Most car enthusiasts also have an affinity for photography. It’s a natural connection: If you’re putting in the effort to make your car look/be/sound cool, you would also want to capture that and share it. If nothing else, good photos help you to sell your car when the time comes.
Living in coastal Florida gives me plenty of scenic locations for photo shoots. Thanks to the style around here, I also have access to lots of buildings painted in gentle, warm colors. I’ve found a few such nondescript buildings and industrial areas where the light is often good and the backdrop won’t distract from the subject. They’re my go-tos because they’re close to home and—something I find important in Craigslist ads—don’t give away my exact location.
Where’s your favorite place to shoot? You don’t need to share coordinates, just a vague description will do. Major bonus Internet Points* for posting a photo from said location.
*Internet Points are redeemable only for in-person high fives. Delivery not included.
[Photos copyright 2013 & 2011 Alan Cesar]
By Alan
I'm a giant nerd and lifelong iconoclast who happens to like cars, especially terrible ones. I've built many low-budget race cars, driven in many Lemons races, worked at a Real Deal Print Car Magazine, and gave up that lifestyle in the interest of life balance. I also wear khakis and ride bicycles, though rarely at the same time.
Jeff Glucker
As with most other pictures, I prefer shooting in the mountains. They say you shouldn’t have a background that competes with the object you photograph, yet I feel it gets better to look at, and more positive attention, if the background is nice, too. For selling, I just take photos right outside of our house. Mountain backdrop applies, too, though:
https://images.finncdn.no/dynamic/960w/2012/4/vertical-3/15/9/343/372/49_2099308765.jpg
https://images.finncdn.no/dynamic/1280w/2013/5/vertical-3/25/4/418/437/64_1722122832.jpg
Smaller cars get to be photographed on the balcony:
https://images.finncdn.no/dynamic/1280w/2015/9/vertical-5/04/1/639/174/51_740940008.jpg
Jealous of your driveway. That’s quite a view!
That’s what sold us, too. Good to get home to!
I like to leave some mystery: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5766ba328fc20fd2d202d48f0bfe3e014ac005cf129d50bea2c952aa63598676.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2a35f4340385d46c7167d48eb4706025fdaaad652edf84184b7746d0460968cf.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7cdfa5bfe4f3e31cbd86e92d933167bb1c8a86368c6f1584726734afcda45d50.jpg
Oh hi Buellton!
Playboy mansion.
Near water whenever possible. I’m in central Ohio, so rivers only, sadly. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b96dc2ecf64994a69a353a59a4dbf88ad8a7b76a905127fcb2ce65f87aea1d2a.jpg
Is that at Griggs reservoir? Nice shot.
Same river, but north – O’Shaughnessy Reservoir, two or three miles south of US 42.
Thanks!
Ah, that’s a fun road, if the traffic is light.
My favorite photo shoot locations involve mountains and/or oceans, two things in short supply in KC. I generally shoot in the backyard with an old farm pond in the background.
With the right perspective…
Neon signs at night… my car, not my photography. The guy that shot it does some really cool work. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d8b6b5410b1c5b6087812537427ff6c41c9cd73908e9a95990f88b7c923b9135.jpg
There’s a place in Boston across the bay from the airport and near some docks that are great for an industrial feel.
http://pic.armedcats.net/l/la/labcoatguy/2016/07/04/P7032764.JPG
http://hanabi.autoweek.com/sites/default/files/styles/gen-738-415/public/140109926-5.jpg
I stumbled across this yellow wall one day and it’s my go-to spot for now. Only problem is that it’s on a pretty significant hill, so some editing is always required.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b096a886c514d7d6df49805713644a94b586e4e8a4b03f0959b54f097ed13cc5.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/886eb1fe1b040e3a0d3d841eb6f8c166ad6bfa6bc063a50e106075c7f0929f6e.jpg
Local mountains always provide good backdrops. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/287936fd26214f620e0f446e337002c4543fac16c5729be0d5910bc4fd8de3b6.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bbd8627237484850937f369f583f555c82e43dd6b2e0626cc084d91ccb421e3e.jpg
Just about anywhere on the open road suits me. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7dc51c017df2181939f41017468b576927d4b73a958c60d7e5bd2934e3043df7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd8abc57db0e6291a7580bf61a43b0804c884bed4124666ad2440ff70e73db29.jpg ploads.disquscdn.com/images/28067814992cbd87750bf15ad3ca869862f2835582f1a1182130f85b90a14c23.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01471b221723953f450a5c67f394fbf51ea48df927ed213868d65ea9d800cb5b.jpg
Just about anywhere on the open road suits me. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7dc51c017df2181939f41017468b576927d4b73a958c60d7e5bd2934e3043df7.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/01471b221723953f450a5c67f394fbf51ea48df927ed213868d65ea9d800cb5b.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28067814992cbd87750bf15ad3ca869862f2835582f1a1182130f85b90a14c23.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dd8abc57db0e6291a7580bf61a43b0804c884bed4124666ad2440ff70e73db29.jpg
Since our move to the country, my own driveway makes a pretty decent location:
(For sale shots of the 318ti. Sigh.)
Not much for scenery in my part of Manitoba (… well, just about anywhere in Manitoba honestly), but there’s a wooden bridge close by which works okay.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1af77896e78459590dabc649c7731203d2513fca6a6998941788f05741f73265.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d8ba7e001b9f0419eda009f317c793320727ad5f3fc40a652b16f1a8e9adaf53.jpg
Alternatively there’s this rather photogenic mess. I haven’t been by there in a while, might be cleaned up by now.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3a7b8aa3c59a81c0a936c36363d9c0260d7b8ff9718f194ee77f2a02e02c4ff2.jpg
It’s funny, I keep saying I love my IS300, and next car will very likely be an Altezza, but I haven’t done a single photoshoot of it in five years.
(The Q45t looked much better later on, but for some reason I never did a proper photoshoot of it like that.)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d9f3c6e6bc01a507dc193015b0fbfdf94c6b1dc7a52b7d844841322138fe1035.jpg