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.
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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.