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How to Create Photographic Art Out of Junk Yard Cars

A couple of years ago I did a photo series called “Forgotten Things – Project Cars”. It’s  kind of a heavy duty title for a few old cars but it summed up what this project was. The reality of it was I wanted to practice for an upcoming automotive shoot I was hired to do for a local dealership. You never want to go into a job unsure of your photographic plan and the results you’ll be expecting in post-production. 

At that time, I was taking Tim Wallace’s classes on Kelby One (Yeah, that’s been a hot minute ago!) If you don’t know Tim’s work you should look him up on Instagram here – https://www.instagram.com/timwallace47/  Or PPA did an article about his automative photography here. No matter where you see Tim’s work, the only way to describe it is “Epic”   

The junk yard these cars were located in was on a private place owned by an old guy near the place we used to live. I stumbled upon it by accident and stopped in to see if he would allow me to shoot there sometime. He was kind enough to say yes. I learned from him that all the cars were from when he owned a towing company. He kept the ones he liked over a 50 plus year period. 

So, the idea was to shoot these cars with a modern, commercial style lighting without any background. The focus was to be on the logos/names on the cars or something that made them look unique, as if it was a commercial shoot for a real Automotive company with brand new cars. Utilizing my newly acquired skill set, thanks to Tim Wallace, I set out inspired and motivated for this self-test.

All the images were shot at 1/250,F22, ISO 100, with a Nikon D800 and 24-70 F 2.8 Lens, on a tripod of course. Used Alien Bee – B800 and a 36 inch rectangular Softbox. (the box was by design due to the squarish nature of the cars) 

The Soft box was placed adjacent to the subject basically pointing directly at the camera, feathering the light off the subject. but allowing for the reflection of the light into the subject, using it as part of the desired look. 

This took quite some time to shoot all the ones I wanted to. Many were done early in the morning at first light, hence the dew on the cars.  Photographing junk cars is not always in an easily accessed location and typically NOT organized. I traipsed through weeds, underbrush, and unknowns all around. Plus, there was and old horse that followed me around and watched!

If you plan to do any photography in a junk yard, think safety first –

  • Protective Gear: Wear sturdy shoes, gloves, and possibly a hard hat to protect yourself from sharp objects and unstable structures.
  • Be Aware: Watch your step and be mindful of your surroundings to avoid tripping or getting hurt by rusty or broken materials.
  • Permissions: Ensure you have permission to be on the property and understand any rules or guidelines the junkyard may have.

Click here to see more of Ken’s incredible junk yard car photography

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