Photography in museums and archives is a unique medium for preserving the past. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, animation, virtual reality, and augmented reality each have their place in depicting and preserving the past in museums and archives. Photography is a unique depiction of moments in time.

Photography as an art and documentary medium earned its place in museums and archival records in the first quarter of the 1800s. Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, a scientist in soul, is credited with producing the oldest surviving photograph from a camera. It has been anointed with the title, View from the Window at Le Gras. It is a heliographic image which is discussed in a short essay The First Photograph by Barbara Brown, Head of Photograph Conservation, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin.

The Challenges of Preserving Photographs, the Windows to the Past

The Window at Le Gras is a window to the past that challenges the present and future to create a solution for preserving photographs. Bob Dylan said, “inside the museum, infinity goes on trial.” Preserving the exhibitions for infinity is challenging. At barely 200 years old, the photograph is a relatively new addition to museums and historical archives that presents unique preservation challenges.

Museums and archives face similar challenges in preserving their collections and exhibition items. Light, time, temperature, humidity, catastrophic events, and accidents are the enemies of art, artifacts, documents, and photographs.

Protecting Photographs and Their Negatives

Museums and archives continue to add massive amounts of photographs to their collections. It requires a plan and continued funding for preservation, storage, and display. Photographs, like all art, need to be protected for infinity from the ravages of time, temperature, humidity, and dangers. The process of creating a photograph is inherently fragile. The negative from which it was printed, and the paper on which it’s printed are all susceptible to the elements and time.

The age of microfilm was seen as a solution for storage until it became clear that it too was susceptible to the damages of time and temperature. As each new storage solution comes online, museums, archive boards, and curators must have a plan to transfer photograph collections to the latest storage techniques so that infinity may judge the past, present, and future art of photographs.

Storing digital files in the Cloud is seen as a solution. Like storage innovations of the past, the Cloud will reveal its flaws. Corrupted files and damaged hardware are just two things that can go wrong with storing photographs in the cloud. Redundant copies of digital collections secured at multiple sites may be a practical solution.

 Photographers as Curators

Photographers should plan to preserve their work in the digital age with redundancy at multiple cloud storage enterprises around the world. Living photographers are the ultimate curator of their work even when showing or placing their photographs in the care of museums and archives.

Michael Grecco curated and made preservation contingency plans for his muti-media show featuring work from his “Days of Punk” period. The show was at the Centro Cultural de Cascais, in Cascais, Portugal from October 15, 2023 to January 28, 2024. It was produced by the D. Luís I Foundation, with the collaboration of the Cascais City Council.

This exhibit was made possible because of the care that Michael Grecco took to preserve his past as a photographer with intimate access over fifty years ago during the early days of the international punk era. The Days of Punk exhibit at Centro Cultural de Cascais featured over 100 high-quality prints from the thousands that Michael Grecco shot and carefully preserved for infinity and summarized in this short video.

Photography is a general term that describes genres of distinctive styles, techniques, and finished products. Exploring photographic genres includes taking a dive into documentary, art, fashion, commercial, historical, and personal snaps of the shutter.

The result of every photographic genre is unique in purpose, form, and result. The principal fundamentals of photography are necessary for effective photography whether it is a personal social media post or an iconic image.

A Dive into Photographic Style and Technique

Michael Grecco has decades of study and performance across a diversity of photographic genres. As a news photographer, Mr. Grecco became practiced in a fundamental understanding of the essentials of darkness and light. Along the way, he became intrinsically aware of the importance of focus framing and using depth of field.

In the iconic color photograph of Quentin Tarantino at the Hollywood Grill in 1995 essential photographic style and techniques are clear. The fundamental use of shadows and light, combined with framing, focus, foreground, and background are features of this photograph along with a personal style and technique that Michael has developed and perfected over the decades.

In his book Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography, Michael Grecco shares the style and technique of his art. In this tome, Michael goes into the details of turning portraits into photographic art.

