Vehicles are all around us, but how often do you think to photograph them? They’re so much part of our daily lives that we often forget they can make excellent subject matter for our photography.
Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses), railed vehicles (trains, trams), watercraft (ships, boats), amphibious vehicles (screw-propelled vehicle, hovercraft), aircraft (airplanes, helicopters) and spacecraft.
With their vibrant colors, dynamic shapes and endless diversity, vehicles are extremely photogenic and work particularly well for creating an interesting photo series.
One of the characteristics of great photography is that the viewer tends to visually linger a bit longer on a really good image.
If you can get your viewers to pause on your photo a bit longer than the hundreds of others that they scroll through each day, then you’ve done your job!
An effective way to get viewers to “stop” on your photos is to take your pictures from unusual perspectives. So rather than always shooting from eye level at standing height, think about other angles that you could shoot from.
How about photographing a vehicle from an aerial viewpoint such as a second story window or bridge overpass? This allows you to capture the vehicle from a vantage point that you don’t often see.
Notice how this shooting angle emphasizes the shape of the vehicle. Using the ground as your backdrop is also a great way of eliminating distracting backgrounds.
Shooting from a high angle can also have the fun effect of making the vehicle look like a miniature toy model because it appears small compared to its surroundings.
A completely different approach would be to shoot from a very low angle. Crouch down as low as you can, or even lie on the ground if it’s safe to do so!
Whenever you spot an interesting vehicle that you’d like to photograph, always explore as many different angles as possible to give you the best chance of creating a unique and eye-catching image.
Very few people take the time to practice different perspectives. By concentrating on this aspect of composition, your images will definitely stand out.