Publications
Partners
So many of us are stuck in lockdown without the luxury of working from home. While some have the means to do so and still maintain a living, there are millions of people around the world who are unable to bring in an income and sustain their families with food on the table.
In the automotive industry, some work at dealerships, repair workshops, mechanical engineers, manufacturer employees who build cars, this list goes on. Another example of those affected in the industry is professional photographers who make their living based on work for clients. It's a dire situation for all of us, and for some, it means thinking out of the box to make ends meet.
Kunal Kelkar is an India-based automotive photographer, and like so many others in his field of trade, he too has been limited to their surrounding spaces.
Kelkar had a special shoot planned which would have seen him travel to Europe for a gig with Lamborghini, according to BoredPanda. Kelkar had been in talks with the automaker about a photoshoot for several weeks, but the coronavirus lockdown threw a spanner in the works. This wasn't just going to be any shoot.
Image: Kunal Kelkar / @theautofocus
He told the lifestyle website: "Lamborghini has to be my favourite supercar manufacturer, and I was looking forward to this opportunity."
Having driven the new Lamborghini Huracan EVO myself just before lockdown came into place, I can totally share Kelkar's sentiments.
Read the original article here.
So since the shoot was stuck in park, Kelkar decided to replicate the photoshoot at home using a toy car and a treadmill. The results were incredibly lifelike - and has even gone somewhat viral on social media platforms.
"With a total lockdown issued, shooting cars out on the streets was completely off the table. My mind was constantly going on and on about the fact that I would have been photographing a Lamborghini in Tuscany, and I think that's what inspired me to try and do something creative with the 1:18-scale Lamborghini Huracán replica," Kelkar told BoredPanda.
Since gyms are in lockdown too, the idea hit Kelkar while he was on a 'cooldown' run on his treadmill and it dawned on him that it could be very similar to doing a rolling road. So he started playing around and realised he could achieve the realistic look he had in mind. It took a lot of perseverance, getting the light right, along with the tread speed. But a few hours later, it paid off.
He also had to battle to get the model car in the right position since it doesn't move like a real car, and also making the treadmill look like a real road with driving in the rain effects.
Read the original article here.
Kelkar says he plans on doing a whole more of these kinds of shoots until a new type of normal resumes. He told Wheels24's Janine Van der Post: "Being limited has brought in a new perspective on creativity. As a photographer that spends a lot of time outdoors and not being able to do that, definitely is a barrier.
"But ask yourself, are you a photographer just because of the subjects you shoot or are you a photographer because you have the eye to view the world differently and tell that story through your camera.
"Covid-19 might have locked you in your homes, but that doesn't mean it has locked your ability to get creative and experiment with the limited resources you have.
"Observe every little detail and let your mind run free, and I'm sure you can come up with loads of ideas to challenge your creativity."
Image: Kunal Kelkar / @theautofocus
Back at home, Cape Town-based Calvin Fisher has become a household name when it comes to local car photographers, among so many other cool cats. Fisher not only has a keen eye for photography, but he has been burning rubber since Elvis brought out his blue suede shoes. Okay, not that long, but you get the picture.
And, during this time of lockdown Fisher says he is slowly going mad.
"I'm one of the lucky ones, I have four cars in my driveway and all my camera equipment with me, but there are just no good angles from my doorway. I hate lockdown."
He has had to resort to going online, loading up video games such as Forza Horizon 4 which offers up an extensive set of photography options, tools and so on.
"You're only limited by your imagination now, not your budget. I'm shooting long focal ranges and wides. Long exposures, rolling shots, and pans. It will have to do."
Still, for a man that owns two classic rides, a '75 Chevy 4100 and '83 Supra, resorting to virtual shooting must be a step-down.
Calvin was last seen in the toy aisle claiming that Hot Wheels was an essential good. We hope he's going to be okay.