He also explains the use of essentials for the hobbyist as well as the professional photographer. He touches on how the use of, exposure, shutter speed, depth of field, focal length, sharpness, camera settings, composition, and editing affect the interplay of light and shadow of a photograph.

His lessons are clear in another iconic image that he snapped in 2006, Martin Scorsese Poses on a Roof.

 

Crossing Genres into Art

The photos of Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino can be pigeonholed as “portraits.” Michael Grecco has moved the art of photography beyond the traditionally defined with an experienced professionalism driven by an innate inquisitiveness and experimental personality that crosses genres into the realm of art.

Each of the photographs tells multiple stories that cross photographic genres: art, fashion, commercial photography, etc. They are documentary photographs that capture historic moments from the lenses of Michael Grecco’s cameras.

The Genres of Michael Grecco Photography

Sports, music, fashion, portraits, documentaries, and commercials are often cited as distinctive genres of photography. Over the last half-century, Michael Grecco has studied, practiced, explored, photographed, and produced iconic images that span every genre of photography.

He has not been to space to conquer celestial photography, but that may come. In black and white or in color Mr. Grecco is a perpetual student and pioneer of the craft, art, and science of photography in all its forms.

In exploring the history and continuing appeal of black and white photography, a quick history is in order. Weissmann Preservation Center at Harvard Library has gathered and printed Harvard’s History of Photography Timeline from 1926 to 2004, a bullet-point list of important moments in photography.

Key stops for all photographers from amateur to professional include:

• 1851: Frederick Scott Archer introduced the wet collodion process – This innovation in photography required less time for exposure.
• 1874: Silver gelatin paper becomes commercially available. The widespread use of silver gelatin paper in the 1890s made it the most common black-and-white photographic print process of the 20th century.
• 1885: French criminologist and anthropologist Alphonse Bertillon introduced the modern mug shot. Taking mug shots provided professional photographers with income.
• 1888: George Eastman markets the Kodak No. 1 box camera with the slogan, “You press the button, we do the rest.

1900: Eastman Kodak introduced the Brownie camera at the retail price of one dollar, their goal was to sell film and development services.

From Brownie To Black and White Art

The Eastman Kodak Brownie camera made the art of photography accessible to everyone. It is hard to fathom the excitement of the average person to be able to document the history of their lives in crisp black and white glossy printed photographs. In its day, the Brownie was the equivalent of the Apple iPhone with a built-in digital camera.

Michael Grecco may or may not have known the history of photography as a young pre-high-school man who was gifted his first 35 mm camera, but he quickly learned to document history and create art with black and white photography.

Experimenting For Perfection

The joy of taking a picture soon became an obsession in photographic experimentation for young Michael Grecco. The Brownie was the everyman camera, anyone could take a picture. On the other end of the spectrum were 35 mm precision machines that required the operator to calculate the aperture speed based on light and the required effect.

Taking picture after picture and examining the results taught Michael Grecco the fundamentals of framing, and how to use shadows and light long before his days studying with photography historian and photographer Carl Chiarenza, a master of black and white photography. Michael Grecco was fascinated with the light, framing, shadows, and effects of black and white photography.

The artistic, documentary, and technical aspects of photography that Michael Grecco learned through experimenting paved the way for the future perfection of his detailed career as a multi-faceted photographer. He has filled roles as a freelance news photographer for the AP and captured the alluring details of the emerging Punk movement from Boston to New York for the music press.

As his portfolio grew, he captured candid and innovative portrait shots of people in the entertainment and sports industries. He is often a guest of fashion designers unveiling their latest runway creations.

The Timeless Appeal of Black and White Images in the Digital Age

Michael Grecco shares his knowledge on capturing black and white images for the amateur and professional in two books, The Art of Portrait Photography, Creative Lighting Techniques and Strategies, and Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait, the Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography.

As the digital age matures with the introduction of AI, VR, AR, and the pursuit of other galaxies, the appeal of the interplay of shadows and light expressed in black and white keeps its appeal in modern photography. Michael Grecco is intrigued by the horizon of photography and realizes that the fundamentals he learned shooting with 35 mm black and white film will serve him well in modern photography.

