Harniman Automotive Photographer | Behind the Scenes

Emily Cariaga

Updated on:

Harniman Photographer is an award winning advertising & commercial car photographer who is well-known for his spectacular automotive images. For some projects he uses camera rigs attached to the cars or sometimes he even inserts the cars into the images using CGI technology. Either way, they all look epic. The behind the scenes looks of two of his projects are below, what do you think of the processes he uses to create this photos?

Automotive-Rig-Tutorial-Harniman-600x286

This image was created with the Teme Valley as a backdrop and a rig from Car Camera Rig suction cupped to the car.

photo-4-4-600x450

photo-2-copy-600x450

According to Harniman, the longer the exposure the better so he used a 30 second exposure for this image. He also took advantage of the slope of the hill climb track and used a pulley system hooked to the car to get his desired look.

Harniman BTS 2

Harniman BTS 1

Automotive-Rig-Tutorial-Harniman-600x286

Behind the Scenes Videos

This first video explains the gear and the process used to create the image. Hartiman uses an ALPA camera with a Phase One back, a Schneider lens and an ND filter.

This second video shows the post-processing steps used to finish the look for this particular image.

Lamborghini Aventador gunning the hill at Shelsley Walsh

Lamborghini Aventador
This image was created by compositing two images together. Photos of the Lamborghini were first taken at the showroom then collated and analyzed with all of the attributes of the surfaces being checked. After visually deconstructing the car, they took the elements and reconstructed them to create the CGI version.

Lamborghini Aventador

Hartiman BTS 3

Once the car is inserted into the frame, the backplate is post-processed to set the mood. Trees are darkened and sunlight is exaggerated to bring more attention to the car.

Hartiman BTS 4

Lamborghini Aventador

Behind the Scenes Video

The following video demonstrates the composition process described above. The CG Lamborghini Aventador was placed into the photographic backplate and HDR to create a striking image.

More Info

Check out more of his work at The Harniman Photographer Website

RELATED POSTS

1 portrait cropping guide

Portrait Cropping Guide: Bad Portrait Crops & How to Fix Them

November 01, 2024

One of your most asked questions we get in our photography workshops is how...

hand placement

Hand Placement and Hand Posing | Why It Matters

October 31, 2024

In portrait and wedding photography, capturing beautiful, authentic photos goes beyond just focusing on...

Best Engagement Photography Locations In Florida's Paradise Coast

Best Engagement Photography Locations In Florida’s Paradise Coast

October 30, 2024

Southwest Florida is known as the “Paradise Coast” and boasts some of the best...

Learn How to Photograph Lightning with These 7 Essential Tips

October 29, 2024

Trying to photograph lightning can be a challenge, but the images you...