I got to preview the new Porsche 911 for CultureMap last week. [Story here]. This one was pretty run-and-gun, and less than ideal as far as location and timing. Mid-day on a Friday, in Sugarland, I scrambled for a location that wouldn't be too distracting or have too many locations and ended up at an office park. The reflections were still an issue, but not deal breakers I don't think, although I did end up cropping tightly or throwing away some angles where the reflections were really bad. I had my choice of a white, black or grey 991, and chose the grey because I wanted a little more interest and a challenge (white or silver is a walk in the park). It seems the grey wasn't much better than black but it probably came out more interesting than white would have. For my full impressions on the car, see the review but in summary: fantastic. It's pointy and stretched just enough to make the 997 look like a tub of goo. Everything is solid, everything is as it should be. Great car.
F1 USA: An in-progress tour of Circuit of the Americas
Last week I had the privilege of touring the new Circuit of the Americas outside of Austin, TX. Go to CultureMap to read my full impressions of the site and see the full photoset. I can't wait to go back in a few months!
New Work: Electric DeLorean, Range Rover Evoques and the 2012 Audi A6
It's been busy! Here's some recent stuff I've done for Jalopnik and CultureMap. ELectric DeLorean: First Drive on Jalopnik
CultureMap auto preview: The new Range Rover Evoque
Recent Shots: Mustang 5.0 Convertible and Chrysler 200 & 300
I recently did some CultureMap automotive features: one with the Ford Mustang and another about the Chrysler 300 and 200 sedans. Both were a lot of fun to shoot although in both cases we ended up starting a lot later in the morning than I would have liked and so the natural light was overhead and bright. I love the summer and the long days, but it makes it hard to catch the sunrise. Luckily I make my own light, so I was able to combat the sun just a little for some of the shots. I've been experimenting with shooting the interiors, something I was never able to get right before, and I've been shining two speedlights into the interior from either side. I didn't invent this obviously, but it's been a revelation for me to be able to make interior shots interesting and dramatic. I need to work on repositioning the car if I have an angle or lighting setup that works I like, so I can get different angles under the ideal light conditions. Mental note.
I enjoyed driving all three cars, some more than others, sure. I made a big discovery, too: it's much easier to find bad things in good cars than it is to be honest about a car that, overall, isn't all that great. On a good car, the irritating details stand out more, it's hard to explain. The steering wheel on the Mustang drove me nuts.