Athletic photography is regarded as a specialty. Capturing sporting events in motion requires specialized equipment along with a skilled photographer. The difficulties of capturing action and emotions underwater are magnified by the environment.

Capturing the tapestry of nature is an important artistic endeavor of photographers. There are professional photographers who gravitate to underwater nature photography and those who gravitate to human competition in the water. Water offers a kaleidoscope of textures and colors to the photographer that is both an ally and a nemesis.

The unique environment of photography in water presents similar challenges for all photographers who focus on nature as well as sports. Action and emotions permeate both, however, those photographers who set their apertures to photograph the live action of sports are adding instantaneous reactions to their tool belt of skills.

Equipment, Technique, and Skills that Challenge Underwater Photography

The equipment challenges of underwater photography are met by a camera manufacturing industry that competes. To best their competitors there is an inflow of capital, time, and research into developing underwater cameras and the apparatus to use them. Today the underwater photographer has freedom of movement and a choice of equipment that has never been enjoyed for underwater photography.

Photographic equipment available for underwater use includes waterproof cameras, housing, lights, strobes, and the equipment necessary. Everyday sporting events on fields, courts, tracks, courses, and raceways attract thousands of photographers who try to capture a gem among the millions of images that are taken.

Along with learning the intricacies of the latest equipment and its limitations, underwater photographer needs to challenge their own techniques and skills to capture action and emotions underwater.

The skills that shape a photographer are constant. They need to understand and use the interplay between shadow and light, negative and positive, foreground and background, and framing and perspective. These difficult skills are made more difficult to master by the challenge of water and its effect on clarity, distortion of distance, and refraction of light.

Using the Fluid Dynamic of Water to Enhance Action and Emotions

The underwater photographer must recognize the how and why of the fluid dynamic of water and its unique interplay of shadow and light on the subject. Water can be used as a foreground, background, or a combination of both to enhance action and emotion in the underwater photograph.

Michael Grecco has decades of experience beginning with 35 mm black and white photography for leading news organizations. He has developed techniques and skills that are intrinsic, intricate, and essential in creating photographs that join the forces of framing, lighting, and environment.

Each year as he tackles a new discipline in his photographic adventures his understanding of light and shadows, framing, and perspective is sharpened. Whether photographing in black and white, on the field, or in the water, Michael Grecco is skilled at capturing athletic action and emotion.

Capturing actions and emotions underwater requires Michael Grecco to apply his photographic skills to compensate for the environmental challenges that water brings to the photograph. Along with his other photographic accomplishments, Michael Grecco has mastered the art of photography that captures underwater actions and emotions.

Digital photography created a revolution in immediacy, eliminating the wait for film to be processed. In 1970 when Michael Grecco received his first film camera and began his adventure in photography. The process was to buy the film, load the film (be careful not to expose the film), shoot the pictures, unload the film, wait for the film to be developed, and then view the results. Those who had their own or access to a darkroom had a time advantage over other photographers who had to wait up to a week to retrieve their developed film and see the results of their work.

Michael Grecco practiced his skills at the apex of the technological advances in 35 mm dreams. From the mid-1970s through the early 2000s camera and film researchers, developers and manufacturers were introducing technological advances that were changing photography.

Introducing the Digital Camera

In 1995, the digital camera was introduced to the public. Expensive for the average person, the digital camera was soon comparable in price to film cameras. Then in 2000, a cell phone with a built-in camera hit the market. Digital photography, a revolution in photographic immediacy was sweeping the world at light speed.

The falling retail price of stand-alone digital cameras and the increase in technological capabilities of the cell phone camera meant that more people than ever were taking pictures. The immediacy of digital photography fits perfectly with a new way of life that demands instant gratification.

