Driven by Light
I receive a lot of regular mails from people, especially young students who want to learn about car photography and what is involved in making that a career.
It's impossible to answer them all fully, and I'm not the sort of person to just not reply, so I have written a ‘Guide to Car Photographers for Beginners’ that I feel is a honest and informative look at what this field of photography entails and what things to consider along the journey of making that a successful career.
Its honest and from my own experience and in many ways most it transposes into any field of commercial photography.
Commercial car photography is one of those genres most people rarely think about. It isn’t as visible as landscape, sports, or wedding photography, yet it surrounds us every day.
From the billboard showing the latest car model to the meticulously lit shot of a V8 promoting a new oil brand, this kind of work quietly drives the visual language of the automotive world.
So, what does it take to build a career in commercial car photography?
What’s the best way to learn about lighting?
And what did my journey into it look like when I started out?
Some of the subjects covered are;
Finding Work and Building Trust
Advice for Building a Career
Building a Portfolio That Works
Different Types of Lighting
Choosing and Using Your Equipment
Light Control
Dealing with the Weather
Build Relationships
Photography isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about showing up, learning, and adapting.
Every job teaches you something, about light, about people, about how to stay calm when things go wrong.
Being a photographer isn’t defined by the camera you use or the brands you’ve shot for. It’s defined by how you think, how you see, and how you work when no one’s watching.
If you stay curious, honest, and committed to improving, you’ll go far.
Because in the end, this career isn’t about taking pictures, it’s about telling stories, helping people, and creating images that mean something.
Keep shooting. Keep learning. Keep your feet on the ground and your eyes open to the light, the rest will follow.
Most of all, “Don’t shoot what it looks like, shoot how it feels.”
