We have all been there: the desire to make photographs, but our attempts to create come up flat; our inspiration continues to decrease. This can happen anywhere and anytime, but it is increasingly frustrating when our inspiration is lacking while travelling. When we travel, everything in front of us is new and fresh, but every scenic view seems uninspired; every landmark captured a thousand times before seems like another generic take.

Over more than ten years, automotive photography has allowed me to capture a diverse range of vehicles of different types and values. Whether an expensive exotic or an everyday commuter, I believe each car deserves the same attention to detail to showcase its unique character through photography. With thoughtful planning and strategic execution, virtually any vehicle can be a captivating photographic subject.

It’s not always about the camera, lenses, filters, and other tech-related items that make an automotive photo shoot successful. When it comes to preparing for a photo shoot, numerous accessories can help your shoot be more comfortable and, in addition, provide more options for composition.

You are tasked with photographing a vehicle and have either been given specific direction from the client, or they have allowed you to do what you think "will look the best." It's common for clients to leave it up to you to capture their car because, after all, they like what you do. They got in touch with you for a reason. My car photography shoots are conducted by myself, so the recommendations below focus on solo photo shoots only.

When light painting a car, you will want to be sure you have the necessary equipment. You’ll also want a checklist covering the exposures you need so you do not forget any. We will cover those essential exposures (as well as optional) and look at some tips to remember before and during your photo shoot.

Focusing on the interior, it would be wrong to think that your location doesn’t matter. If you are concentrating on macros of interior details, this will not be as relevant, but with a wider angle, you are sure to capture the car windows in your photograph, probably the windshield and one of the side windows.