The internet hosted a new form of communication that offered an outlet to the new crop of digital photographers, social media. According to PetaPixel, film photography peaked in 2000 at eighty-five billion photos. However, according to photutoria, around 2.3 trillion photos will be taken every year by 2030.

The Democratization of Photography

The immediacy along with access to digital cameras in every phone has had an immense impact of interest in photography as an art. The digital photography experience offers the instantaneous output that social media requires, it also offers the photographer as an artist instant feedback. Professional photographers shooting athletes, fashion models, products, and landscapes can make instant adjustments to their lighting, angles, lenses, and other technical aspects of their project.

Michael Grecco began his career as an independent news photographer who offered his photos to wire services such as the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI). They in turn would sell the photographs to thousands of newspapers, magazines, and other outlets. Today the citizen photographer armed with a digital camera can fill the role.

Challenges of Digital Photos

The excitement of digital photography has its own challenges. The digital camera has created an oversaturation of the visual landscape. It is increasingly difficult to stand out in the sea of billions of photos per day. The pursuit of the perfect picture can push creativity and spontaneity to the back seat.

The digital camera indeed offers everyone a shot at being a published photographer. Those who are pursuing photography as an artist, documentarian, or history interpreter need to learn the fundamentals of photography. It is essential to learn how lighting affects photos. Michael Grecco offers insight into photographic lighting in two books The Art of Portrait Photography: Creative Lighting Techniques and Strategies , and Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Celebrity and Editorial Photography:

Photography’s influence on modern advertising goes beyond a moment in time. Beyond just an image, a photograph has the power to tell a story, create a brand, capture a feeling, create desire, and influence the viewer. The photographer is the Influencer of the digital advertising age.

The “Golden Age” of advertising is defined as the decades from the 1950s through the 1980s, however its power, and influence, did not end when the year turned 1990. Advertising continued to evolve. Those that are familiar with the American Television series “Mad Men” where treated to a “behind the scenes look at the boom time of the ad men.

In New York City, the glamour of the ad agencies and the people behind the ideas became a culture onto itself that was mimicked in every city and town across the USA and throughout the world. It began as the era of the grey flannel suit, the two-martini lunch and advertising men pushing businesspeople out of the spotlight in financial news. This gave way to the decadence of a counterculture that revolutionized society and all forms of art including photography. The process continues.

Photography Advertisers the Advertising

The lead character in Mad Men, Don Draper was a composite of the people who glamorized the sales pitch. The army of ad execs who inhabited Madison Ave and similar districts around the world took the ordinary and turned them into the extraordinary that people did not need but were made to want by advertising.

Beyond the ad script and pitch, the ad men of the 1950s through the 1980s relied on the images that were the prime focus of the ad. For this they relied on photographers who were also evolving in their storytelling power.

The Story as a Picture

“Every picture tells a story”, and “A story is worth a thousand words.,” are cliches that drip truth. Photography’s influence on modern advertising goes beyond image to the photographer’s gift to create and tell a story in moments captured in time. Michael Grecco has developed and refined the gift of storytelling through photography by embracing its evolution.

Michael Grecco learned the craft of photography by rising through the ranks as a photojournalist telling a story with each click of the shutter. Newspapers and magazines were the beginning of turning the craft of photography into a lifetime pursuit of the art of photography for Mr. Grecco.

Photo to Art, Art to Photo

From his early days of selling photos of news events to the Associated Press (AP) Michael Grecco became captivated with the nuances of lighting, framing and storytelling. Every photo he shot was a captured moment and an experiment in photographic excellence.

In the late 1960s Andy Warhol grabbed the golden ring of fame for turning the art of still photographs into art. Today, Michael Grecco, a Photographic Influencer in the heart and soul of the digital age is melding his photographs to tell stories, create desire, influence, and push the boundaries of commercial advertising as art. Michael Grecco is redefining the focus of photo to art and art to photo.

