What does it take to create a great car photograph? An interesting car is a good start, whether it’s static or moving. An evocative road helps, especially if it mates well with the promise of the car on it. Perhaps it’s a background scene full of whimsy, grandeur or drama. Or an incongruous setting chosen for its graphic imagery. Good light is a boon – the best is early morning or just before sunset.
But by far the most important is a photographer whose prowess is much more than mere technical proficiency. The best have that vital element: ‘an eye’. They see instantly the visual potential in a scene or situation. And they’re opportunists, capable of seizing a fleeting chance – crucial when you have just a few hours and a lot of ground to cover.
Working with inspiring photographers – many of whom became friends – has been one of the best parts of my career driving and writing about cars. Here are some of their pictures that I particularly treasure, and the stories behind them.
Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4 Spyder, by John Mason
That’s the Mont Blanc massif looming above the Huracán. The road is the SS26 in northern Italy’s Aosta Valley. As John Mason and I struck the eight hairpins just below Pré-Saint-Didier, John saw this view, looking north to Mont Blanc. He shouted ‘stop’, leaped out, set up, and took this emotive picture.
