Another vintage car from Cuba

[Autumn]

Several vintage taxis drew up outside our hotel to take some Canadian holidaymakers for a ride.

I took a few 'snaps', trying to get different angles. This is one of them. I have a feeling it is a little too "In your face and too tight in the frame," but you have to try something new sometimes, don't you.?

I would like a critique please.

"Old Orange Car, toned"

and ... ... if anyone knows the make can you please let me know.

[Jim]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Audrey that's stunning! Do you live in Cuba? If you're just on holiday, how did you manage to find time do the post so well?
How did you get the wheel on the right (as you look at it) more visible than the other? (I'm not sure if I like that wheel, it looks a bit artificial, but that's only me.)

Not too much in your face, the cropping is perfect. Shame about the mod in the r/h side of the frame, but a little cloning would fix that. Have you tried it with a blue sky to counter the number plate? That might also give you an outline for the roof. It's a bit lost with the mono sky.

Chevrolet. I think possibly a Bel-Air, about 1956. If you *really* want to know I'll look it up.


Great pic!
Jim

[Autumn]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Hi Jim

Glad you like it. No, I don't live in Cuba, I was on holiday and came back about a month ago, so my post processing was done at home.

It was difficult to isolate the cars, because there were so many, also people and buildings, so I thought I would convert everything except the car to mono.

Unfortunately the sky had no detail so I put a bit of cloud in.

I can't say what happened to the wheel, they do look a bit different on the original - perhaps I selected one and not the other - I hate doing selections and had it blown up quite a lot so I could barely see what was what. If I did then one is converted to mono and the other is the original. Who knows?

I knew the top of the car was missing. Perhaps I could try to draw it in, but I don't know what tool to use.

I will have a go at cloning out the modern car.

Anyway thanks for your comments. They are very helpful and if you can find out, without too much trouble, I would like to be able to put a name to these vehicles. Some of them do have names on.

[Archangel]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Nice one Audrey.
I like the tight framing which I'm fan of for several reasons.
I do have a friend that has visited Cuba and has many shots of these old antique cars and they are really interesting to see them as they are old in age but very well rebuild and maintained.
The car is indeed a Chevrolet as my grandfather brought the First Black Chevy in Greece in 1952 and used it as a taxi. I remember the car and the Chevy's of that time had an airplane as emblem on top of the hood as the one you photographed does


George

[Jim]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Hi Audrey.
Well, it is a Chevvie, almost definitely a '56, and probably a Bel-Air.
Can you just try to take the original colour image, leave the car *and* the sky in colour, convert the rest to mono, try not to get that wheel so light, clone the modern out? I really think you've a cracking picture there. Let's have a look at that then I think you could perhaps even sell it.
Your Buick photo, the purple one, is a Buick, and I think, a 1955 Classic Special. That's actually the model name, not a "special" as we know it in England.
Car Repairs 11 is almost certainly an Oldsmobile, somewhere between 53 and 56.
Old car in Pinar del Rio may be a Plymouth, perhaps '59.
Downtown Havana could well be a Ford, around 55, but there's something odd about it I can't make out what.
Crumbling Havana is another Chevrolet, also a Bel Air, 1956.
Which leaves a Spot of Bovver. Chancing my arm, but I think it's a Mercury, 1954.
If I get more than 7/10 I want a BIG prize!

Jim

[Jim]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

ps. I understand, (having never been there), that most of the old American cars in Cuba are totally worn out, and have been cobbled together from many different cars. most of the engines, apparently, are diesel engines. I have heard that they are Perkins, but wonder why they wouldn't be Russian?
Anyway, some of your pics show cars that could have bits of other makes/models welded on. They look a little different, that's all.
They're still great pics, anyway.
Jim

[Autumn]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

ps. I understand, (having never been there), that most of the old American cars in Cuba are totally worn out, and have been cobbled together from many different cars. most of the engines, apparently, are diesel engines. I have heard that they are Perkins, but wonder why they wouldn't be Russian?
Anyway, some of your pics show cars that could have bits of other makes/models welded on. They look a little different, that's all.
They're still great pics, anyway.
Jim

Glad you like them Jim and thanks for the names. I will make a note of them. Yes, we were told that most of the cars had diesel engines, but I don't know what type.

I will have a go at the modification as you suggest, the trouble is I can't leave the blue sky, as it was white! I'll see what I can do. It may take a little while, as it is 27 degrees in our garden - too nice to be indoors.

[Autumn]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Nice one Audrey.
I like the tight framing which I'm fan of for several reasons.
I do have a friend that has visited Cuba and has many shots of these old antique cars and they are really interesting to see them as they are old in age but very well rebuild and maintained.
The car is indeed a Chevrolet as my grandfather brought the First Black Chevy in Greece in 1952 and used it as a taxi. I remember the car and the Chevy's of that time had an airplane as emblem on top of the hood as the one you photographed does
George

Welcome back George. I hope you had a good holiday - sounds pretty much like it if you good 800 photographs. Look forward to seeing some.

The framing is pretty much as I took the pic with a shaving off the left hand side to match the right hand side.

I am going to try to improve my post processing in the light of what Jim said.

[coupekid]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

what a terrific photo, nice one Audrey!

Its definately a Chevy Bel-Air, and a really goodun at that by the look.

I think this is pretty much spot on, but the front right hand side (as we look at it) tyre (or should I say tire!) looks wrong, other than that, I love it!