Photography has been a passion for Michael Grecco since the age of twelve, and this passion grew as he started doing creative experimentation in professional photography later on. He turned his first 35mm camera into a lifelong passion for creative experimentation of photographic techniques and innovations. Less than a decade after receiving his first camera Michael Grecco became a “stringer”, a freelance photographer for Associated Press (AP). Stringers were only paid for the photos that the AP considered good enough for publication. It was the ultimate test of shooting photographs that were a cut above the rest.

In photography, it sharpened the lens for the pursuit of excellence. It meant breaking from traditional framing and lighting and developing innovative techniques that would be noticed above the dozens of other stringers who were turning in photos. During these early days, Michael Grecco experimented with lighting, framing, and unique angles when shooting photographs. His style was noticed, and he moved up the ladder. He was hired as a staff photographer at a Boston newspaper, rock magazine, and radio station.

Lighting, Lenses, Developing and Framing

Each new career opportunity enabled him to creatively experiment with different lighting techniques, new lenses, innovations in processing and film. Michael Grecco was breaking the mold with each advancement as a professional photographer. From capturing news events to documenting the early days of punk, each adventure in lighting techniques, advancements in equipment, developing techniques and framing the shot was the creative experimentation in professional photography that would set the next challenge.

Today in the world of photography Michael Grecco proudly wears the moniker “Master of Lighting”. Throughout his long storied career Michael Grecco has combined an experimental approach to perfecting the technology of professional photography. His personal artistic vision leads him to explore all the genres and applications of his passion of professional photography.

From news to pizza ads starring iconic country stars, Michael Grecco is equally at home photographing, high fashion, action sports, advertising and the depths and nuances of life and the universe. He embraces the challenges of creative experimentation in new technology, lighting, lenses, camera equipment, framing and presentation and whatever technology will offer next.

The Photographic Signature of Michael Grecco

Michael Grecco continues to challenge himself and his vision to experiment with all the tools that a professional photographer can use in the era of technological advancement. Using a drone, computer, telescope, satellite, or old-fashioned box camera are all part of the photographic signature of the creative experimentation in professional photography by Micheal Grecco.

Mr. Grecco sees no limits to the boundaries that have opened in the art of photography by technology. VR, AR, and AI are all challenges in breaking the mold by using creative experimentation in professional photography. Michael Grecco looks forward to embracing them all and integrating them into the art of creative experimentation in professional photography.  

Michael Grecco tells stories through spaces in his environmental portraits. Early photographers were at the mercy of technology. It was a case of tools limiting artistic vision for the earliest photographers. The size of the camera, the film, development, and printing techniques all had to be considered by the photographers of the 1880s who shot stoic portraits. The earliest steady work for the photographers in the 1880s was taking portraits for the law, today known as mug shots.

Each technological advancement in photography, equipment, developing, printing, and displaying it added new layers for the photographer to explore. The staple of photography, the portrait went from historic to artistic. Trained photographic technicians could capture clear law enforcement, school, or family portraits. The photographic artist, visionary and innovator turned stoic portraits into the art of the environmental portrait.

It took the eye of an artist to use the tools, techniques, and technology of photography to advance photographs to the realm of telling stories through spaces.

Environmental Portraits

Cutting his teeth as a news photographer at the pinnacle of the era, Michael Grecco developed a unique style of freezing moments in time. Through the lens of his camera Mr. Grecco saw his job as a storyteller with photos. This included capturing the subjects of his photos in the spaces that they inhabited. Over the decades he has mastered this technique which has become known as environmental portraits.

The photo above captures a quiet moment with the iconic director Martin Scorsese. Here, Scorsese stands on a rooftop, his gaze over New York City, a place that’s as much a part of his story as his films. The city’s buildings rise around him, not just as a backdrop, but as silent witnesses to his remarkable journey in cinema.

The choice of environment becomes an integral part of the story. Mr. Grecco uses the environment not to frame the subject but to harmonize, complement and tell stories with its inclusion. His earliest work as a photographer who documented the beginnings of punk afforded him a rich environment to tell stories through the spaces of his photography.

