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Hot Import Nights
I have an opportunity to attend Hot Import Nights is Seattle at the end of the month.... Couple of questions...... 1...Is the general public allowed to bring in their cameras..... 2...Is there a chance to get some usable images for your portfolio... Regards feel free to share your past HIN experiences within this thread. Jul 10 05 10:34 pm Link I've been to a couple in detroit and my experience is. 1) yes, and I'd expect to see a number of other photogs there also. 2) alot depends on the location (lighting, crowd) and if your able to latch on to a interesting model, there should be allot of them there. Jul 10 05 10:46 pm Link HIN and HID are great as far as I am concerned. $20 to meet and take pics of some of the hottest models around is well worth it. I got many nice candid style pics of some great models when I have gone. 1.Yep, be prepared to be packed in shoulder to shoulder with a bunch of guys with disposables. 2.I seriously doubt it. Even if you do manage to get clean shot of the models as I did, the lighting is usually low and terrible. They have booths set up where you can have a one on one shoot with a model but you have to book that ahead of time. Jul 10 05 10:47 pm Link It is a great opportunity to meet a lot of models. It's also a cool way to make new contacts with up and coming models for future work as well. Having some business cards to pass out to the models is also very helpful. Another good way to get some good pics is if you happen to know any models attending the show, you can arrange to meet with them somewhere and shoot a few pics. The cool thing about these shows is that almost all the models will be happy to pose for you. And yes, the lighting is always poor, but there's always a few places with decent lighting. Good luck! Jul 11 05 12:06 am Link Posted by ChrisO: Will a Canon 420 flash work well? Jul 11 05 12:13 am Link Posted by rsmith6621: Should work fine. You should also bring a good zoom lens to get pics of the models when they get onstage and gogo dance, thats one of the best parts of the night Jul 11 05 12:25 am Link hmmm, as far as pics for your port man, uhm, as long as you don't mind having the same pics as about fifty other guys with disposeable cameras, then yah. Bring a business card, even a small port or something to show that you're legit. Maybe set up something at a later date. Event photos, no matter how good, always look like event photos. Jul 11 05 12:35 am Link If you want your portfolio to demonstrate your "event photography" skills, then sure, you can get some photos for your portfolio. But if you want quality studio or artistic type shots, forget it. I have one shot from the first import auto show I went to years ago that I actually think is fairly decent for an "event pic". I'll put it up in my portfolio so you can check it out. Jul 11 05 12:53 am Link Shot this at a HIN event in Sac about a year ago. Not a bad shot and not an obvious event shot either. The shadow does kind of bother me, but what ya gonna do? I brought a powerful handle-flash for a light source. Worked well. I actually got a number of nice shots, but prefer not to post "event" style shots in my general gallery/portfolio... http://thrumylens.com/galleries/photos/ … W_4069.jpg Jul 11 05 01:26 am Link A little late to the forum tonight .... .... been to a couple of the HIN's myself so ... ... I was going to jump in here to add some comments and observations ... but ... pretty much everything said is true! LOL So I second it! Ohhh two words ... HAVE FUN!!! Jul 11 05 01:29 am Link I was at the Boston Hot Import Nights a few months ago. Had a press pass for the night. I didn't see many disposables, but, camera phones were everywhere. I was an assistant photographer to shoot Eri Fujiama's and AbbyM's 2006 calendar cover. Mike Brochu and myself worked from 12:30am to 3am in the Bayside Expo Center. We used a $150,000 Ferrari as the background. I did make a few rounds to the booths to photograph some of the models. I put the better ones up on my site: http://www.kr2s.com/photo/Gallery2.htm They are near the bottom of the gallery. One other note, Mike Brochu is holding a Glamour Lighting Workshop in NYC on July 30, 31. You can view photos from the first one in Boston and get more info at http://www.mikebrochu.net/ Jul 11 05 07:23 am Link Posted by rsmith6621: I entered my old truck in the show back in 1997 when I was a racer. Those were the days. HIN wasn't the only people throwing car shows. No underaged teeny boppers trying to be cool by showing some skin. Now a these days, car shows suck. Jul 11 05 07:59 am Link Posted by Dave Mullins: I saw Mikes pics when Abby posted them, outstanding job by everyone involved. Brochu is one of the few photographers that I admire. Too bad his workshops were not closer ! Jul 11 05 04:34 pm Link Robert The next Brochu workshop is tenantively scheduled for Labor day weekend in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Dave Posted by U240Robert: Jul 11 05 04:52 pm Link If you're a good photographer you'll be able to get shots regardless of who is around you. You will have to tell the girls to look at you because like someone else said, you'll have 30 dudes with cell phones over your shoulder and, as if the cell phones were $500 bills, the girls will all be gazing at them. I shot / shoot for a couple of mags that are at the car shows, although I hate doing it because it's a lot of work. You can not carry subpar equipment and expect to get good shots in the buildings that these car shows are held in. I have the following arsenal in alignment for car shows, 85mm 1.4, my 28-70mm 2.8, and my 12-24 which I think is