# The 2012 GTROC Calendar picture thread.



## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

OK folks,
Starting early so we get a fantastic product for 2012.
Have no idea on theme yet, or layout, or to be perfectly honest whether there will even be a calendar, but to make one, i need pictures.....so here we are.

What do i need????????????????
I need *HIGH* res photos. I need them to be taken by someone who has the permission for them to feature in the calendar.
It's not just about the car either. I need fantastic backdrops..all seasons!!!!!!
*EVERY* model will be considered..in GTST or GT-R format. I say this because if the calendar is a GTROC product, it's ALL about it's members and their cars.
It doesn't have to be a photo of your own car...but it does have to be *YOUR* photo.
For those of you that have had calendars in the past, you will know how good the content has been. Lets make another super quality product for 2012.
You can post photos here, or you can PM for my email address.
Unfortunately there is no reward for submitting photos, only the fact that they might possibly be used in the calendar.
So come on...lets see em'


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## *Shane* (Jul 21, 2009)

Good stuff, will go dig out a good pic


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## jae (Aug 28, 2002)

As I have finally got all the photo's back from my ex, here's a trip down memory lane. Original is 3072x2048, 3.71MB should it become relevant.


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## SPEED MERCHANT (Jun 5, 2006)

I have the original I can email if required Paul :thumbsup:


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## JayJay (Apr 19, 2010)

Couple of mine

I can email the high res one if needed


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

jae said:


> As I have finally got all the photo's back from my ex, here's a trip down memory lane. Original is 3072x2048, 3.71MB should it become relevant.


Thankyou Jae, i already have ALL those original shots and even the photoshopped ones...

Speedy my old mate, email me ALL of your pics. Haven't seen them yet.

Thanks so far. Good to see a good start. Keep 'em coming


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

I can only reiterate Paul's comments and say the photos have to be of the very highest standard with exceptional photography and a broader perspective on the scene as a whole, not just "a nice photo of a car". We are trying to secure a more commercial way to do this which would fundamentally change the calendar in terms of quality and to make it a less of a club members calendar and to give it an altogether more broad appeal.

Not being too specific but from the photos submitted so far: b&w no good, two out of focus and one with too much glare and light bounce back. Sorry. If you think I'm being harsh then here is the sort of level we are looking to emulate:


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## archaeic_bloke (Apr 22, 2008)

these are some fav's of my car:


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

Fuggles said:


> Sorry if you think I'm being harsh but here is the sort of level we are looking to emulate:


Not harsh at all John. Indeed it is the sort of level of quality we are after.

I dont want this thread to become a picture thread of 'fav pics of my car'.
No disrespect to anyone of course, but as John says, focus, dramatic back drops, light, colour and content are the key to a quality product.

Here are some examples from previous years that we are trying to match if not better.


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

some other examples, taken from a wider view of the calendar industry














































all that said to be honest even those above are not exceptional. Accepted they are quite good and have some nice touches but are still a long way short of the standard we expect from the next calendar. The only one I found that comes close (and even now I'm not sure) is the following:










This is a very very high bar we are stting ourselves and if we don't achieve it then we wont be able to sell the product commercially


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

when you say commercially you mean?? to members, or the ' world '??


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

every year we have had the calendar available to members at a discounted rate but sold elsewhere and made more generally available. As a result it's been populated by club members (and forum users) 'snaps' which make it less saleable. I accept that a lot of these are good photos but Paul has spent hours and hours editing them to improve them. The truth is if it's not top notch to start with no amount of airbrushing will make it something exceptional. If the calendar is to survive and to not continue to cost the Club money then it needs to be available to a wider commercial audience. This is about channels, but far more importantly about the quality of the photos.

If we can get some commercial deals then it will go ahead. However this will also mean some tough decisions will need to be made in terms of style, photo choice and so forth. Here are some better examples:


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

one maybe from this lot: http://www.gtr.co.uk/forum/145992-had-some-pics-datsun-done.html

shame it's in the wrong part of the forum!


