How To Photograph Collector Cars

People have had a fascination with automobiles ever since the first tiller-steered horseless carriage belched out smoke and diffidently tooled down a thorofare scaring the dickens out of horses and some of the populace alike. Since that time this fascination has continued and for many (dare I say most) of us has developed into a true affection for their vehicles that defies all reason - this is particularly true in the collector car world where many owners (the author included) give names to their vehicles which they hold in high regard. Along the way automobiles have undergone a metamorphosis from utilitarian conveyances to rolling sculptures that, in many instances, can honestly be called works of art. Vintage cars and street rods are two such genres that frequently classify as such.

At first blush it would seem that photographing collector cars is no big deal; just frame the subject, make sure the exposure and lighting is adequate, and click away, right? Well, that's fine if you just want to have a snapshot of the car for your scrapbook or wallet, but that doesn't capture the real essence of the vehicle; doing that takes a bit more forethought and work. Actually, to do a really good job of capturing the soul of an automobile with your digital camera, it becomes a Zen thing - you must become one with the car.

Virtually every collector car has features that make it unique and set it apart from others of the same make, model and vintage. It is the ability to identify these unique features and photograph them at best advantage that sets a great car shot apart from a mediocre one. Having had a fair bit of experience in this area, I'm going to share some of the things I've learned so that you, too, will be able to take some great pictures of collector cars - both your own cars as well as others that catch your eye and fancy.

The tips, tricks and techniques I'm detailing here apply both to traditional film cameras as well as digital cameras. The real beauty of digital cameras, however, is that you can see immediately if you've got the shot or need to take it over again. Also, if you're not happy with a shot you can simply erase it and re-shoot again. And, you don't have the cost of film and processing to contend with, so you can shoot to your heart's content. Now that I've said my piece about the bountiful blessings of digital photography, let's get on with the nitty-gritty of shooting collector cars.

The best way to convey the advice and techniques I'm discussing here is to show you what I mean, so you'll have to refer to the captioned photos from time to time during my text narrative here.

All in One Eyeful

Getting a great overall shot of a collector vehicle more often than not means finding the right angle and view to shoot the car from. This can mean doing a full frontal shot, a full profile, or a 3/4 frontal or rear view of the car. Sometimes this can be augmented by altering the elevation of the camera as well. Photographing it in an uncluttered location or one that lends itself to the subject matter is also a real asset for the shot as well. Here are some examples:

The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe is a modern day classic since its split rear window was produced for only one year. A 3/4 rear shot of this vintage Corvette called The Jersey Devil is the best way to show this car's unique distinguishing feature. An unobtrusive background also helps to call attention to the car and, in this instance works well on a subliminal level (ocean background, Sting Ray, get it?).

A full profile shot taken at eye level of this Ford Roadster street rod known as the '32 Highboy and its matching Coca-Cola trailer makes a nice picture that tells you a lot about the car. The terra-cotta pavers help to provide even reflected light while the green grass and trees in the background deepen contrast for the subject.

A 3/4 frontal view taken from a kneeling position shows the unique stance and "attitude" of Low 35, this 1935 Chevrolet street rod. The light pavement of the roadway provided enough reflected light to bring up the flames on the side of the car, while the greenery background and water worked subtly with the green color scheme of the rod itself. In this case the fountain, rather than diverting attention away from the subject, acts as a magnet to draw your attention to the dramatically chopped roofline of the rod.

Continued on Page 2---