some nice pictures can be taken. Especially at Hershey, the minute I am done judging, I close everything up for a couple of hours, while I am off taking pictures myself; then when I return, I open the hood back up, and even set up a display of my factory literatre and manuals in the trunk which many find interesting and intriguing.

I suppose one way kind of around this, which is easier said than done for a car show participant, is to have a camera at the entrance (though there are two, so you'd have to get them as the pull onto Hockersville Rd. from the Giant Center complex) and get them as they go past; this also can be done to a degree at the end of the show as the vehicles are leaving.

[Restorer32]

Bear in mind that some of those folks in the way of your picture taking may well be judges trying to do their job. In the judged classes it is important for exhibitors to leave their hoods up and trunks open so the National Awards Team can do their thing.

[DAVE A]

I understand the photographers' needs to want the hoods closed for aesthetics of the car as a whole, however, when I am at a show I am often looking at the beauty and unusual nature of the engines of many of the cars. When I am looking at cars at an AACA show, I am often looking for ideas as to how to present my car better. The engine compartment represents a large part of that. I guess either the photographers are going to have to ask to close the hood or I am going to have to ask them to open them!!!

[cutlasguy]

I understand the photographers' needs to want the hoods closed for aesthetics of the car as a whole, however, when I am at a show I am often looking at the beauty and unusual nature of the engines of many of the cars. When I am looking at cars at an AACA show, I am often looking for ideas as to how to present my car better. The engine compartment represents a large part of that. I guess either the photographers are going to have to ask to close the hood or I am going to have to ask them to open them!!!

"Hoods Down.....An excellent idea! I find Fall Hershey notoriously bad for shadows though. Everything tends to get in the picture, including the shadows of trees, other cars, and people standing well out of view. Even the photographer must stand well back of his subject in order to keep his shadow out of the photo. I do prefer, however, to get wide angle shots. They're more dramatic and I have noticed that more car magazines are going this way for their cover shots. I take only "hood down" shots for my personal collection, which now includes many thousands of photos ensconced in 40 seperate albums, all categorized by make, model, and cronologically by year. Gives me something to do after prepping my car for the show. I do run my legs off at Hershey, trying to shoot the cars just before they pull out to leave. I post them on Photobucket also under the name "BOOWAH"

Earl Bailey
Scranton, Pa.

[Dick380185]

I think this is a nice idea.

[mrpushbutton]

Restorer32--that is why I suggested this be later in the day. I certainly know what AACA Judges look like, and what a car being judged looks like, I have taken many a car to the meet. DAVE A-a majority of the cars at the show had their hoods up all day, you have hours to see them, I'm just asking for a time period late in the day, after judging is completed for the hoods to all be closed so that we can see, and maybe even get a photo of the car in the state its stylist envisioned.

[Peter J.Heizmann]

Restorer32--that is why I suggested this be later in the day. I certainly know what AACA Judges look like, and what a car being judged looks like, I have taken many a car to the meet. DAVE A-a majority of the cars at the show had their hoods up all day, you have hours to see them, I'm just asking for a time period late in the day, after judging is completed for the hoods to all be closed so that we can see, and maybe even get a photo of the car in the state its stylist envisioned.

John,

I fail to see how this is possible at a show the size of Hershey though I think it is a nice concept. Problem as Jeff alluded is depending on the class size some judging goes on to 1:00-1:30. Then judging is not over. If your vehicle has been judged, say, at 10:30 a.m. and then close your hood and trunk well the National Awards Judges will not consider it for a National Award as they cannot see the engine, etc. These National Award Judges walk around all afternoon and at every meet throughout the year. (National Awards are the pinnacle and totally separate from the show awards. You probably already know all of this.)

Peter J.