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## nismoman (Jul 13, 2004)

well done paul:bowdown1: /john:bowdown1: hopfull we can make this a must have calender if cars is what your into:wavey:


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## JapFreak786 (Aug 29, 2003)

I think we should also get Dino (DCD) on the case and see if he is willing to donate a few pictures for the club? even if they are of his own R34 GTR

non of mine are good enough to even be considered


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

JapFreak786 said:


> I think we should also get Dino (DCD) on the case and see if he is willing to donate a few pictures for the club? even if they are of his own R34 GTR


Dino has contributed many times to past calendars. He is one of the best out there, but there are many people on here that can do a fantastic job.


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## JapFreak786 (Aug 29, 2003)

he sure is just that good! some of the photo's that Dino took from the GTR festival in 2010 were amazing


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

JapFreak786 said:


> none of mine are good enough to even be considered


Sadly I like your honesty. So many people take a picture of their car like it and think it's good enough. In the ovewhelming majority of the case it's nowhere near good enough. Now that we want to 'raise the bar' it's going to be even tougher. For me the only one that stands out is Ludders car shrouded in smoke. Other than that nothing inspiring yet from members. Sorry


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## ITSt (Apr 28, 2006)

:clap: First let me applaud Paul et all for bringing back the GTROC Calendar, I really miss looking at one above my PC, I even had to resort to buying my wife something different for Christmas this time :chuckle:

I've had a number of pictures published in previous calendars (not just the GTROC one either) and on one hand I can understand why the "bar needs to be raised", but if, as it seems from the comments above, you are after professional photographs, as opposed to semi-professional/photo enthusiast, then why not just ask professional photographers to contribute 12 pictures rather than asking everyone for their best photograph ?

Even I would be hard pushed to find something that lives up to the professionally taken pictures of the posts above, in fact to be perfectly honest, after reading the posts above, I'm now in two minds whether or not to contribute a pic or two for the fear of being shot down in flames


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## SPEED MERCHANT (Jun 5, 2006)

ITSt said:


> I've had a number of pictures published in previous calendars (not just the GTROC one either) and on one hand I can understand why the "bar needs to be raised", but if, as it seems from the comments above, you are after professional photographs, as opposed to semi-professional/photo enthusiast, then why not just ask professional photographers to contribute 12 pictures rather than asking everyone for their best photograph ?


Here here ... I was going to post something similar especially when the photos that John put up that were "near quality" have also been very heavily modified & edited to reduce glare, shadows etc. anyway !!!!

As long as the guidelines Paul set out are stuck to that its not about the favourite photo of your car, to quote Paul himself :

*"it's ALL about it's members and their cars.
It doesn't have to be a photo of your own car...but it does have to be YOUR photo.*

So why does it seem that the calendar is steering away from this purpose, but your last statement Ian has been echoed to me a number of times today talking to various people in the GTROC on other matters ... Though the common saying I kept hearing was 'pi**ed on that fire" :chuckle:


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## RSVFOUR (May 1, 2006)

All photos should be eligible (as long as ownership criteria is satisfied)

Surely it cant matter who took them or what with though its likely the very best will have been taken with a top camera 


