Inglorious Car Garage

by David Ulloa

January 18th, 2025

Something about classic cars just jives with photographers. What exactly it is, might change from person to person, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Design elements of that bygone era were beautiful and anything but subtle. Cars were big, they were heavy, and they were appreciated for their variety in styles as for their ability to fit in with specific decades. So it is no surprise that for many of the Inglorious Crew, LFI Selections in their Cars|Vehicles gallery abound!

One need look no further than our Inglorious and LFI page, where these gallery selections are perpetually on display. Of these, and unofficially as Mastershots are given a gallery unto themselves, the two Mastershot selections from Stacey Pearson stand out with special distinction as the Mastershot selection is the highest honor granted by LFI. Both of Stacey's Mastershots feature cars as set-pieces. The use of a classic car as background for the subject is brilliant.

But it was Leonard Golden that really kickstarted this a few weeks back and, in my opinion, has been able to find a niche for himself. His many photo walks through the streets of Boston have produced some rather amazing car photographing opportunities. Like this gorgeous candy apple red 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Leonard used a wide angle perspective to exaggerate the driver-side rear fin of the Bel Air and elongate the body and trunk, forcing a distorted perspective that is as pleasing as it is classic.

Leonard has pretty much cornered this gallery. In fact if you view its main page, nearly half of the photographs belong to him. The remaining half are largely from the Inglorious group as well! But It was really Leonard's gusto in photographing cars and the joyous way with which he is able to include the owner that really set this momentum going.

Within a 24 hour period, Leonard was joined by Steve Dente and myself with selections for the Car|Vehicles gallery. Steve's selection, featuring a 1948 Chrysler Town and Country, was made at a woody convention. Again utilizing a wide angle to distort the perspective and elongate the hood of the car, Steve has incorporated some classic car photography techniques to create a rather iconic silhouette of an equally iconic piece of American engineering and design. The woody may be a part of America's past, but it certainly isn't lost to the past.

Stacey has two selections in the Cars|Vehicles gallery as well. The first featuring a 60's Chevy Impala, and the other a 60's Porsche. Stacey's use of a standard angle of view changes the final photo and delivers a different kind of car photograph. The detail in the dash and steering wheel of the Impala is amazing. And the low angle that Stacey utilized for the Porsche accentuates its relationship to the road. Really, quite brilliant.

Hamad Al Khalifa's selections in this gallery are numerous. These two Porsche's prove, when taking account others in our own crew, that Porsche and Leica just go hand in hand. Hamad's approach, is difference from any other photographer in this collective. He incorporates the background and setting in a more important way. I believe that the setting in Hamad's selections are just as important as the cars themselves. He has also chosen ideal settings for these two roadsters. The vibrancy of the newer vehicle pops in the sandy environment, but seems at home, with the opulence of the architecture behind it counterbalancing the weight of the photo. Meanwhile the opposite approach with the vintage car, a golden brown that blends with the countryside, makes it seems as if this work of mechanical mastery belongs in the natural world. His use of deep focus in both creates an almost surrealist scene, which, in my opinion, captures the essence of driving a sports car.

I joined the club myself with this photograph of a 1956 Studebaker President. For this, I used a 90mm short telephoto lens at its widest aperture to create some 3D pop and separate the car from the background. With my self-developed Kodak Gold preset in Lightroom, I was able to give the final photograph a filmic look, attempting to harken back to the kinds of photos that would have been taken of this beautiful vehicle when it rolled off the line in 1956.

As we continue to submit photographs to LFI, I am certain this talented group will continue to have selections for galleries. Keep an eye on the Inglorious and LFI page to see how our crew's recognition continues to grow. Until then, keep photographing cars and beyond!