Last year I started purchasing some online classes geared at automotive photography. At this point, it's the first time I've looked into education for improving my photography. While I've always been an avid researcher and learner, I've never looked into any sort of formal training. Considering the wealth of free information on the internet, it felt like a waste to pay for something I could likely find on YouTube or Google. Of course, obtaining a diagram for free isn't all that useful if you don't understand how to read it or use it.

After watching a couple classes on lighting cars, I decided it was time to consider adding some higher quality lights to my setup. For years I've been pretty happy with my Canon speedlights. They're portable, fairly powerful, and have worked for all the portrait endeavors I've been hired to shoot. That said, these small lights just can't match the light output of a studio quality strobe. They also aren't capable of bright, continuous output.

My first step was to research continuous lighting options so that I could try to improve my light painting game. While everyone involved in photography is familiar with the Wescott Ice Light, they're probably also familiar with its price tag. As someone who mainly does personal projects and very little paid automotive work, I didn't feel like spending that kind of money. After doing a little digging, I ran across the Yongnuo YN360. It was affordable, had pretty solid reviews, and there were plenty of example images of this being used in automotive work. Add to cart.

Then, just a couple months later, a friend reached out to me about his Einstein 640 strobe. He changed platforms a couple years back and just wasn't shooting much anymore. Having borrowed his strobe in the past to shoot some outdoor portraits, I knew it was capable of battling even the brightest of sunny conditions. Since I'd recently purchased a class on using a single strobe to light an entire car, this felt like fate. Sold.

Gear: Canon 6D, Canon 24-70 2.8L, Tiffen CPL, Yongnuo YN360, Einstein E640, Yongnuo YN622C II, Sunpak Tripod, Custom Tube Guard Light

Post Processing: Adobe Camera Raw & Adobe Photoshop