At the end of the day the best 12 photos are the best 12 photos end of


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

These are all very good points and comments. Glad to see people are participating
I'll try and make it a little easier to understand so we can decide where we go with it, but i do tend to agree with the above that 'raising the bar' as John said, is all very well, and would produce a stunning calendar we could all stare at...but what would it mean to 'US' as members and enthusiasts. 
To produce something as stunning as John has hinted at would indeed stretch my skills certainly, but more poignantly corner a very small minority of camera skills. John is quite right in saying that no amount of photoshopping would make a silk purse.
It would cost in excess of 2.5K maybe 3K to print a high volume, high quality calendar. It would have to be a proper litho run, not a digital run like we have always had, and to sell globally in that market, would obviously need to be printed in quantities of 1000's. Most printers would quote a minimum of say 5000 copies to keep the price down and the quality up.
The digital route costs half of that, but a small print run of only about 200/300. 
So with the litho route, you could sell them for much cheaper due to the lower cost/calendar on a large run, but only actually sell say 500, which is far more than we have ever sold any year. Seliing them at say £5 each down that route would only make the printing costs even.
The digital route would cost more /calendar...£10 each for example, but going on sales figures from past years, only selling about 200, then that would still only make the printing costs...
With this in mind, this is one of the reasons i contemplated a desktop calendar with a page for every week. Still stunning photos but a little more humble and meaningful.
They are the options sadly.


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## Min-e (Sep 23, 2009)

Paul, glad to see you're quickly on the case for the 2012 calendar. Just to confirm a couple of points. What exactly do you class as being "high res" any particular dpi/ppi? Do they need to be in RAW or jpeg format, where do we send the images to and what is the deadline?

Sorry for all of the questions I just want to clarify it so I know what I can and can't send you and it what format you want it.

Cheers

James


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## ITSt (Apr 28, 2006)

It is a bit sad to hear that only 200 calendars were sold in the past, especially if, like myself, a lot of folks bought more than one. For a Club and Forum with so many members I would have thought the number would have been higher .....

Okay, here goes 

These are not particulary my favourite pics, but they are some of the best of my beloved. Some have been posted before on the forum, all are heavily modified in one way or another in "post production", in fact a couple are actually HDR merges of a number of exposures, but do they meet the commercial needs of a professional calendar ?





































As a footnote I actually "specialise" in terms of my photographic/art hobby in moody architectural black and white pictures, not colour car pics. My "other" pics are far better, but then it's a GTROC Car calender


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## GTR Cook (Apr 22, 2008)

How about arranging regional photoshoots at various locations (possibly make it the regional meet one month). There must be a couple of photographers on the forum capable of producing high enough quality photo's that could spend the day shooting members cars. 

A different region could do it at a different time of year to make it more seasonal?

Would save on hireing someone and you will get the necesary quality whilst including members cars and backdrops, especially if they all have the same brief.

Any other contributions that are of high enough quality can also be considered as well.

Oh and it would be an excuse to get the car out! :chuckle:


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

RSVFOUR said:


> All photos should be eligible (as long as ownership criteria is satisfied)


This is NOT a club mates calendar, sorry. The photos should be of exceptional quality and not limited to club memebrs and their cars. We have done this in the past and it has returned a loss so it has to change.




GTR Cook said:


> How about arranging regional photoshoots at various locations (possibly make it the regional meet one month).


This was proposed last year but I never got it finished, complete with models! It wont be for the calendar however but for personal <ahem> 'enjoyment 

Just taking pictures is not enough they have to have exceptional backdrops or scenery, have the perfect light (can't be guaranteed in advance) or be something quite different and motorsport or driving related. But that does not mean people should not go out and try.


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## GTR33-MP (Dec 29, 2004)

I actually think a smaller desktop calandar would work quite well..

anyways heres a few of mine taken by a pro;


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## JapFreak786 (Aug 29, 2003)

ITSt - i'd say you've contributed some of the best "users" pictures,you were the first that came to mind,i remember when you had those pictures of your R33 with the long exposure and you running around it with lights lol
that is an awesome picture!


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## davew (Apr 28, 2003)

well, If you can wait for a short while our KGC10 will be ready for a photo shoot. I guarantee she will be prepared to my usual "Extremely High" standards.


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## cleethorpes (Sep 30, 2008)

you little trumpet blower..


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

it's not just the cars it also has to be the right setting, lighting, photography quality etc.


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## RSVFOUR (May 1, 2006)

Fuggles said:


> This is NOT a club mates calendar, sorry. The photos should be of exceptional quality and not limited to club memebrs and their cars. We have done this in the past and it has returned a loss so it has to change.
> .


