If there is any theme for this week’s Instagram roundup, it is unreality. The heavier side of post-production and the extra special vehicles in settings to match. Not every account this week is so separate from what our eyes naturally capture, but all of them are far beyond what we’re likely to find even during a weekend of car-spotting or show attendance—well, it depends on where you’re headed in the coming days, but you know what I mean.
These Instagram pages offer hours’ worth of scrolling, including a host of overlanding machines being used appropriately, a pair of people who find themselves in the presence of pretty much everything that you’d want a camera for, a master of the modern approach to commercial photography, a skilled artist who can also more than handle a lens, and a master of the moody urban style who has knack for American muscle in Russia.
I think it’s safe to say a lot of people feel that the advent of Photoshop and the like has somehow removed some of the artistry from photography and design, but how is any different from the ability to manipulate a camera’s shutter speed? Isn’t the ability to manipulate an image in post just a continuation of being able to manipulate it from the camera? Like anything, it can be overdone, but when these tools are used to enhance instead of cloy, it gets us a bit closer to the feelings evoked when we see these vehicles and these moments in real time.
Starting off this week’s group is Hamburg-based Agnieszka Doroszewicz. Looking around her page, you may recognize the shoot she did of BMW’s 8-Series concept, and that should clue you in to the level she works on; which is to say, the top. These photos are an example of what’s possible when you combine expertise with a camera and with editing programs. And it’s not like she has a one-track style either, as the pieces of her portfolio shown on her Instagram account is made up of contrasting noir-like frames and the splashiest of shows of color you’re not likely to find anywhere outside of a paint palette.
Next up is the official page of the quarterly Land Rover magazine you’ve probably already heard of if you’re into going outdoors. Alloy + Grit’s page offers a taste of what the full magazine offers, and it’s a pretty sweet one. Ranging (ha) from scenes deep in the forest and deeper in the water, to mud to sand to snow, there is no place these Rovers won’t go. And beyond just the sheer spectacle of scenery and machinery, everything is beautifully shot.
Mikhail Sharov is a young photographer based in Russia’s capital city, and his scenes in and around Moscow are examples of urban and industrial settings used correctly, without overcrowding the car in question. There is an assortment of modern and modified in here, but what I think you’ll appreciate the most is his series of vintage American land yachts and muscle cars, which he makes even more alien (by this I mean there is something intriguingly odd about seeing a Dodge Charger set against a backdrop of Russian apartment blocs) with his talent for lighting his subjects in a way that adds gravitas and moodiness to an already foreign object.
“The Toms,” as the two name-sharing photographers go by on their Instagram account, move around a lot, and do a very good job of making me want to join in their travels. And how could you not agree? What with the globetrotting automotive adventures landing them in front of—and behind the wheel of—a perfectly balanced mix of vintage cars. From the untouchables to the daily drivers, you’re likely to find both your dream car and your realistic car sharing space on this page. They sum it up best on their website, “ We capture the essence of rare and enchanting machines from the track, right down to the rusty underdog in that lockup down the road.”
Finally, we have Stefan Marjoram’s pairing of auto photo and auto art. At once a fantastic hand on the pen and the lens, Stefan’s account is a tour de force of beautifying the already beautiful. Tasteful is an adjective we obviously like to use a lot, but it’s rarely as apt as it is in describing the array of cars that he shoots and draws. Between the pre-war Bentley behemoths and Porsche 917s, you’ll also be treated to land speed record challengers and GT40s. I could go on like this and cover almost every corner of the car world, but you should see for yourself.
The Petrolicious Marketplace isn’t just for purchasing—I mean, that is the purpose—but it also offers some excellent photography of the cars available. They’d look better in the garage or from the driver’s seat, but this is some quality window shopping too.
I’m sure you follow our official page if you’ve been following these weekly posts, but there’s never a bad time to check back in, as we’ll keep the taps wide open.
