Auto Glamma

Discussion 12 posts |  Only members can post. Join?

About Auto Glamma

Glamour images of automobiles. Feature story material.

Styled images. Purposeful settings. That omits cars in traffic or parked curbside at random. The aim is to avoid snapshot qualities.

Images should be modeled after those used in automotive sales brochures, magazine editorial articles, magazine ads, calendars, posters, book covers, auto encyclopedias, reference guides, and art prints. You do not have to BE a pro, just act like one. Or at least act like a proud owner.

You may submit bare images, i.e., regular photos. You may submit images in a photoshopped graphic treatment, i.e., poster style, advertising style, postcard style, magazine layout, etc. (but little or no photoshop technique applied to alter the car itself). Graphics may include headline and limited text. With borders and/or color panels and color typography.

We want the glamourous automobile in a glamour setting. That is the focus. Full figured, generally speaking. 3/4 views, front or rear. Profiles. Special vantage points. Usually with ambient lighting. The pros use early morning dawn or evening dusk for the directional sheen of a lifetime. So should you try it! The whole idea is one of extra effort.

Straight-on or angled grille shots ought to be close-ups and considered to be in the detail category. Same goes for straight-on or angled rear view close-ups.

A planned, designed setting. A staged theme is great. With foliage is great. Near a flower garden rock wall is great. At a marina is great. Next to a vintage airplane is great. Nestled into architexture is great. On cobblestones is great. Utilize a carnival or a ferris wheel. Mountain scenery is great, or any other geographic identifier. Lakeside is great. Warfside is great. Anything goes, really, for setting subject. Just make it look good!

Picturesque. In a glamma setting with fabulous light. Diffuse light in bright shade usually wins out over direct sun. Avoid doppled, tree-leaf shadows. Show off the vehicle's paint and design forms to ultimate advantage. In other words, knock our socks off!

Got the picture?

That means specifically: no awkward driveway "snapshots". No cramped interior garage shots with nasty flash glare. No thoughtless backgrounds. No competing distractions. There should be no doubt where the center of interest lies. Usually, no car show settings with same-old-same-old busy backgrounds. That means no signage...no stuffed animals...no passers-by...no crowded packs of lined-up cars...no concrete parking lots with glaring sun and contrasty shadows. No umbrellas attached to lawnchairs.

No standard car shows/gatherings as settings. No indoor displays. No museum, roped-off static sterility. No artificial light. Think class...all the way. Automotive portraits.

The line and color of the car should be paramount. That means no hoods up during full image display. You may do a lead auto portrait followed by a series... ie. engine details, trunk details, interiors, grills, taillights, etc. All submitted in sequence. Your choice to include people (subjects) in or around the car. Period/vintage costume and setting is encouraged. That element can be done well...and also can be done badly. Same advice for you posing with your full-view vehicle.

Sidenote. Owner portraits are encouraged with indentifiable portions of your car as background. Be creative!

Rule of thumb. All makes/models welcome. American only (for now). Stock. Mild custom. Extensive custom, subject to editorial approval. Vehicles should be a minimum of 25 years of age! Currently, in 2006, that allowable target age is 1981 or earlier. But the preferred target age is from 1971 and all eras prior (before governmental smog control on engines and ride-enhancing weight control took over the industry).

All entries are by invitation only. Subject to editorial review. Finished, complete cars preferred. No salvage junkers. No projects (unless they are part of a series or album showing start-to-finish progress).

Don't forget to tag entries with "Auto Glamma"

http://www.flickr.com/groups/autoglamma/