If you read the complete post thats exactly what I said --

_"All photos should be eligible (as long as ownership criteria is satisfied)

Surely it cant matter who took them or what with though its likely the very best will have been taken with a top camera 

At the end of the day the best 12 photos are the best 12 photos end of"_

The ownership criteria bit is of course of the photo - which you have said was a must from the begining


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

sorry thought you mean membership


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## SPEED MERCHANT (Jun 5, 2006)

Well this killed the thread !!!


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## nismoman (Jul 13, 2004)

trouble is i don't think people have good enough quality pictures of there own to post unfortunately


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

SPEED MERCHANT said:


> Well this killed the thread !!!


not a bad thing. we need to provide a quality product and be mindful of what we want to achieve and not pander to the egos of owners and wannabe David Baileys. 

Right now the work for me is to find distributors. I've spoken to one and they have been very specific about what they want. They are a calendar company so they ought to know! Once I have met them I should have a better idea and can then put together a specification of what we need to do and then the real work begins.


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## GTR Cook (Apr 22, 2008)

nismoman said:


> trouble is i don't think people have good enough quality pictures of there own to post unfortunately


Not sure if this will help, but I personally don't have good enough pictures of my car, but I have seen some taken by others at shows etc. Quite a few by the same guy- Rich Sams. (don't know him though). 

Would it be worth approaching him to see if he has anything that could be used? I know he has attended a number of GTROC events.


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

I know Rich very well and am sure we could use some of his photos. He has a lot of track and static car shots that would work. For now we need to focus on the format that would work and then take it from there, but I'll mention it to Rich


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

nothing so far comes close to the sort of thing we are looking for. For example:


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

And that photo was heavily photoshopped to get the light beams to look like they do. I know, i've seen the original.
I photoshopped this pic. originally was a Porsche. lol


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## ITSt (Apr 28, 2006)

(Please note Paul ..... no offence meant here :thumbsup



Fuggles said:


> nothing so far comes close to the sort of thing we are looking for. For example: .....


So, why ask the whole membership (forum or club) for pictures in the first place ? 

I could fully understand where Paul was coming from with the original post, but it seems that there is a different requirement now coming from Fuggles, ie., and I paraphrase, "we are after professionally taken pictures".

What Fuggles is looking for, going by the examples above, is professionally staged (and subsequently artistically photoshopped) photographs for a commercial calendar. So I go back to one of my original comments, go and ask the real "David Baileys", as opposed to us "wannabees", to donate a pic or two, after all they will get free advertising in terms of copyright mention.

Not too sure you will not get many more member pics posted, unless they were taken by professionals in the first place for the owner.

This "wannabee" is already wishing he hadn't bothered posting.


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## Cliff J (Jan 8, 2008)

Fuggles said:


> not pander to the egos of owners and wannabe David Baileys.


What a shitty statement.


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

Sorry you guys feel that way. Every year bar one the calendar made a loss. We have a choice to cancel the project altogether or to make it a far more marketable product, the choice is fundamentally down to the members. If people want to underwrite the calendar financially and guarantee a minimum number of orders then I'm happy to stick with it as it was. Having gone through the books we were 87 (and a bit) orders short of making it to break-even. If you two chaps want to place an order for 44 calendars each then it stays as it was. Otherwise it's not sustainable, sorry.

Personally I'm really saddened by the lack of response and accept it isn't always about money, but the losses are significant enough that it has to be considered. Sorry but this is not a decision made lightly or a prefered route, this is born out of the lack of support for the product as it stands today


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## Cliff J (Jan 8, 2008)

Here's the deal John. I'm no pro photographer but I'm slowly teaching myself and practicing with the only camera I have and can afford right now. 
My plan was to clean my car up, find a location and try my best to submit quality pictures, but now I will not risk being embarrassed in case they're not up to your standards, which I doubt they will be considering the bar has been raised beyond most of our levels. 

