How would you describe your signature style?
I’d class myself as a lifestyle photographer – I tend to look through my camera and capture moments as I see them in person. I work predominantly in the classic car and motorcycle fields, which are passion-driven, lifestyle industries in themselves. Seeing the extraordinary connection between man and machine inspires me to pull out my camera and start clicking away.
From where do you draw your inspiration?
There are many fabulous photographers who I’m inspired by, but I particularly admire the veteran motorsport snappers Rainer W. Schlegelmilch and Jesse Alexander. Naturally, I’m also a huge fan of Rémi Dargegen, Laurent Nivalle and Peter Aylward.
Why did you start shooting cars, and what was the first car that you shot?
I was in the motor trade for most of my life, working for a major classic car dealership in London. That’s how my love for classic cars was born. My other lifelong passion is photography, so combining the two seemed entirely natural. The rest, as they say, is history. The first significant classic I shot was a beautiful red Ferrari 625 – a 1950s Formula 1 machine that’s one of my absolute favourite cars.
Describe your most memorable photo shoot?
Having such a broad interest in both classic cars, bikes and photography makes it very difficult to narrow it down to just one shoot. If I had to choose just one, though, it was probably the ex-Stirling Moss Ferguson P99, which was the very first four-wheel-drive Formula 1 car. Knowing that Moss raced it in the period and had later nominated it as one of his favourite Formula 1 cars was indescribably special.
Which pieces of equipment in your camera bag could you not do without?
On shoots I carry two cameras at all time and, to make life easier, a custom-made leather harness to carry them both. Without it, I wouldn’t have the freedom to quickly and easily change from one camera to the other. I also never go anywhere without my two favourite lenses – a 35mm and a 70-200mm – which I use most of the time.
Which editing software do you use and why?
Similarly to most other photographers, I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for fine-tuning. While Photoshop offers more creative freedom, Lightroom is just so helpful with batch processing, organising, uploading and resizing images. It’s also compatible with most third-party digital platforms, which makes things much easier when it comes to printing and publishing etc.
Describe your dream photo shoot?
The dream is to find a barn full of rare forgotten classics, and photograph the collection exactly as I find it.
Photos: Tom Horna / Autohouse London © 2017
