It wasn’t that the phone hadn’t rung for an entire year. It was that the shoots were always too risky; my urge to be on set was always overruled by my commitment to ensure that making art did not lead to someone contracting COVID. Yet once the vaccine began to make things safer, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I was behind the camera once more, and with that I wanted it to be an automotive photoshoot. In a way it was like dipping your foot in to test the waters before taking a plunge by putting a celebrity or athlete in front of the camera.
Friends brought together by an automotive campaign
If there was a theme in automotive advertising photography for 2020, it would be minimalism. This not only applies to aesthetics, but also (and more importantly) to production. We have seen some campaigns attempt “socially distanced” productions, but the approach can sometimes go wrong, and with a vaccine so close it simply is not worth it. A few months back we found out what a virtually collaborative photoshoot looked like with a Porsche Macan. While it made for some great images, and good laughs, it still felt a bit, well…distant. However, there were some aspects from that production that we wanted to take to the next shoot; one in particular being the iPad.
A mighty Lamborghini in these epic photos is actually a model car shot by the pool
The pandemic might have limited our traveling, but India-based photographer Kunal Kelkar found a way to shoot a car on an Italian coast without leaving India. Well, sort of. He took some epic shots of Lamborghini Urus by simply placing it next to a swimming pool. And the car isn’t really a car – it’s a scale model that just looks so real in Kunal’s images. We spoke to this creative photographer about his process, and he told us more about how he turned this idea into reality.
How I planned and shot an entire automotive campaign remotely over FaceTime
We set out to see what collaborating on an automotive campaign would look like when done virtually. In the words of the always colorful Jeremy Clarkson, “How hard could it be?” TL;DR: Not that hard!
The traditional automotive advertising shoot involves the meticulous planning of every detail. It is typically a carefully scripted production with many moving parts that can involve road closures, permits, police presence, a large crew, a host of lighting and rigging equipment, and more. All of which is obviously much more difficult to produce in light of COVID-19 and current social distancing requirements, especially since some cities have returned to a near lock-down state due to a resurgence of the virus.
Pro automotive photographer switches to a treadmill and toy cars for these epic photos
Motorsports are moving online due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it appears that automotive photographers are also finding new ways of shooting fast cars in action. Kunal Kelkar is a pro automotive photographer who has found a brilliant way to shoot fast cars without leaving his home. He put a model car onto a treadmill and got some epic photos that look like the real deal. Kunal shared some of his photos and BTS shots with DIYP, so check them out to see how to take fantastic photos of racing cars at full speed – all while staying indoors.
Porsche: lighting and photographing the racing icons
Photographing a Porsche is a special experience for me, as I am a racing fan, and Porsche is racing. They are the essence of speed on the curving tracks they have graced around the world, and on a photoshoot they are just as incredible sitting still. It is for this and many other reasons that I count myself lucky to stand behind the camera while photographing the art pieces that are Porsche race cars.
Today I wanted to show some that you may have seen before, as well as some that have not been shown until now. Each car is unique in its pedigree and history, but all share the common trait of being absolutely stunning in front of the camera. While there are many that can go into great detail about every turn these cars have taken, I cannot, but I can describe what it was like to photograph them.
Photographer gets hit by rally car while standing outside of the corner
A recent video from Sno*Drift rally shows why you should never, ever stand outside of a corner while a race is active. On Friday, Photographer G David LeClair was hit by a racing car while standing outside of a corner during the race. On Special Stage 2 of the rally, one of the racers lost control over his car. The car started sliding on the icy road and hit the photographer.
Since there were spectators with their phones and cameras, the accident was recorded. Keep in mind that these videos show the moment when the photographer was hit, so viewer discretion is advised.
SanDisk’s new “Industrial” memory cards are designed for very extreme conditions
We’ve seen memory cards that have survived the wash, explosions, four years in the ocean and more. But as if memory cards weren’t tough enough already, SanDisk just had to go and make them tougher. Their new line of Industrial and Automotive cards designed to stand up to the intense extremes to which they’re exposed.
The Automotive SD is designed for use within vehicles and drones. The Industrial SD, Industrial microSD and Industrial XI are intended for more mainstream use. The standard Industrual can withstand temperatures of between -13°F (-25°C) and 185°F (85°C). While the top end remains the same, the Automotive and Industrial XI cards are rated down to as ridiculous low of -40°F (which is also -40°C).
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