The thread should be scrapped or changed and professional photographers need only apply. The least you could have done is thank the people who have submitted pictures so far instead of insulting remarks like "not pander to the egos of owners and wannabe David Baileys."


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

Deary me, this is getting messy and thats something i didnt want it to get. 
After all, this is a project that is essentially something nice for the members.
I can't always say i agree with John's terminology but i think in laymans terms what he is saying, is fundamentally correct, in that if the calendar stays in its current state, ie; damn good photos and quite nice layout..on the proviso that orers are fulfilled and it justifies the cost without doubt, then yes, ok we will stick with it. (sadly, previous years have fallen well short of the mark, which is sad considering the amount of users on here that wont part with about £12.
The only other alternatve IS to go more professional to hit a bigger market, better distributers, but again, no guarantee on sales figures.
Its a tough decision, and not mine to make, well, solely anyway.

FWIW Ian, the pictures you posted earlier in this thread are stunning and i would be happy to use them without doubt..format depending of course.


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

Cliff J said:


> Here's the deal John. I'm no pro photographer but I'm slowly teaching myself and practicing with the only camera I have and can afford right now.
> My plan was to clean my car up, find a location and try my best to submit quality pictures, but now I will not risk being embarrassed in case they're not up to your standards, which I doubt they will be considering the bar has been raised beyond most of our levels.
> 
> The thread should be scrapped or changed and professional photographers need only apply. The least you could have done is thank the people who have submitted pictures so far instead of insulting remarks like "not pander to the egos of owners and wannabe David Baileys."


In truth I hope that many/most of the photos are supplied by amateurs from within the Club. It would always be peferred that way. If they are good enough and we can use them then we will, nothing has changed here. As regards my comments it was not/is not my intention to be insulting but to be more cear about the levels we are looking for. Over the years both Paul and I have had people come to us with "fantastic photos" only to find they're really quite rubbish! Not to say yours are Cliff, I don't recall having to tell you the truth ion that regard 

I hope you will take up the challenge and Paul, myself and others will be on hand to give you some straight advice on whether it works or even provide help beforehand should you wish. Have a go and you never know.


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## tonigmr2 (Sep 12, 2002)

To be fair guys I hadn't seen a deadline on this so hadn't yet submitted any photos. I've got a location and a cameraman :chuckle: in mind, but just haven't got round to it. So how about we give people a bit more time to submit, and let us know what sort of deadline you had in mind. It's not a good time of year to ask for pictures! What about when the weather gets a bit nicer?


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## hodgie (Oct 23, 2003)

As someone who has always bought a calender i can honestly say i always thought £12 was to bloody cheap anyway. Its also a little sad that some of us who have supported this product have been put off submitting pictures by the requirements of what is required, i know i have.
Should the club really be bothered if we have an item that doesn`t break even? The club magazine never made any profit.


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

Every year after Y2 the numbers fell and fell. I accept it was a great product and I personally bought several every year. I also accept that not everything has to be profitable but there comes a point where the losses mount up and become unsustainable. Comparing it to the magazine is a fair comment but the circulation numbers were poles apart. However, with advertising revenues and other contributions the magazine performed per person better than the calendar.

I think we need to get away from the idea of a Club Calendar as that is not what is being proposed, though the title of Paul's thread might suggest otherwise. If you want a calendar along the lines of previous years then I have no issue with it and anyone is free to take up the challenge and produce one. We will not stop you and, in fact, will even help you promote it to club and forum members. If you wish to use the branding as well we are fine with that, subject to agreement on the terms. By my reckoning you'll need about £2,000 to get it all going and then after that the returns are all yours. This is a genuine offer.


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## ITSt (Apr 28, 2006)

Fuggles said:


> ..... I think we need to get away from the idea of a Club Calendar as that is not what is being proposed, though the title of Paul's thread might suggest otherwise .....


.... and this I would suggest is the root of the issues posted above. It would seem there is a differing view point from Paul's initial posts and John's subsequent responses. 

