Early pressie for Me,Si and Bobby

[Gremlino]

Just looked on Flickr and found that the 131 shoot has been uploaded by Michael Ward.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelwardphotos/

Stunning 

And the other Abarth shots a few pages back are brill too.

[Thotos]

WOW!    All three cars look great guys. Very well done and an extra brownie point to Simon for leaving his 3ma09 plaque on the car for a bit of 3ma advertising 

[simon131]

Pics looks great don't they

The reason that the 3MA09 plaque is still stuck to my car is that Kev's taping exercise was rather 'enthusiastic'  The last time I tried to remove it the paint started to lift . Probably still be on there for 3MA2020!!

[paulcas]

Graham, Simon, Bobby,
absolutely fantastic pictures - you must be very proud, I know I would be 

[kev131]

The reason that the 3MA09 plaque is still stuck to my car is that Kev's taping exercise was rather 'enthusiastic'  The last time I tried to remove it the paint started to lift .

Hmmm - I'm not sure the blame can be entirely laid at my door - I didn't supply the adhesive mechanism, I didn't apply the plaque to it's current location and I removed mine from my car within 2 weeks of applying it! 

They are fantastic shots as usual from Mike - I don't seem able to download them to my computer though...Is there a reason for this..?

[Gremlino]

Michael protects his pics nowdays as in the past people have pilferred them for financial gain.

Not everyone who copied his pics did this but a bit of a sticky point when you put them on Flickr for all the world to see.
Certainly for a proffessional photographer a nightmare when others take and claim your work as their own.

Drop him a line at Auto Italia and see if he'll post you some on a disc ( maybe the offer of money for his efforts would assist?)  .

[Thotos]

In the photo below the 3ma plaque was "photoshopped" off Simon's car  Obviously Auto-Italia don't want to give us free advertising 

[Gremlino]

Perhaps, but more likely they wanted a pic to compare the front ends and the plaque was in the way of doing that ....just an idea but along the lines of Artistic impression maybe.

 

[Thotos]

I'm sure you are right. I was only joking....

[Gremlino]

Ok Theo,

You know how things can escalate on here......boot spoilers?, so I thought I'd better put in an alternative perspective..... .

[Thotos]

You know how things can escalate on here......

I certainly do!  And you are of course right again. 

The 3ma plaque is left in place for most shots but has been removed from all the shots of the Abarth on its own (see photo below) and in the photo above. I am sure that was simply done because the plaque was distracting (and not destructing!) in the photos.  Out of interest, when I had a photo shoot of my car for a different magazine, the photographer insisted in removing the tax disc for the still photos and he claimed it was because the car looked better without it and nothing to do with 'dating' the photo 
 

[simon131]

I think that the pics have been seriously 'photo-shopped' if you ask me . My car is all the same colour for a start and there's no sign of the cracks in the fibreglass, which are particularly noticeable on the bonnet.

Gra, I think it would be nice if at least we, the cars owners, had been given a CD of these pics, and any others come to that - and I'd have no intention of parting with any hard earned cash - especially as it cost me a day's pay to attend the shoot.

[Thotos]

I'm sure Michael will send the owners of the cars CDs with the photos. He certainly sent me a CD of photos of my Gamma after the photo shoot. I seem to remember he waited until after the article was published in Auto Italia though.

[Gremlino]

I seem to remember he waited until after the article was published in Auto Italia though.

Yes Theo, I presumed this is what Michael would do.

Si, yes if we get the CD's around the end of Feb time it would be nice (pics are currently due in Febs issue).
When I mentioned 'paying' I was merely suggesting it to Kev if he wanted them Expresso and before we got any copies....otherwise Kev will have to wait.

I also agree that the pics are a tad tweeked with regard to the colour/contrast adjustment.....if they were left as took then the beam from my teeth and receeded hairline would have whited out the exposures    

I'm happy with the end product though, Michael stands out amongst other pro shootists with his attention to detail, motion and backdrop and he's also a friendly guy who's really interested in the subjects. I've met other photographers who couldn't care a damn for what they're being paid to shoot and are quite arrogant and pushy with regard to positioning of subject and people.

Again I'm not lecturing, Theo, Si, Jason, Andy, Bobby and many more of us know Michael from our Italian car interests..... just painting a picture for those who've never met him.        

[kev131]

Well said Gra - I've only met Michael once, briefly, in Ratoath in 2006 at the first Irish Italian Car day but I'm a big fan of his work - His action shots in particular, are attention grabbing.