1
Choose a location
I prefer to shoot vehicles in their
‘natural’ environment: there’s an
honesty and often a challenge in
showing where a car lives, works
or was made. However, there’s
also something to be said for
finding a location that suits the
mood of the brief and somehow
relates to the form, colour or
style of the vehicle being
photographed.2
Top gear
To get started, all you need are a few
essential items: a camera and tripod
of course, a remote shutter control,
and a flashgun. Having a lightweight
extendable stand or pole which you can
attach the flash to is helpful, to get the
light in hard-to-reach areas – and also
to make sure you aren’t stood in front
of the element you are lighting. Lighting
modifiers are an option, too: I like a
softbox or octabox with a grid, so
I can create directional, controlled
light with great shadows.Jamie^ Bubbhttp://www.digitalcameraworld.com APRIL 2020 DIGITAL CAMERA^35
4
Tell a story
I always look for a story within the image.
Too much car photography can be just
shiny car porn – and while there’s
nothing wrong with that, it just doesn’t
inspire me. We all have our unique
opinions and creative voice: if you
stay true to that voice, your work
will stand out by default.3
Stay steady
Camera shake can be a problem if you’re
shooting multiple exposures outdoors
and it’s windy. Auto-Align in Photoshop
can solve this in most cases, though.
Try weighing your tripod down with your
kit bag, a sandbag or even a rock. Also
remember to focus the camera then
switch the lens to manual focus, to
prevent the camera giving you a set of
images with wildly differing focal points.