Around six weeks ago I was given confirmation that I would start working as an official photographer for an online consulting group focused on the automotive industry. That’s right, I would get paid to take photos of cars! My hard work was starting to pay off, but I still needed to overcome a vital obstacle before I commenced work.
Since January this year I have exclusively photographed using a 50mm f1.8 prime lens mated to my Nikon D750 body (You can see examples of this at Patrick Stannard Photography). This is still my favourite lens, and will be for a long time. It produces an incredibly sharp image, and handles low light situations with ease due to such a large aperture. However, to produce interesting and creative photographs with a fixed focal length, one must “zoom with their feet” (as my photography teacher called it). This means running around. Alot. When shooting a car I would sit nice and close for a glory shot of the wheel, then turn around and run 20 metres back to fit the whole car in frame.
My new job meant that I would be photographing cars in situations that wouldn’t allow me to do laps around the car, or sit in the rear hatch to get a photo of the steering wheel. I needed a lens that could capture the entire dash sitting in the drivers seat while also taking wide exterior shots without distortion.
Happy with my Nikkor 50mm, I purchased the Nikkor 24-85mm f3.5 G with Vibration Reduction. After using one lens exclusively for 10 months, this new piece of glass was hard to get used to. Imagine fitting your daily with a low mount bucket seat, Nardi wheel, and short throw shifter. That first drive would feel extremely alien, you would crunch some gears and oversteer in every corner. I was setting up photos way too far away from the subject, forgetting to check focus and exposure, and at one point I managed to headbutt my camera (don’t ask).
I thought the best place to get some playtime with my new lens was ToyotaFest 2015 hosted by the Toymods community and located at the Castle Hill Toyota Dealership. After a bit of practice, this new lens was feeling great. Although not as sharp as the 50mm, the photos were clear, had nice bokeh, and subtle vignette. Being able to change focal length was amazing fun. I found myself taking ‘different’ photos, rather than having a predetermined set of angles in my head that I knew would look good. This is the best part about using new gear, not only do your photos improve, but you learn from these bits of steel and glass, and take advantage of their features.
To be fair, I could have shot ToyotaFest with a camera made with off-brand Lego and still produced interesting photos thanks to the gorgeous cars on show. It was really refreshing to see some cars that don’t do the usual rounds of shows and meets.
Scroll down to see my coverage from Toyotafest (check out the Tom’s Corolla at the end!) and let me know what you think of the photos in the comments below.
Big thanks to Toymods for hosting the massive event!
13’s! So cute!
