I love to take photos of cars with my phone and my film camera but I am far from an expert. I look back on ones I’ve taken and can’t believe how rough absolutely shitty they are. Luckily, Freind Of The Blog Kevin McCauley has put together a really great video to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes you can make.
Kevin makes some great points in his video, from making sure you’re giving the car you’re trying to shoot some space in the frame, minimizing distractions behind the car, making sure you’re not shooting interiors in direct sun and avoiding anything that looks like HDR at all costs.
Kevin’s tips are as much about style as they are about technique, but the ones that make the most sense to me are the ones about how you set yourself up to shoot cars. His points about using the light you have around you and keeping your gear to a minimum are really key to me. In everything that I do I am prone to getting distracted by trying to be prepared for what I’m doing, whether it’s outdoor activities, writing, sports... I always get gear fever. I’m trying to do better and photography is one place that I’ve tried to keep my gear to a minimum and just learn to use what I’ve got already. Now that Kevin’s made it clear that I should keep things minimal, I’ll try to keep it that way.
If you’re still not convinced that Kevin has some great tips, why don’t you have a look at some of his work? We’ve been privileged to feature some of Kevin’s work a number of times in the past, from shots of his very own Porsche 911 SC to some spectacular photos of a sublime British Racing Green Ferrari Testarossa.
I know I’m going to try and incorporate what I can from Kevin’s advice when I get out there and shoot cars, whether it’s for the blog, my Instagram account, or just for fun. I’m sure you’ll get a lot out of these quick tips too, no matter if you’re an. amateur like me or even someone with a lot more experience.