a 3.5-4.5. I carry those three because I like to get my shots in these type of shows minus a flash. Reason being, you eliminate very ugly shadows, and you get more real to life colors. This is not a bash, but the images in the kr2s gallery would probably get rejected if I submitted them, they just don't look up to par for publication. Here's a link to some images I shot at SEMA in Atlantic City last month for a publication. All the shots with without flash except for Funk Master Flex Shot, (Bald Headed Black Dude), the shot after that with Big Rob The Jeweler in the White Coat, and the shot with the Girl and the Little Guy. http://phillyriderz.com/ImageLink/SemaAC/index.htm Don't be afraid to bump up the ISO and go for the handheld shots. You will not be disappointed. Jul 11 05 10:26 pm Link If you're a good photographer you'll be able to get shots regardless of who is around you. You will have to tell the girls to look at you because like someone else said, you'll have 30 dudes with cell phones over your shoulder and, as if the cell phones were $500 bills, the girls will all be gazing at them. I shot / shoot for a couple of mags that are at the car shows, although I hate doing it because it's a lot of work. You can not carry subpar equipment and expect to get good shots in the buildings that these car shows are held in. I have the following arsenal in alignment for car shows, 85mm 1.4, my 28-70mm 2.8, and my 12-24 which I think is a 3.5-4.5. I carry those three because I like to get my shots in these type of shows minus a flash. Reason being, you eliminate very ugly shadows, and you get more real to life colors. This is not a bash, but the images in the kr2s gallery would probably get rejected if I submitted them, they just don't look up to par for publication. Here's a link to some images I shot at SEMA in Atlantic City last month for a publication. All the shots with without flash except for Funk Master Flex Shot, (Bald Headed Black Dude), the shot after that with Big Rob The Jeweler in the White Coat, and the shot with the Girl and the Little Guy. http://phillyriderz.com/ImageLink/SemaAC/index.htm Don't be afraid to bump up the ISO and go for the handheld shots. You will not be disappointed. Jul 11 05 10:26 pm Link This was my first time there and I didn't know what to expect. With HIN the lights in the building are turned off so using a flash was mandatory. I was just looking to get some head shots of the models. I wanted to eliminate any distracting backgrounds to bring out the model. I was using a 17-40mm 4.0 and 70-200mm 2.8. I think I only took 10 pix of the cars that night. Jul 12 05 07:15 am Link Thanks everyone for your replies.......I can hardly wait.... Another question.......In regards to the images I get if I want to use them for my webfolio or any other BIZ usage will I need to get a release........if so......do I want to keep a pack of releases with me at the show and just have them signed there or wait till I see what I want to use and attempt to get ahold of the model then....Are these events held with the understanding that you as a participant/spectator understand that your image may be used without further consent....in other words anything on the otherside of the turnstile is fair game for anyone....HIN models and photogs included. Jul 12 05 09:54 am Link For your port or personal usage there should be no problem. Other BIZ or commercial usage would need a release. The models there may be willing to give you their autograph, but not on a release without being paid. I had one say she only does pictures with their photographer that sells them to you. Dave Posted by NWDigphoto: Jul 12 05 10:12 am Link Posted by NWDigphoto: Believe me, there are a TON of guys who put up their pics from the event on the internet and I can tell you they don't have any releases. One of the reasons I like those shows so much is that the models are cool with you taking their pics and don't mind them going on the net as long as you are not selling them. Jul 12 05 11:51 am Link Going along with what MichaelBell said, you do not need releases at HIN or any other event like that. I have a coverage site, ImportFX.net , we usually hit HIN and few other shows throughout the year. IF you go to a alot of the shows get to know some of the main models at the show so they can get familiar with your site and/or work. Most of them will be more than happy to let you get some "exclusive" type shots away from the crowd. Foe example, I have a few of Eri Moriyama in and out of her vehicle. Also the shows is great place to find new models to work with, some will mostl like be just attending the show or working a booth. Jul 12 05 12:51 pm Link You run ImportFX.net Eli? Awesome, I love that site! I must admit that many of the Import models like Christine Mendoza, Jeri Lee, Alexia Lei and others are some of my favorites which makes these shows even better. I hope to be working with many of them over the summer but they are all very busy so we'll see. Keep up the great work and I hope to see you at one of the next HID or HIN shows Jul 12 05 01:03 pm Link Forgot to post this earlier for you Randall. Check out the many free galleries here at Pure Hot Models, it will give you an idea of what kind of photos and situations you can expect. I will be putting up some pics I take at HID on July 24th as well. http://gallery.purehotmodels.com/2005/ Jul 12 05 04:49 pm Link You can get some decent shots @ some shows. I put a shot of mai tran from Street Scenes in ny, which I touched up....poped the colors a bit. But I am defint. going to try EMG's advice and rise my iso. I was just afraid there would some noise in the photos If I rised it. Jul 12 05 05:17 pm Link |