Driving all the way back to August 2010 with a VEHICLE Photo Challenge by Trevor Carpenter. Before we get started, I invite you to take a look at the original Challenge.
Back then it was a month-long Photo Challenge with a Photo a Day throughout the month of August. Naturally we’re going to adapt this challenge to our 2018 10th Anniversary Challenge format and produce one fantastic image for WEEK 33.
One more little caveat, I’ll reduce the scope of this challenge to automotive vehicles as we’re shooting one great image in a limited timeframe.
Just like in the original challenge, we’re not only looking for great images of entire vehicles. Cars are a little like buildings in architectural photography, just like we can choose to photograph an architectural detail on a building, we can photograph specific details of a vehicle. In the example above, the badge from an antique tractor I found in a field in Auvergne, France.
Not all vehicles are created equal and for some automotive sports enthusiasts, a Ferrari is the apogee of their sport. This Ferrari 458 from Newport Beach Ferrari in California was a participant in the Ferrari Challenge race circles…
Not only are not all vehicles created equally, even some Ferraris will always have a special place in history that sets them apart from other Ferraris. For example, this 1980 Ferrari 312T5 F1 car driven by the late Gilles Villeneuve. A Montreal, Canada, F1 Pilot who lost his life in the 1982 Belgium Grand Prix Qualifying run.
Some vehicle experiences are more about National Pride and Multinational Corporations than the cars themselves. This Red Bull F1 Team (Scuderia Toro Rosso), Italie’s Ferrari Powered and Italian Ran Stable with a Swiss Pilot, Sébastien Buemi.
As mentioned, vehicle details can be extremely important in demonstrating a vehicle’s abilities and styling. In this case a mostly hidden feature, the front brake system of a Ferrari 458 Challenge Race Car.
Infrared photography, false color rendering or a monochrome look can bring out a surreal feel to your vehicle photography. I always like to experiment in order to achieve a very unique look that sets a usually normal-looking image apart from the rest.
Sometimes it’s all about showing off a vehicle in a Television Commercial as in this Lexus commercial I shot with Patrick Langlois in Ontario, Canada.
In the end, your vehicle experience may be all about an automotive repair like a busted windshield on a road trip in a foreign country.
RESOURCES TO COMPLETE YOUR CHALLENGE
None of the example images are ground breaking images, it’s a fairly standard challenge, but you can push yourself in the art of automotive photography. You can get a whole set of inspiring images by visiting UNSPLASH
There are also resources on automotive photography. One the harder parts of photographing a vehicle in a controlled environment is technically the size of the vehicle. We need a large space with controlled lighting. That’s something we don’t all have access to. This goes without mentioning the lighting equipment to realize a project of this size. However with a little ingenuity and some creative DIY lighting tricks you can go a long way.
CNET Article – How to photograph cars like a pro
Mark Delong Photography – The Distinctive Art of Automotive Photography
In a nutshell, this is all about having fun and tuning in your sense of observation on a specific vehicle that attracts your attention. From multiple vehicles to tiny specific details of a specific vehicle, it’s your choice for this Photo Challenge. The same goes for post processing and other visual techniques. You can choose to present a color, monochrome or IR processed image.
The important points remain the same in all of our challenges, especially when it comes to techniques we’ve covered in previous challenges. Balanced light and especially composition are extremely important when creating a photograph. Choose the right angle to boost the interest level of your subject.
Now retrieving an image set.
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Now retrieving an image set.
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