“Cars and cameras are the two things I let myself be materialistic about. I don’t care about other stuff.” Louis C.K.
The American comic doesn’t say whether he ever combines his two passions. If he does however, it’s a terrific, but tricky hobby that presents some unique challenges. Sun sparkling off shiny bodies can turn a much-admired colour into something unrecognizable. Also, given that those same gleaming beauties reflect everything nearby, it’s quite easy to find yourself or some other unwanted subject in the shot.
And if it’s action you’re looking for in your photographs, cars will bring it on. Then it’s up to the photographer to do the sport justice.
While unlike Mr. CK my materialism doesn’t run to photography equipment, I do believe at the least that a good camera is a worthy indulgence. An amateur shutterbug, I enjoy taking pictures of the beautiful world surrounding me, and of the cherished faces of my family. Annual trips with my daughter and her little ones provide me with a plethora of opportunities, — shiny, happy faces that light my life, and gorgeous landscapes that soothe my soul.
These are the pictures I work to perfect.
There is, however, another subject that has been the target of my lens in the summers of the past several years. She’s glorious, fun to be around and gets a lot of attention.
Way back in 1979, my husband was looking to purchase an older Mopar, something reminiscent of the ones his big brothers owned while he was a young teen waiting to get his licence. When he learned about a white 1967 Dodge Coronet RT, located only an hour away from our home, he decided to go check it out.
Excited by what he saw, he bought it that day and agreed to pick it up in the coming weeks. Fate dealt us a fair hand on this one since the day after he brought ‘Artie’ home, a tornado blew in and flattened the entire area where this car had been sitting. It reinforced the notion that this was going to be a special car for us.
Having decided that the white really didn’t do justice to the personality of our beauty, we handed the car over to my father’s body shop where a snappy red was applied. For a few years after that we enjoyed summer cruises, until my husband decided he’d like to make this a project. This time she was stripped bare and painstakingly restored as close to original as possible. Then ten long years later Artie was finally back on the road.
Every spring now I wait impatiently to bring her home from storage and get her ready for a season ahead. For a few months she takes us to cruise nights and attends car shows. Weather permitting, of course. In becoming a classic treasure she now commands respect and a lot of pampering.
For the few months she’s with us every year, I try to take some new pictures, ones that do justice to the work that was done on her, particularly the paint job. My husband spent a great deal of time ensuring that the shade of red was as close to factory as possible. Pretty pleased with the results, you can literally feel the grimace when it comes out wrong in a photo.
After noticing the differences in’Artie’s’ hue in a series of pictures recently I decided it was time to refresh my memory on how to get more consistent results. The following also provide other valuable tips on how to improve you car photography:
10 Tips for Perfect Car Photos
Digital Photography School’s Tips for Better Car Photos
How to Take Photographs of Cars
Take Great iPhone Photos of Cars
