ShowcaseCritique please! First time shooting a car meet at night

Went to a night meet in a big grocery store parking lot last Friday, maybe 80 cars! Totally different from the daytime shows I usually do and I was NOT ready.

What I've got: a dark green Datsun 240Z under a single sodium light, which looks amazing on the back screen and kind of muddy on the computer. A Mustang with the headlights on that blew out completely. A row of taillights going away from me which I actually love. And a guy leaning in the engine bay of a Supra with his phone flashlight lighting his face, which might be my favorite photo I've taken all year!

Z5 II and the 24-120, mostly f/4, 1/60, auto ISO which went up to 12800 a few times. Should I be bringing a tripod to these or is that going to annoy everyone? And how do you deal with the orange lights?? Every white car looks like a peach.

The Supra one is the keeper, people > cars every time. For the orange, shoot raw and pull the white balance down toward 3000K in post, it won't be perfect under sodium because that light is basically one color, so sometimes you just lean into it or go black and white.

Tripod is fine at a meet if you set up at the end of a row and don't park it in the walkway. Nobody minds until you're in their shot.

Z7 II, 24mm, f/8, 6s, ISO 64. That's my car meet look. Mostly because I can't hold still and the tripod does it for me.

12800 on the z5 ii is totally usable after denoise. don't be scared of it. the muddy look on the 240z is probably the light more than the noise

frank_delgado said:

sometimes you just lean into it or go black and white

Just tried the Datsun in black and white and wow, ok, that's the one! Bringing the tripod next time and parking it way out of the way. Thanks guys!