To some, cars are just a mode of transport; a solution to get from A to B and not much more. But to others, cars are works of art; a genius of design and worthy of capturing on camera just as much as any human model. Well, the best of the best automotive images have been recognised by the International Automotive Photography and the winners are truly spectacular.
The competition, supported by sponsors including Bentley, is only in its second year, but is already drawing huge numbers of entries and a rapidly-increasing reputation. 2021’s Overall Winner was announced as US-based photographer David Masemore for this epic capture of a Porsche 911, which was captured in the final hours of the 2018 Petit LeMans race.
The winning image from the Beauty Winner category was named as this frame from Swedish photographer, Simon Hamelius. The frame shows intense high-contrast lighting that the photographer made excellent use of to capture the classic Opel Admiral, with the aerial composition offers a fresh view of the classic car.
The Car Spotter category is always a sector that serves up some query imagery and blurs the line between automotive and street photography. This year, the category was won by Keith Sheahan, who is based in Hong Kong. Keith’s image shows excellent, split second timing and the frame was captured using an iPhone.
When it comes to automotive photography, motorsport is one of the most challenging genres as image-makers have to deal with intense speeds as well as access. The winner of the 2021 Motorsport category was announced as Italian photographer Lorenzo Martincich, who shot this amazing scene at the Monte Carlo Rally.
As we’ve already seen, you don’t need a big DSLR to capture an amazing automotive image – in fact all you need to hand is a phone. The winner of the Photo Photography category was announced as Mario Drescher from Germany, who captured this shot of a black SUV in Las Vegas.
The International Automotive Photography contest is open to amateurs as well as professionals and the winner of the Amateur category was announced as Simon Tasker from the UK, who captured this black and white frame of a classic car under a Loop Line in Chicago.
In the final category, UK photographer Nick Duggan was named as the winner of the Atmosphere category for this spectacular frame of an Aston Martin, captured on track at the World Endurance Championship in Le Mans, France during golden light using a Canon 1DX Mark II paired with a 500mm f/4 IS USM lens.
