HOW WE ROLL
We are consumed by the automobile. In most cities in the US and a lot of the cities of the world, getting around without a car or at least access to a vehicle of some kind is nearly impossible. Mass transit can help, as does public transportation – but what of those times when the tracks don’t go where you need to.
We are then left to find some sort of vehicle to get us there.
So however you get around… THAT is how you roll.
Bike, Trike, Motorcycle, Car, Hotrod, Bus, Train, Converted School Bus with a built-in studio… hey, that sounds pretty cool. Whatever – this is your opportunity to make it your subject.
Some rules – sort of.
ONE:
YOUR VEHICLE RULE:
This should be a glamour, beauty shot of your mode of transportation, or favorite mode. It is NOT a photograph of your neighbor’s new Ferrari, or a city bus driving down the road. My Aston Martin is in the shop, so you can’t shoot it either.
If you decide to photograph your own vehicle, make it a contextual shot that conveys how you feel about the vehicle, or its surroundings or any other unique story that you can tell,
If it is an old ranch vehicle that while showing the wear and tear also shows the love of the location, then that is what you show. If it is your weekender motorcycle all shiny and in perfect condition, then shoot it.
If it is your dirtbike, Segue, roller skates or other forms of wheels, make sure we see them in a great light with an idea of how they factor into your mobility.
TWO:
NOT YOUR VEHICLE RULE:
Now if you decide you want to shoot something other than your vehicle, then it has to be something so amazing that we are impressed. A truly great bike, or an incredible hot rod. I do not want you to simply find a cool car and photograph it, I want you to have the owner of the vehicle with it. Yep… owner and vehicle… and tell a story, please.
You may have to do some scouting and asking for permission for this shot. Good. We want you to do that
This assignment is to be a vehicle – on location – and the location needs to be able to ‘set the car off’ in a unique way.
An empty parking garage with only one care subtly lit by a shaft of sunlight. A motorcycle sitting on the curb with fresh snow all around. Perhaps a mountain bike on a rack on a Subaru parked at a Starbucks at dusk… lit… with umbrellas.
I want to see and understand the surroundings of the vehicle, and I want you to be very deliberate with every part of this image. Angle, light, POV, lens choice… be extremely deliberate.
The addition of a person is optional, but if a person is in the shot, they cannot be engaging with the vehicle. The human must be doing something other than polishing, admiring or riding the vehicle.
BE INSPIRED
ASSIGNMENT A.
Single photograph landscape or portrait, color or black and white.
ASSIGNMENT B.
A 20-second clip of motion with no fewer than 4 clips and up to 10 clips.
No audio.
No music.
Build the video in Canva Free, Adobe Express, Premier, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut.
Use small movements, sideways or vertical, and think through the shots before you shoot. Use a shot list, a shot diagram, or a series of sketches to put together a plan to make the video work together.
Camera: do this on your phone. Do it in a vertical format like a Facebook story.
You will have to research this if you are not familiar with doing video.
- Use a tripod if necessary.
- No need for anything other than the camera.
- If you want to use a special camera type for the assignment, that is fine as well.
- Natural light is preferred, but certainly continuous lighting is good.
