For the Love of the Automobile
C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Like any photography genre, you need to have a love and admiration for the subject type you are photographing. If you are captivated by your subjects, you can continue to grow towards creating images highlighting what makes them special. Being continually fascinated by something is the drive that keeps you learning it. And as you continue to learn more about what makes your subject intriguing, admired, and beautiful, you understand how to bring it to life, share what you see in them, and create images that embody those qualities.
Some people feel a deep affection for cars, and those who do carry that admiration through their lives. They aspire to own and drive certain vehicles; they make careers out of it. To some, cars are nothing more than devices for getting from one place to another. For others, the connection runs deep. They link them with freedom, identity, and definitive memories.
I distinctly remember multiple cars my mother had when I was growing up: a Chevrolet Cavalier, a Ford Escort, an Oldsmobile Alero, and even a Ford Capri, to name a few. I still remember the CAPRI letters across the front portion of the hood, and they always fell off. I remember going with my mother to a parts store to buy replacement letters more than once. It’s strange how what should be an insignificant event in your life becomes a lasting memory. I also remember her Pontiac Sunfire, which eventually became the second car of my own, and the one I moved to Nova Scotia with.
A car becomes more than a mode of transportation; it becomes an active part of our experiences. Each car is linked to a certain soundtrack; sometimes literally. For me, when I hear Snoop’s first album today, I immediately transport back to riding around with friends in their parents’ Mercury Sable, album blasting on the factory speakers, rattling through every song. Mixed tapes and $20 in gas provided endless enjoyment.
Cars can be the backbone of our memories. A lot happens in a car, and many hours are spent in a vehicle. Important and cherished conversations happen, destinations are reached, and new experiences are had. They hold together so many chapters of life; the cars in our lives will inevitably be part of who we are. They are there for first tastes of freedom beyond our neighbourhood, long commutes that connect our friends and families, vacations and careers.
Because of this, cars become a significant part of our lives, and for new vehicles, that part may yet be realized. People are going to form their own memories from experiences that the car leads them to, and that is where photography becomes powerful. Photographing a car is capturing the heart and soul, but also what is yet to come for many people. It’s not just the car itself, it’s what it will represent.
It’s why I continue to love cars and photographing them. Cars have been a part of many of my life experiences. I realize how much a machine can mean to someone. This is why so many people like older cars. Technically, older cars may not be perfect; they may be slower than today’s cars or unreliable. But they have a character defined by those who grew up around them, or with them, directly in their lives. They can harken back to a time that was comforting and simple, a time they will never forget, and one we all wish we could go back to. They will be perfect for someone.
Photography has been described as the art of holding onto a feeling long after the moment has passed. A way of turning fleeting experiences, connections, and glimpses of life into something visible and lasting that the heart can return to again and again. The emotional bond people have with cars and the craft of photographing them are connected. Cars carry moments that shape our lives, and photography captures what is and what could be—unmade memories.