Porsche

A Porsche 911 + a Camera + Virtual Rig

The world of photography has changed so much in the last 20 years. Even the last 5 have seen some very radical shifts in the way photographers shoot, edit, and post process their images. One thing remains constant though, good photography is not about the technology and software, it’s about the person behind the camera. When the two are combined, you get masterful results.

Photographer Frederic Schlosser was given the assignment of shooting the very famous Falken Porsche 911 for an upcoming ad campaign. The client wanted the car to look as though it was moving very fast. They also wanted it shot in a rather edgy environment, with very tight, limited driving spaces. In order to achieve a really sense of movement, Schlosser turned to Virtual Rig software to help create the final images.

The video below is a behind the scenes short of the photo shoot. The link above will take you to Schlosser’s website where you can see all of the final images.

“In general it’s important for sure to get one shot without the car and one photo with spinning wheels. [Most people accomplish this using a jack to lift up the car and spin the wheels by hand.] For Virtual rig shots I also like to to show a vanishing point. This gives the picture more speed in my opinion. I always try to do something crazy with Virtual Rig photos because it allows me to capture limitless angles of the car, and thus, I love to do things that would be nearly impossible to shoot real life. That’s why I chose to create a dynamic shot of the Porsche driving during rain. It was really important to get nice water drops on the car, but since the car is moving and the water drops on the car have to move as well! So just using a water hose to spray down the car was not enough because the water was not moving fast enough. I used a technique which is very famous in portrait retouched called frequency separation and allowed me to move the water drops on the car. Another thing to add: we also had someone to move containers in the background for us. It was important to get Maersk containers properly displayed in the pictures since they are a partner of Falken!”

Faster, Farther, Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed.

If you happen to be in North Carolina any time between October 12, 2013–January 20, 2014, you might wan to take some time and go to Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

The exhibit will feature more than 20 Porsche automobiles from the collections of or owned by Ralph Lauren, Steve McQueen, and Janis Joplin. In addition they are displaying a one-of-a-kind Panamericana concept, and the 1989 16 cylinder 917 Spyder Prototype; which like the Panamericana is on loan fromt he Porsche museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

Amazing Flying Porsche 911’s by Gerry Judah.

I hope this stays at Goodwood in the UK. I’d love to see it in person some day. Porsche 2013 by artist and designer Gerry Judah is a 22 ton steel and real Porsche sculpture that was commissioned by Porsche UK for the 50th anniversary of the 911 and the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The sculpture features three different models of the Porsche 911: the 1963 Original 911; the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7; and the 2013 911. The photos look pretty amazing so I imagine in person this will knock your socks off. Even if you aren’t into motor sports or automobiles you have to admit this is pretty impressive. The white arrows that suspend the cars above the ground look like jet contrails as these classic cars jet off into the sky.

“I had to create a sculpture that personifies the energy and excitement not only of these beautiful cars but also the Festival of Speed. The 911 is a fantastic shape that can’t be deconstructed or embellished, so in this context, the sculpture had to provide the right platform for the car to soar up and shine in the sky.”

Art of the Car Concours. It All About the Details.

This afternoon my friend Tim and I spent a few hours at the Art of the Car Concours on the grounds of the Kansas City Art Institute. The annual event is a scholarship fund raiser for the school, and over the last seven years has grown into a world class automotive event. The two of us spent a hot humid summer afternoon, walking through 100 or so vehicles taking photos, admiring the design styling, engineering, and distinction of the cars shown. At one point both of us commented on how each car, each brand, had unique looks that set it apart from it’s contemporaries.

Both of us remarked that in todays world, most people can’t tell a Nissan from a Honda, from a Volkswagen, from a Chevy, from a Hyundai, from a Kia, from a Ford (although Ford is arguably ahead of the curve in distinctive styling). Aside from a few marquee brands, or higher end autos, most look the same, and no one making a car for the masses puts the attention to detail in things like badging any more. Looking at a 49 Ford coupe, and 66 Covair it made me long for the days when each car brand looked distinct, and the exterior styling was as important as the creature comforts like iPhone connectivity that we lust after today.

Below is a sampling of some of the photos that I took today. Realistically some of these shots are for cars that would cost a small fortune in todays dollars. None the less, the attention to detail, the quality of materials, the small things, are what made these cars part of the golden age of automobile design. Personally I wish the big three, Ford, Chrysler, and Chevy would step up to the plate and bring this kind of styling back. Raise the bar, set a new standard based on vintage design styling that was in many ways simply better. No I don’t want the old school technology. What I want is a car that looks as cool as these, with all the comforts my 2013 model offers me today.