Maybe we should wait until John posts up the "specifications" or technical requirements for the pics for a commercial calendar ?

Like Hodgie I too thought £12 was a bargain for the calendar and always bought a number of them each year, so I certainly don't want to poo on anyone who takes this on for 2011 as I will need to buy the wife a Christmas present in December :chuckle:


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## Ed. (Apr 21, 2006)

Will R35 GT1's be a part of the calendar Paul??


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

I have already spoken to Rich Samms and he's happy for us to use any photos of his, subject to agreement. So very possibly.

Moving forward. There is a long way to go and the format has not been decided although several mock-ups have been produced. Distributor discussions are painful and so the whole process very slow. I think the bar has been raised on what is required and I accept it's not what everyone wants but if we can turn this into something significant there is no reason why Members can't end up with a superior product and at a much lower price as a result. A win win in my book


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

Ed. said:


> Will R35 GT1's be a part of the calendar Paul??


To add to what Fuggles has just said Ed, quite possibly. Always happy to see what photos you have. I do also have complete access to all the Nismo/Nissan photos of the GT1 stuff, but as we all know, its just that one in a million photo that captures the essecnce


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## Fuggles (Jul 3, 2001)

Knowing Rich he probably has a million photos of the GT1 cars anyway


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## ATCO (Feb 2, 2003)

Oi! I was happy with 12quid because I used to buy over 30 of them every year! In fact I was probably the biggest Customer. But it is true as a 'speciality' product it probably was too low priced.

You would be amazed how many people asked me "where's the calendar" end 2010/early 2011. 

Paul, I'll eventually get around to sending you a copy of the CD with the pictures on of the Garage Bomber that Japanese Performance took.

If we get another calendar, within price reason, I'll buy quantities again. All the staff and Clients I gave it to liked it and miss it.

DaveG


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## redsub (Sep 14, 2004)

I have some awesome pic's of my car well thats what i think  maked bij Nick Williams


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## Initial P! (Oct 27, 2009)

That is really nice:bowdown1:


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## ITSt (Apr 28, 2006)

Initial P! said:


> That is really nice:bowdown1:


Thanks, what made it even nicer is what you can't see behind the camera, a burger bar, and a cracking one at that  My son and I stop for breakfast here every time we head up towards Glencoe and Forth William.


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## Lars-GT-R33 (Mar 8, 2008)

If you (Topic starter) are interested in HQ, i can sent it by email if you like.


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## paul creed (Feb 18, 2003)

See!!!, some lovely pictures.


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## EsCoRt RaLLy (May 1, 2007)

paul creed said:


> Not harsh at all John. Indeed it is the sort of level of quality we are after.
> 
> I dont want this thread to become a picture thread of 'fav pics of my car'.
> No disrespect to anyone of course, but as John says, focus, dramatic back drops, light, colour and content are the key to a quality product.
> ...


wow totally missed that my car was in the former calendar.. :shy:

Car has changed abit since those fotos was taken. It has been resprayed in genuine Bayside Blue, black rims etc.. photos can be provided in HD if required. :wavey:

cheers


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## Matt M (Jul 5, 2007)

So many stunning cars in just thread. It'll make ya blind.


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## Skylinesusky (Feb 17, 2009)

Really nice Pics in this thread!!


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## endo (Jul 11, 2007)

I've taken a few reasonable pics over the years, i think.
Sorry for the mass of pics, but each set has a theme of sorts.

moody and dark...




































1600x1200 --> http://www.gtapex.com/R32/SNOW/R32-SN-020lg.jpg









1600x1200 --> http://www.gtapex.com/R32/SNOW/R32-SN-031lg.jpg









1600x1200 --> http://www.gtapex.com/R32/SNOW/R32-SN-032lg.jpg









1600x1200 --> http://www.gtapex.com/R32/NESS/R32-NE-000L.jpg


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## Scott (Jun 29, 2001)

I love those top two. :clap:


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