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How focal length and subject distance affects car photography

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We’ve all seen these kinds of animations before when it comes to portrait photography. We’ve featured a few of them here on DIYP before where we see how the changing focal length affects the way a subject’s face is rendered. And as with the portrait ones, this one serves as a good example of that point but using cars. Although it’s slightly misrepresenting itself.

As with similar such animations for portraits, this Reel post from liberdamedia leaves out the fact that the distance to the subject has changed, too. And that’s what really affects your perspective – more so than the focal length. But it’s a great example to illustrate how the shot changes as you alter those two variables.

This photographer’s response to a Shoot For Free request is a complete business class

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Tim Wallace is a top-notch photographer, he has shot for McLaren, Peugeot, Lexus, Aston Martin, and a bunch of other global clients. It’s always fascinating to me how some “potential clients” approach Tim Wallace for free work. It fascinates me, even more, when Tim takes the time to converse with them. The result of Tim patiently explaining to the client why he will not work for free is absolutely hilarious. Other than that, it serves as a good reminder to always be aware of your value.

Porsche: lighting and photographing the racing icons

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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.

How to build this heavy duty DIY camera car rig for only $30

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Mounting cameras to cars is a lot of fun. It can allow us to get some unique and unusual perspectives in photos and videos. But how do you attach a camera to a car? There are a bunch of different ways from inexpensive triple suction cup mounts (that work surprisingly well) to extremely expensive commercial solutions.

But what if you have a big load to carry that the little triple suction mount can’t handle, and you don’t have the budget for a high-end mounting system? Well, you can make your own. And you can do it for $30 or less, too. In this video from filmmaker Rob Wayne at PremiumBeat, we see how.

One photographer’s rant about shooting BTS on high-end jobs

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Tim Wallace is a high-end car photographer, while he is not restricted to cars, you’ve probably seen his work with Porsche, Lotus, Ford, Aston Martin, and others on one media or another. I’ll admit, I stalk him on social media, because he produces stellar images, but also because he is a witty guy, and his insights are fun to read.

This rant of his, caught my eye and I think it’s spot on to the point of epic, so I asked Tim’s permission to share it with DIYP readers:

This short documentary shows what it’s like to photograph a 24-hour sports car endurance race

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I generally shoot on location, and those shoots often last a good 8 hours or so. When I tell people this, they typically sound shocked, wondering how a shoot can go on for so long. But 8 hours is nothing compared to what motorsport photographer Jamey Price has to deal with when shooting a 24-hour endurance sports car race.

In this 13-minute documentary, we get to take a peek inside a world where the photographer’s endurance is put to the test just as much as that of the cars. Narrated by Jamey, we see and hear about the work that goes into such an event, and how difficult it can be to keep up.

How to use light painting and compositing to make perfect car photographs

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Automotive photography is such a wide and varied field with a whole lot of options. There are so many different styles and techniques for photographing cars that there’s always something new or different to try. In this video, Bahraini photographer, Moe Zainal shows us one of his techniques which involves painting different areas of the car with flash in different photos, and then compositing in post.

Automotive photography isn’t just another subject. It’s a way of life

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Many of us own a car, or will at some point in our lives. Even if we don’t, we may have access to nice cars, and almost certainly know somebody who owns one. For a large proportion of photographers, cars are just another subject at which we point our cameras. But for petrol headed photographer, Easton Chang, they’re not just another subject, they’re a way of life.

The Art of Style and Speed is a short film about Chang and his passion, created by SmugMug Films in collaboration with RGGEDU. In it, Chang talks about his inspiration and what car photography means to him. We also get to see behind the scenes on some pretty cool photos.

How to shoot great smartphone car photography to up your social media game

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Car photography seems to be becoming increasingly popular recently. People love their cars, they’re proud of them, and they want to show them off. When I browse through the feed on Instagram, I see them with some regularity, even from people who don’t normally post car photos. Just because you might be shooting it for social media, though, it doesn’t mean they have to look bad.

This video from the guys at COOPH shows a whole bunch of tips and techniques to help. The goal is to help you get the best smartphone car photos you can. The tips aren’t all limited to phones, though. There’s a lot of great advice with regard to environment, lighting, and general composition that apply no matter what camera you’re using.

This photographer uses a mirrored disco ball to light up a VW Camper

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Yesterday, I ran across an image by photographer, Chris Frosin. Chris is an automotive photographer for several car magazines in the UK. Many of the cars he shoots are vintage classics. They’ve been around for decades and photographed a million different ways. So, in an effort to keep things fresh, Chris is always trying to push himself and test out different techniques.

This time around, Chris was commissioned to shoot a 1979 Riviera Bay Window Camper Van, for Volks World Camper and Bus magazine. Given this particular van’s nickname of “Disco Ned”, Chris wanted to try to bring some of that character into these images. When the owner of the van told him he had a disco ball, Chris decided to use it as his main light modifier.

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