So.. many years ago I ran across this fun tradition where automotive photographers will share images of a red, white and blue vehicle that they’ve photographed over the last year. It’s silly.. but hey, it’s become a tradition at this point, so why stop? Anyway.. Each year, I pick a theme based on the images I select. This year, I wanted to pick images I was proud of creating over the last year. Each of these vehicle images encompasses something I'm proud of doing when capturing and creating the final versions. So.. here we go.

Red: I chose this image of a red Chevy SS that I shot for a local detail shop because, if you've photographed and processed red vehicle images, you know how hard it is to keep them RED. The blues in the sky and magentas in your color balance can create an absolute nightmare of a finished look. I worked very hard to create a natural looking final image here because it was challenging and I wanted my client to have a good representation of the work he does.

White: This vehicle isn't winning anyone's heart.. except mine. This is my car. It's taken my family and I all over the country, to various national parks, and even helped pull it's more luxurious hybrid cousin out of some mudslide action at a semi nearby, popular rock formation. I took my Tribute out in the fall of last year with the goal to shoot it in an appropriate environment and I wanted to strobe it in such a way that it could emulate actual sunlight highlighting the shape. Having taken a shot of the rear, using only sunlight, to gauge the overall look - I think I nailed it.

Blue: So another grand idea I'd hoped for earlier this year was to start a video podcast on automotive photography. Something kinda like Top Gear but for photographers. We shot a pilot and it was a blast. This SC400, owned by a close friend, was our subject for the pilot. After we wrapped shooting, we took it up on this train deck to take a few photos in the sun. As a train went rocketing by, I couldn't get to my tripod in time. I knew I wanted to capture the motion of the train but am horrible at having a steady hand. Yes, inbody stabilization helped.. but hey, I'm proud I was able to get the shot I wanted, handheld, when I'm used to planting my camera on a tripod.

And if you’re curious, here’s a glimpse at the previous years. Since this started on Instagram, they’re mostly formatted accordingly.