Artistically Technical

Michael Grecco has developed all the technical tools of a professional photojournalist and applied them to creating artistically technical environmental portraits. The classic skills of a professional photographer are evident in the art of Micheal Grecco. Lighting, framing, and depth of field all contribute to the artistically aesthetic photos Mr. Grecco produces across an array of applications.

The above photo is from the advertising portfolio of Michael Grecco, on its own it is art. The subjects and environments harmonize and contrast to fill spaces with stories beyond background and framing. Michael Grecco applies his love of artistically technical environmental portraits to tell the stories in the spaces that he sees through the eye of his camera in every genre he undertakes.

In the ever-evolving world of photography, the one constant has been change, driven by leaps in photography and technology. From the days of the darkroom to the digital age, photography and technology has expanded the horizons of what’s possible in photography. Today, as we stand at the forefront of a new era marked by drones, AI, and mirrorless cameras, photographers like Michael Grecco are at the vanguard, embracing these changes to push the boundaries of their art.

Drones: A New Perspective

Drone photography has revolutionized the way we capture images, offering a bird’s-eye view that was once the sole purview of helicopter or plane photography. For Grecco, drones have opened up a new dimension in his work, allowing him to capture landscapes and cityscapes from mesmerizing angles. The ability to shoot from elevated vantage points has given his work a new depth, adding a layer of grandeur to his already impressive portfolio.

AI-Assisted Editing: The Future of Post-Production

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made its way into the photographer’s toolkit, offering tools that can significantly reduce editing time while enhancing creativity. AI-assisted software can now sort, tag, and even edit photographs based on learned preferences. Grecco leverages these tools to streamline his workflow, focusing more on the creative aspects of his work. The precision and efficiency offered by AI have enabled him to experiment more freely with his images in post-production.

The Rise of Mirrorless Cameras

The transition from DSLR to mirrorless cameras marks a significant shift in photography. These cameras are lighter, faster, and offer better video capabilities, making them ideal for photographers on the move. Grecco has embraced this technology, appreciating the compactness and versatility of mirrorless cameras. The reduced weight does not come at the expense of image quality – a crucial factor in professional photography.

Staying Ahead in a Digital World

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, staying relevant means staying adaptable. Grecco’s approach to embracing technological advancements is not about jumping on every new trend but about understanding how each innovation can enhance his artistic vision and storytelling. It’s about finding a balance between new tools and timeless techniques.

Technological advancements have not only changed the tools of the trade but also the way photographers approach their craft. In the hands of a master like Grecco, these tools become an extension of the artist’s vision, enabling him to explore new creative territories while maintaining the essence of his art.

In the realm of photography, understanding and leveraging the latest technological advancements goes hand in hand with mastering the art of composition. Techniques like the rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing are foundational skills that remain vital, no matter how advanced the equipment gets.

Are you looking to harness the latest in photography technology for your next project? Michael Grecco combines his mastery of traditional photographic techniques with a keen understanding of cutting-edge technology to deliver stunning, contemporary results. Whether it’s a high-end advertising campaign or a personal project, his expertise can help elevate your vision. Connect with Michael Grecco at (310) 452-4461 or info@grecco.com to explore how the latest photographic innovations can bring your creative ideas to life.

Portrait photography, an art form steeped in history, has continually evolved, reflecting the changing tapestry of society and the ever-advancing technology of the camera. From the rigid, stoic poses of early daguerreotypes to the dynamic, storytelling images of today, this genre has witnessed a remarkable transformation, adapting to cultural shifts and artistic trends.

The Classic Era: A Study in Formality

In its early days, portrait photography was an exercise in formality. Long exposure times required subjects to remain still for several minutes, often resulting in stiff, unsmiling portraits that were more a record of appearance than an expression of personality. The focus was on clarity and detail, with photographers often employing painted backdrops and elaborate costumes to convey status and elegance.

The Transition: Capturing the Candid

As technology progressed, so did the art of portrait photography. The introduction of faster film and more sensitive cameras allowed photographers to capture their subjects in more natural, relaxed poses. This shift marked the beginning of candid photography, where the emphasis moved from how people wanted to be seen to capturing them as they truly are.

