Cool Idea for Lighting Car Interiors

From reader mini/eng, here is a cheapo, tight-space lighting technique so clever that it would make Strobist car-lighting guru Moosehd2 proud.

Mini/eng stuck a Canon 430ex speedlight (on manual at full power) on the roof of the car, and aimed it at a large, white card just outside the far window. Presto: clean, soft even light to throw nice smooth speculars off of that rich, Corinthian Vinyl dash.

He triggered it wirelessly with a Canon ST-E2 infra-red remote. I am thinking he nuked it on full manual to get the most depth of field possible, and adjusted the aperture to make Mr. Histogram happy. (Looks like he coaxed f/8 out of it.)

My one-sentence, pimp-my-light advice would have been to shoot it at night, with the dash lights on, and to leave the shutter open long enough for all of that speedo-tacho ambient goodness to burn in. Wouldn't that rock?

Don't think this bounce card technique is limited to the boot-strapping, starving-artist types who read this blog, either. The Big Dawg car photogs use this trick any time they need clean, soft light in a tight area.

Good to remember next time you are lighting the interior of your Cooper Mini. Or maybe a Manhattan apartment.

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