If you've ever wanted to take a photograph of a car that has motion to it, you may have noticed it's not often straightforward. In this video, go behind the scenes of a rolling car shoot to see how it's done.
Cars are undoubtedly my first love. In fact, it's always surprising to me how little I've photographed cars compared to other genres. That isn't to say I don't jump at the chance to photograph motorsport where possible, but it's far from my bread and butter.
Car photography can be particularly tricky and some of the most desirable shots take a lot of setup. Whenever I am working on photographing cars, I typically want to capture motion to get a dynamic and dramatic feel to the final image; a still frame won't always do justice to your subject. There are a few ways this can be achieved, with the panning technique being my go-to. However, in this video, you can watch as Mark McGee experiments with the rolling shot (as well as some panning).
The rolling shot can also be done a few ways, but is usually executed with a rig attached to the car or another car matching the speed of the subject. The former requires more equipment, but the latter requires more people. Which each method can produce different results, the objective is largely the same, and the shots of the Ferrari 458 from this shoot show just how effective a rolling shot can be.
