Le Mans brochure cover shot

[SmartWombat]

I've been seked to find a single shot "that is le Mans" for a tour brochure.

Square format, only to be printed 2" square, perhaps 2x1" (yes I know that's not square).
So, any votes from these?

[SmartWombat]

final two for selection

I've not stuck to the square format because they really don't have a clue

[opus]

I don't know what "Le Mans" is (I always thought it was a brand of car, shows what little I know) ... but I don't like the first two because they seem to be more about the headlights than anything else. Of the group at the top, I like the last one best. Of the final two, I like the first one.

[Photo-John]

I'd like to see something tighter, and maybe ever darker. I think you're trying to show too much in most of these. I think just a car, with the lights on, and a vague, track background. That would say "Le Mans" to me. Of all that you posted, I like the first one best.

It would probably be useful to look at them at print size. You've posted them a lot larger than 2x2 or 2x1. They'll look different when they're that small. Details will start to disappear and the cars will get tiny.

[JSPhoto]

HMMM, apparently you need Dunlop in the photo, obviously a race car as Le Mans is a race track, but I think I'd go there and shoot something different than these. The people in the backgrounds are distracting to me, the headlights are doing odd things as well. I think I'd go with a car that is passing through the corner blurred with the Dunlop clear and sharp.
Just my two cents though
JS

[livin4lax09]

id like to see something with better color. some vibrant colors, so the cover catches your eye. All of these seem kind of dull as far as colors go.

[SmartWombat]

It's proving really difficult.

Most were shot with the Sigma 80-400 which just wasn't up to the job.

The dunlop bridge and curves at le Mans are recognisable circuit landmarks.
If I crop to the car tthen it could be any circuit.
Yes, the le Mans circuit logo on the buiilding by the bridge is for those who haven't been there

One other thing I was told was "something with headlights" talk about vague !


Kelly you've picked my favourites.
... and perhaps not surprisingly the ones best lit

John I'm surprised he wants to print so small on the cover.
... I guess my photo's not so important
I'm wary of going dark, it's not goign to be a good glossy brochure..
And since he asked for headlights, I'm not sure I've got much that is lighter.


This was one event where I had to look after Angie a lot, thre was only one spot out of the sun with disabled access, and that was behind the wires, so I really got very little chance to take photos.
When I wasn't baby sitting Angie I was soaking up the atmosphere, watching the race, sleeping, doing a coach tour to Arnage corner and Mulsanne straight ... but in the dark so no photos.

[SmartWombat]

As I said to John and Kelly, the tighter crops could have been taken anywhere.
At any of the LMES races in the series, on any circuit.
I need something that can only be le Mans.
Which means the shots with the Dunlop bridge in, or the le Mans logo on the building.

Otherwise I have many of the same cars at Silverstone in the 1000km race there.
I could cheat and use thiose photos, but I don't feel right about that.

Unfortnately there weren't that many bright cars.
I was in this spot for dawn, and the dawn set is pretty much the only decent shots form 24 hours !
I know, that's not like me at all
But I had a wheelchair and wife to look after and worry about.

Tomorrow I'll do some smaller images, but I'll bee offline for a few days after that.

THANKS EVERYONE

[JSPhoto]

SW,

Do a verticle crop and take some off the bottom and sides, that should get you what you need. You could do that with the top shop, just crop out the car in back, get the two front cars and the bridge cropping the sides off it.

JS

[drg]

I prefer the last one of the first four (three cars).

Paul, didn't you post a photo of a car in the rain coming down from the Dunlop bridge or was that at Silverstone? I remember you had taken it and some others with the Sigma 80-400 lens and a couple of those in the small size your referring to might work.

They may have been from the wrong track.

I agree that the bridge is almost a de facto requirement for it to be recognizable. I'd like something with more of the arch of the bridge showing!

[Photo-John]

John I'm surprised he wants to print so small on the cover.
... I guess my photo's not so important

I think I misunderstood. You said something about 2x2 and 2x1. I read it as 2 inches x 2 inches, which was wrong. So disregard that statement. It was about viewing for final print size - not a judgement about the image quality.

I'd still like a tighter shot. It's always tough when someone comes to you after the fact. If I could shoot this I'd shoot from below where you were so that I could stack up a car with the landmarks in the background. Hindsight...

[masdog]

SW,

I like the 4th one of the 1st batch. I really don't know much about LeMan's or auto racing in general, but with that one, I can instantly identify the subject. I would say that you should submit that one.

[SmartWombat]

Thanks, that viewpoint is important.
It's as much to grab new business as to sell endurance racing to existing F1 fan customers.
This brochure is for racing fans, by a company run by racing fans that organises race tours.