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Welcome to the world of automotive photography

Welcome to the Machines With Souls blog by automotive photographer Mike D'Ambrosio. Learn automotive photography photography tips and tricks.

BMW F80 M3
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Welcome to the world of automotive photography.

I love cars.

I have ever since I saw a bright red, chrome-rimmed Mitsubishi 3000GT drive down the street. I’ve raced them. Wrenched on them. Detailed them. Now, I photograph them.

The point of this blog will hopefully be for your benefit. If you’ve ever looked at an automotive brochure and seen those beautiful images, you may have gotten inspired to make your own, like I have. It may seem impossibly complex to recreate them.

It isn’t.

Well, maybe a little, but that’s where this blog comes in.

Each week, I’ll choose an image I’ve created, and walk you through some of the process. How to come up with a concept, scout, set up your camera, frame, and edit in post-production. You’ll learn how I light paint, what locations work for what cars, and how rolling shots work.

You can do this with any digital camera, any lens, and any brand. Don’t focus on that part at all, because it doesn’t matter. What matters is you, and what you see in your mind’s eye. That’s what automotive photography is all about.

Let’s get to it!

Commissions may be received for product links on this site, so help out if you can. I only write about products I use and believe in.

I use Nikon camera bodies and lenses, a Westcott Ice Light 2, Manfrotto tripod, B + W filters and an iMac Pro to make the art you see here.

Email me at mike@machineswithsouls.com with any questions.

Follow along on Instagram @machineswithsouls