Tunisia World Cup
I remember my first sports car photoshoot like it was yesterday - I showed up with my camera, a beat-up Nissan 240SX, and absolutely no plan. The results were, to put it mildly, disappointing. That experience taught me that capturing automotive perfection requires the same level of dedication that professional athletes bring to their craft. When I came across Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's quote about "fighting like hell" and "staying locked in all 48 minutes," it struck me how perfectly this mindset applies to automotive photography. You're not just taking pictures - you're engaged in a creative battle where every minute counts, whether you're dealing with changing light conditions or unexpected weather.
Planning begins weeks before you even touch your camera. I typically spend at least 15-20 hours in pre-production for what might become a 4-hour shoot. Location scouting alone can take me to 8-10 different spots before I settle on the perfect one. Last month, I drove nearly 200 miles just to find the right mountain road for a Porsche 911 shoot. What many beginners don't realize is that the car itself is only about 40% of the equation - the environment, lighting, and atmosphere make up the remaining 60%. I've developed this 60/40 rule through years of trial and error, and it's saved me from countless mediocre shots.
The magic really happens during golden hour - that brief window about 30-45 minutes after sunrise or before sunset. I can't stress this enough - 78% of my portfolio shots were captured during these times. The way the low-angle light catches the curves of a Ferrari or highlights the carbon fiber details on a McLaren is simply irreplaceable. I remember one particular shoot with a Lamborghini Aventador where we arrived three hours early just to wait for that perfect 22-minute window. The client initially thought I was being overly cautious, but when he saw how the sunset transformed his matte black paint into something that looked liquid, he completely understood why timing matters so much.
Equipment choice is another area where preparation pays off. After testing 14 different lenses over my career, I've settled on three workhorses: a 24-70mm f/2.8 for establishing shots, an 85mm f/1.4 for detail work, and a 70-200mm f/2.8 for compressed background shots. The investment might seem steep - around $7,500 for this trio - but the results justify the cost. I learned this lesson the hard way when I tried to shoot an Aston Martin DB11 with inferior glass and ended up with soft images that didn't do justice to the car's elegant lines.
What separates good sports car photography from great work often comes down to understanding the vehicle's personality. A Mazda MX-5 demands a completely different approach than a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. The former might call for winding coastal roads at dawn, while the latter deserves an urban environment that matches its aggressive character. I spend hours researching each car's design philosophy and heritage before even thinking about locations. This preparation allows me to create images that feel authentic to the vehicle's essence rather than just generic car photos.
Movement is where many photographers get intimidated, but it's absolutely essential for dynamic shots. I typically use two methods - panning shots at shutter speeds between 1/30th and 1/60th of a second, and rig shots using specialized mounts. The rig setup alone can take 45 minutes to perfect, but the resulting images showing the car in motion are worth every second of setup time. Last year, I invested in a custom rig system that cost me $3,200, and it's probably the single best purchase I've made for my automotive work.
Post-processing is where all your planning comes together. I typically spend 2-3 hours editing each selected image, working through color grading, contrast adjustments, and careful cleaning of any distractions. Some purists argue against heavy editing, but I believe modern photography is about realizing a vision, not just documenting reality. My editing philosophy is enhancement rather than transformation - I want to bring out the best in what we captured, not create something that wasn't there.
The final step that many overlook is building a relationship with the car's owner. Understanding what makes them passionate about their vehicle helps me create images that resonate emotionally. I've found that spending even 20 minutes talking with owners about why they chose their car and what it means to them directly influences my creative approach. This human connection often leads to my most authentic work because I'm not just photographing metal and glass - I'm capturing someone's passion.
Looking back at that disastrous first shoot, I realize now that my failure wasn't about technical skill - it was about preparation and mindset. Just like Hollis-Jefferson's commitment to fighting through all 48 minutes of a game, successful automotive photography requires staying locked in from the initial concept through the final edit. The difference between mediocre and exceptional often comes down to how thoroughly you've planned and how completely you've immersed yourself in the process. After 127 professional car shoots, I can confidently say that the preparation is what separates memorable images from forgettable ones.
