More Than Machines: Automotive Storytelling
Cars, crikey, we can’t live them, can’t live without them. There’s plenty of adjectives to describe the box on 4 wheels that brings pleasure and sometimes pain. Whatever your view , it’s difficult to ignore them or the emotional response they generate.
Early Adventures on Four Wheels
My car world started in my early teens. My brother and I used to pinch the keys to my mum’s Fiat 126 and practise skids in the field behind our house. Driving gods we were not! But the thrill of trying to control this machine ignited a passion that remains to this day. Weekly servings of every car magazine and trips to local dealers to collect brochures kept us happy until we could actually drive on the road. Passing your driving test at the first opportunity—a September birthday helped—gave you playground cred up there with the captain of the school football team.
From Karting to Caterhams
In later years, chaotic attempts at karting—we were on first-name terms with John Button, dad of Jenson, who rebuilt our blown engines—led to a Caterham road car - the purest form of driving I know, you put it on rather than get in!. Track days followed and then dreams of racing. My brother Chris took this much further, ending up winning championships and racing Porsches at the Nürburgring with Chris Harris of Top Gear fame. My own attempts usually ended painfully as I ran out of talent, headed straight to the scene of the accident, etc., etc.
Behind the Lens at Brands Hatch
The next best thing to being a racing driver was photographing them, so my first professional gig was working with the racing school at Brands Hatch while still at art college, then traipsing around Europe to sports car and grand prix events.
Cars as More Than Transport
For me, cars have always been more than transport. Engineering, utility, art, and personal expression all rolled up into a box on four wheels. Cars have always intrigued me in a way that most other technology does not. Can you imagine if we reacted to hairdryers or phones in the same way? The decisions we make when we choose a car are unique.
Telling Automotive Stories
My approach to creating images of cars is deeply influenced by all the above. Understanding the appeal and getting inside the story of how the viewer reacts to the picture.
As my career evolved, I’ve moved beyond traditional photography to embrace CGI and AI. These tools have expanded the possibilities of automotive imagery, allowing brands to craft stunning visuals of cars in unique settings. However, at BartonHillBunch, we still believe the most important element in storytelling is authenticity. The tools we use are incredibly powerful, but they need to be used with restraint. If an image doesn’t feel believable, it loses its ability to connect emotionally. That’s why we focus on keeping the story real and relatable. Just because you can do anything doesn’t mean you should.
Cars Are Emotional
As we’ve seen recently with the extraordinarily bold reset of Jaguar, cars are emotional, and telling their stories with passion and honesty is a joy and a privilege.
If you’re looking to tell the story of your automotive brand through compelling, authentic visuals, we’d love to help. Let’s create something extraordinary together. Get in touch with us at BartonHillBunch.