[Autumn]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Hi Audrey.
Well, it is a Chevvie, almost definitely a '56, and probably a Bel-Air.
Can you just try to take the original colour image, leave the car *and* the sky in colour, convert the rest to mono, try not to get that wheel so light, clone the modern out? I really think you've a cracking picture there. Let's have a look at that then I think you could perhaps even sell it.

Jim

Well Jim I have tried to do as you suggested. Bear in mind, on my original pic, there was no detail in the sky so I had to add one. I had to watch a tutorial on how to use the pen tool to get the top of the car in.

I am not sure about the blue sky, but I could convert it to mono.

I would like a further critique on this, which could include the framing, text and the sky please.

Struggled over the right wheel.

Hope you like it.

[Archangel]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Welcome back George. I hope you had a good holiday - sounds pretty much like it if you good 800 photographs. Look forward to seeing some.

The framing is pretty much as I took the pic with a shaving off the left hand side to match the right hand side.

I am going to try to improve my post processing in the light of what Jim said.

Audrey,

I mistakenly thought that you had this photo up in the Eye of the camera section.
So in terms of critique, I think cloning out the right wheel (that looks actually like a foreign body to the car and to ground) will do the job, plus to do something with the sky to distinguish better the difference between car roof and sky.

George

[Autumn]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Audrey,

So in terms of critique, I think cloning out the right wheel (that looks actually like a foreign body to the car and to ground) will do the job, plus to do something with the sky to distinguish better the difference between car roof and sky.

George

I am wondering if you missed my post George, because I have reposted the car photograph having worked on the separation of the sky and the car roof as well as some work on the wheel.

Or did you mean it still needed some work?

[Stephen]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

I am wondering if you missed my post George, because I have reposted the car photograph having worked on the separation of the sky and the car roof as well as some work on the wheel.

Or did you mean it still needed some work?

I don't think George had read the whole thread when he posted that comment Audrey

[Archangel]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

I am wondering if you missed my post George, because I have reposted the car photograph having worked on the separation of the sky and the car roof as well as some work on the wheel.

Or did you mean it still needed some work?

I missed that post Audrey that you posted the revised version.
Somehow I got lost in it between the replies.
I only remember that I saw the thread coming up and I had commented that I liked the photo of the car, but then I saw it was up in the Critique Section and not in the Eye of the camera as I had initially thought.
So I replied one more time stating what it didn;t look to me so right in the first place, but didn't comment on that as I thought it was in the Eye of the camera section.

So, bottom line, is that the revised version is the proper one according to my thinking and I'm glad that you left a little more space left and right of the car. So that version will do the job perfectly and there is no need for me for further revision.

George

[Jim]

Re: Another vintage car from Cuba

Hi Audrey.
Well! What can I say? For someone who had to watch a tutorial, I think you've done a stunning job!
Don't you think that the pic looks more balanced now with the blue in the sky echoing the blue in the number plate and in the Chevrolet badge?

My thoughts that follow are only my own thoughts, and what I would do to try to perfect the image. If you are happy with the pic, then I think it's good enough to print and hang on your wall. I don't think you're the type to get frightened by a silly little piece of computer software, but what I suggest will take some time and perhaps practice.

Warning, Audrey! Make copies! Do not practice on your original image!

The wheel of the car is perfect, it's just enough to stop the car looking as though it's floating. In fact, although it's difficult to see at these resolutions, I might copy, flip and paste the wheel over onto the other side. You would need to try that and then see what it looked like at full res. You aren't trying to make the car symmetrical, that would be unnatural, but just see what it looks like. I've just looked at the original and there is a wheel on the other side that was perfect. Did you darken that in this image?

You've done a good job in cloning out the modern car, but in the pic that you've posted there's a little sharply defined rectangle. think you can get rid of that? There is also a blur just to the side of the headlamp where the back of the modern was that you need to heal out. Actually, the heal tool might be too difficult just there, you might need to use the clone stamp. There is also a funny little curly thing just above the wing of the car on that same side. What is that? maybe get rid of that while you're there.

Now; The sky. What you've done has transformed the picture. (but there's always a but in life, isn't there? )
Where did you get that sky? It looks a bit like one of the Photoshop patterns.
It's OK, but for some reason just doesn't look natural.
I think what might be confusing me is that this image is altogether darker than the original. Have you tried to increase the contrast, or something? I think I preferred the original, as you have no lost the little detail in the driver's face and the metallic sheen to his shirt. I would leave the little details in as they give much more to look at. (Unless you want to make an abstract, which is a subject for another day!)
Back to the sky. Look through your other pics and try to find a nice blue sky. Are the clouds quite as soft and fuzzy as the clouds in this sky? If they look the same, then leave the sky. It's my monitor that is off. If you prefer another sky, copy and paste it into your picture.
Can you see a little lip to the side of the roof of the car? I can see that you've built up the roof, and you've made a good job of it, but you've made it just a little high. Go in at a very close zoom and use a vary small brush to delete the top of the roof, get rid of the little lip on either side and the hard line that runs along the top.

Looking at it again, I think try to get the brightness and contrast back to the original. The buildings on the right had a bit more "snap", his shirt and face I've mentioned, the bumper was shinier, and so on.

All the above can be seen as hypercritical, but is what I think I would do. Break it down into little jobs and stop after each one, look at what you've done and see if you're happy with it. Don't try to do it all in one go, 'cos when you've finished and you don't like it, you may not know which bit you don't like!

And remember what the art teacher told us. The hard part of *any* work is knowing when to stop!
Jim