Contemporary Portraiture: A Tapestry of Stories

Today, contemporary portrait photography is a rich tapestry of styles and approaches. It’s no longer just about capturing a likeness; it’s about telling a story, conveying an emotion, and revealing the essence of the subject. Contemporary portraits can be candid and raw, stylized and conceptual, or anything in between. Photographers like Michael Grecco have mastered this art, using their unique vision to create images that resonate with depth and authenticity.

Michael Grecco’s Vision: Blending Past and Present

In his approach to portrait photography, Michael Grecco seamlessly blends classic techniques with modern trends. His work is characterized by a deep understanding of lighting and composition, coupled with an intuitive sense of his subjects’ personalities. Whether he’s capturing a high-profile celebrity or creating a personal portrait, Grecco’s photos tell a story that goes beyond the surface, inviting viewers to connect with the subject on a deeper level.

Composition in Portrait Photography

In any era, the key to a compelling portrait has always been composition. Techniques like the rule of thirds, leading lines, and framing are not just artistic choices; they are tools to draw the viewer’s eye, to focus on the subject, and to convey a message or emotion. Masters of portrait photography leverage these techniques not only to create visually pleasing images but also to add layers of meaning and narrative to their work.

Whether you’re an aspiring photographer looking to hone your craft or a brand seeking a powerful visual story, the art of portrait photography offers endless possibilities. If you want to capture the essence of your subject with a contemporary twist, Michael Grecco is the photographer to call. With his expertise in blending the classic with the contemporary, he can bring your vision to life in a way that resonates with today’s audiences. Reach out to Michael Grecco at (310) 452-4461 or info@grecco.com and take the first step towards creating a portrait that’s not just seen, but felt.

 

In magazines, on billboards, as Instagram ads; automotive photography is everywhere. In fact, it’s one of the largest subsets of commercial photography. Ironically, it’s also one of the most difficult to master. Automotive photography presents a bevy of unique challenges for even the most seasoned advertising photographers. 

The Concept

As with all commercial photography, the first step in an automotive shoot is defining the concept. It’s important to understand the audience you’re trying to reach, and the message you’re trying to convey. Are you shooting a sleek new sports car that needs exude cool? An economical hybrid with an emphasis on the green factor? Or maybe it’s a family car that promises comfort and safety. An automotive photographer must be able to highlight the vehicle’s most essential features in a way that comes across clearly to consumers.

The Lighting

Using the right lighting for an automotive photoshoot is crucial. Most cars are highly reflective, which means the margin for error is miniscule. If you use the wrong lighting techniques, you could end up with a disastrous level of glare and a clear view of your light source reflecting off of the car’s surface. Using bigger light sources, like large softboxes, will help soften these reflections by dispersing them across the surface. On top of that, certain paint jobs will only pop if the lighting conditions are absolutely perfect. Silver cars are usually the easiest to light, and turn out looking the best. An automotive photographer needs both the technical skill and the artistic eye required to bring out a car’s color and luster, highlighting its aesthetic allure. 

The Focus

While a lot of advertising photography involves working with models, the focal point of an automotive shoot is always the vehicle itself. This provides a unique challenge: imbuing an inanimate object with character and personality. An automotive photographer must know how to use elements ranging from environment and background to shot composition to give their subject a life of its own, all while ensuring brand logos remain prominently displayed. 

The Motion

Cars are made to move. It’s their defining feature. Showing the vehicle doing exactly what it’s meant to do—driving—can be an extremely effective way to capture consumers’ attention. This is especially true for ad campaigns that revolve around themes like speed and freedom. A good automotive photographer knows how to use action shots, camera technology, and all manner of editing techniques to create images filled with motion.

Looking for an experienced automotive photographer to assist with your next project? Contact celebrated commercial photographer Michael Grecco at (310) 452-4461 or info@grecco.com today.