Today, we're thrilled to introduce George Eduard, a passionate automotive photographer based in Denmark, originally from Romania. His foray into this vibrant field began with playful experiments using his parents' old camera, blending his childhood love for cars with digital artistry. From his initial shots of friends' cars in high school to his first professional ventures, George's journey has been one of passion, evolution, and artistic growth, leading to a flourishing career in the world of automotive photography.
In our interview, we'll delve into George Eduard's distinctive approach to automotive photography. We're keen to understand how he masterfully integrates technical expertise with creative insight in his imagery. What inspires the beginning of his new projects, and what challenges does he face in the specialized field of automotive photography? George will share his creative evolution and provide insightful advice for those aiming to establish themselves in the intricate world of automotive photography.
Don't forget to check out George Eduard's impressive portfolio on his Instagram page and his website.
Since my childhood, I’ve always had a passion for cars and for creating digital content. I always found myself tinkering around with my parent’s old camera and taking pictures. When I first picked up a camera, it felt natural to combine these two interests. Being a child I was always fascinated by cars, my dad was letting me to drive the old family car on the field in the countryside and we were watching different kind of events like Formula 1 or even playing 2-player racing games in my mom.
Later on, when I was in high school I have picked up my first camera and started to shoot my friends cars for fun. I can remember my first car was a Seat Leon 2010 with Aero Pack and the guy said: “Wow, dude these looks fire” and asked me how much it will be for these pictures. At that time I wasn’t even thinking about charging, but this thing kept me working even more as it came as a compliment for me. And that was pretty much it, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, trying to show perspectives of different cars and even creating fine art.
In order to make an automotive photo stand out, more aspects needs to be considered, in my opinion. I would take them in the following order: lighting, environment and subject. You might wonder, why the subject is the last? Because no matter what car you are shooting, as a good automotive photographer you should be able to make any car look good. By using the right lighting and the right environment, I’m always trying to compliment each car’s silhouette and character in my creative process. The environment is important because you need to tell a story through that image. It would be weird to go on a muddy trail with a sport car or with a dirty SUV in the middle of the city.
At this moment my current photography style is “Run’n’Gun” which is trying to achieve more content in various locations while maintaining a minimal setup. Sometimes I am working in Studio with a more fixed setup (tethered shooting, light setup etc.). I would like to shoot more in the studio, things like Light Painting or FDL Techniques, but as always, the real fun is outside.
And right now, I am doing private work and sometimes commercial, I am attending events as official photographer and sometimes doing also automotive unrelated work.
Most challenging photoshoots that I’ve had were the ones when I went through the Carpathian Mountains in Bucovina with Audi or BMW Romania. Just the fact that if I wanted to get the perfect shot without the help of photoshop software, I had to wake up very early, at around 4AM and already take the cars up on the mountain together with the team. We had to be at a sharp time there to not miss the sunrise, to catch the mist of the morning and on top of everything take care of the cars and setting up the positions of the cars and other gear. Being a Run’N’Gun experience, I had to concentrate 100% so I don’t miss any shots because we were changing the locations constantly to preserve the light time, even if it was sunrise or sunset.
Camera and lenses aside, one piece of gear that I can’t live without, is of course the CPL filter. In automotive photography it’s a must that really makes a difference between a professional picture and a beginner one. Another piece of equipment that is always in my bag is the Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4 Prime Lens. Many photographers might think that it’s a pretty boring focal length but I love it and It’s my go to when I need to shoot a car. It’s sharp, feels nice in the hand and quite affordable.
It’s true that the industry is evolving day by day and you need to always be innovative and creative. I’m trying to put on the table new perspectives and styles each time by pushing myself to shoot more and by using prime lenses. I can say that I like what I am shooting, but I’m not satisfied, so I’m trying to shoot more angles and try different editing styles on each picture. By using a prime lens, you are limited to only one focal length but this limitation might put you out of your comfort zone because you need to move around and explore other perspectives.
I can say you can feel both a competitive atmosphere and a collaborative one. The competitive element comes when talking about the content that the photographers and content creators are releasing. Everybody is trying new things and delivering very quality content, so being still relevant and fresh takes a lot of work. On the other hand, the automotive photography scene is pretty helpful and you can always find tutorials, assets, tips and tricks pretty easily from other photographers, either paid or not paid. I think that is a huge plus and it really feels that we are in a collaborative environment and nobody is really gatekeeping certain methods or knowledge.
One advice that I would give to my younger self and everybody that wants to start doing automotive photography is to get out and shoot more. Shoot everything, it does not matter if its an old crappy car or a super car. Try to work on your skills and try to make even the crappy car look good on the pictures.
Another important advice is to make a good networking map. Try to reach more and more people with cool cars or business owners and offer to work for them for free for the first time or offer to work in exchange of practice. This thing might get you a lot of quality connections and a bigger network of automotive enthusiasts.
My favorite photo is a behind the scene photo from the time where I went with BMW Romania in the Carpathian Mountains. This picture represents the team trying to get a good shot of the cars that we have placed in the background. We are trying to shoot the new SUV lineup from BMW: BMW XM, X6 M50I and the X5 30D. This picture is special for me because it reminds me the handwork that I have put in in order to get the images done and how chill the environment and the team were. It felt like a vacation.
A dream photoshoot would take place at Lake Como, Italy, at sunset with these three great cars that have a huge meaning to me:
First car, the Ferrari Testarossa reminds me of my childhood. It was a gift from my dad but in a form of a die-cast model. I can remember it was a black model that it was very boxy and really interesting at that time. That’s how that car remained one of my favorites. The same I can say about the Elise and the Diablo, there were cars that had an impact on my passion for automotive, especially. Even if my work consists, usually, in shooting new cars, it was always a dream to shoot my childhood favorites out in the nature, not in some closed environment collection or show. I am pretty sure that with the right people, this dream photoshoot can come into reality.
We're grateful to George Eduard for sharing his experiences in the realm of automotive photography. His journey, driven by a profound passion and remarkable skill, is truly motivating and replete with valuable lessons. George's ability to capture the beauty and essence of automobiles is outstanding. We value the expertise he has imparted about his art and eagerly anticipate his future accomplishments as he continues to make a significant impact in the world of automotive photography.
Check out more of George's work and download the TCN app today and immerse yourself in a world where automotive beauty meets high-end technology. Stay tuned for our regular updates, and let's drive into the future of automotive enthusiasm together!
