Professional Automotive Photography

After a 6-month "mild" restoration, I decided to spend a few bucks having a professional car photographer take pics of my 1984 Trans Am, so during a local car show I asked Russ Muller, one of the regular pro shutterbugs at Central Florida car shows, about a photoshoot for my Pontiac Firebird.

We decided on a couple locations that, we felt, would provide a suitable background, and we decided to have the shoot early on a Sunday morning, so the local traffic would be at a minimum.

That was about three weeks ago, and today I got a CD from Russ, along with a few 8.5 x 11 prints. Not only that, but the CD has more than 150 photos both in high-resolution (for prints) and low-res for the web, as seen here.

 

Having a pro take photos of your car makes a huge difference, and it is a good investment. Plus, you may also want to use a few of the photos when getting insurance for your vehicle, as most collector car insurers will require at least one for the file.

Just make sure you will have the right to use the photos as needed, so talk with the photographer about this before he starts taking pics. Most car photographers also are gearheads, so they'll be happy with a mention and a link to their site, but again, make sure you discuss what you intend to do with the photos.

How much will a professional automotive photo shoot cost?

Well, prices will vary from one person to the next. Some will do it for free as they build their portfolios. Others will charge different amounts, ranging from you buying them lunch to $100/150. Expect a higher fee if the photoshoot will be done at a studio where additional equipment and lighting will be needed.

And don't forget that a professional will have costs involved in the shoot, from the equipment they own to their time, skill and transportation, so be fair and you will be treated fairly in return.

I am sure you spent thousands getting your classic or collectible vehicle ready for shows and local cruises, so do yourself a favor and spend at least a C-note having it captured for posterity by a professional car photographer.

That will be money well spent!

— Luis 
Visit my 1984 Trans Am builder's log for more details.


References:
Russ Muller Photography (website)
Car Photography by Russ (Facebook)
Car-tography (Flick'r)

World’s Largest Mustang Salvage Yard

From Mustang Evolution

Everybody knows that saying “I’ve died and gone to heaven”, and this applies to most enthusiasts in this junkyard full of old decrepit Ford Mustangs. Especially, the project guy that has an old classic sitting in the garage.

I’m sure it could go either way, though, as some might consider this a sore sight with so many wrecked and rusted ponies.

This is the Colorado Mustang Salvage Yard.

  

Colorado Mustang Specialists, Inc. began in a two-car garage in 1972. Mustangs were as numerous as hippies on a Boulder park lawn, easy to buy, fix and sell. 

So, a would be University of Colorado student found a lucrative way to pay his rent and tuition. After graduation the diploma went in a drawer and the horsing around got serious. Wrecked, junked and abandoned Mustangs were cheap and plentiful ... [continued]

Read the article on Mustang Evolution.

How Car Design Works, Start to Finish

From Torque News
By Aaron Turpen

The design of a new automobile is often a mystery to those outside of the industry. Here, the 3-year process is broken down and revealed.

Starting with nothing more than an idea sketched on paper, the process of taking a car to a gleaming production concept on the auto show floor typically takes about three years.

At any point along that path, the design can be fundamentally changed or even thrown out. Designers quickly learn that their idea is not necessarily going to become reality most of the time.

Three years is not set in stone — some designs take longer while others can often shortcut and take less time. In general, though, there are several steps for a design to go through before becoming a showroom-ready vehicle. Read full article»

Chopping Ferraris For Art’s Sake

From The Truth About Cars
By Ronnie Schreiber

Start cutting into the wrong car and you’re likely to get hate mail from brand purists. When Jesse James’ old Monster Garage show turned a fairly rare 1971 Chevy El Camino SS into a Figure 8 race car, the producers wouldn’t tell the seller what their plans were for fear of queering the deal. Now Figure 8, being a step above demo derby, is admittedly not exactly a concours, but Chevy cowboy Cadillacs are not quite as rare as hens’ teeth.

There were 44,606 El Caminos produced in 1971. I remember something guitar dealer and trader George Gruhn said to me about $25,000 Fender Strats and $50,000 Gibson Les Pauls (paraphrased), “Remember, they were built in factories, on assembly lines, by Mexican American immigrant women, not by artisans like Cremona violins.”

Actually, carrying Mr. Gruen’s remarks to their logical conclusion, it’s worth noting that Amati, Stradivari and Guarneri themselves had workshops with craftsmen and apprentices working for them. A ’58 Les Paul may not be a Stradivarius but then a Stradivarius isn’t nearly as rare as a Shelby Daytona Coupe. [continued]

Read the complete article on TheTruthAboutCars.com.

Found on Pinterest

By Luis.

Sometimes I just love my job! I mean, where else would I be allowed to explore the Internet looking for automotive news, photos and other related information — sometimes for hours at a time — and get paid to do so?

We recently launched The Motor Bookstore's Pinterest page, and I've kept busy uploading photos submitted to us for last year's Photo Contest, as well as photos that I snap here and there at car shows.

As a matter of fact, I picked up a couple 16MB SD cards for my camera 2 days ago. There's nothing worse than seeing a "Card Full" warning message, when you're not even close to being done taking pictures at a car or bike show.

Anyway, this morning I took a few minutes to explore Pinterest and see what other automotive photos were there. I was blown away by some of them. So I started a Found on Pinterest - Cars board. I specify "cars" since I also intend to create another board for motorcycles, one of these days.

These Web treks have also given me tons of ideas for other future stuff, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out our new Found on Pinterest - Cars board, and feel free to re-pin some of the images we've uploaded.

These are some of the photos I found this morning. Enjoy!