Retouching VW Passat
In the spring of 2011 I worked on a VW Passat car shoot with Todd McLellan. It was on of the most enjoyable car jobs we have done in a long time. We were asked to provide an image that looks and feels like a good photograph rather than going with the currently popular style which pushes the car into heavily stylized territory that blurs the borders between photography, illustration and 3D renderings.
The retouching work in an image like this is subtle, it requires great precision and control. It doesn’t change the feel of the image, but helps overcome set limitations and adds that final touch. Work like this cane be just as time consuming as working on stylized images, however working with a clear goal in mind we were able to turn this around very quickly with minimal revisions.
Some words from Todd:
“This collaboration felt very natural with both the car and the agency. The car provided a real rawness to the shoot and required limited use of Photoshop and fake lighting. The Passat is a beautifully designed car and provided me with a real sense of freedom throughout the shoot.
This was my first time shooting for Volkswagen and every car provides its own individual challenges when shooting. When shooting a car, light reflection off the car is key. The Passat’s design handled this nicely. Cars tend to lend themselves to one lighting technique more than others and the Passat worked nicely with a natural feel. The Agency, Red Urban was fantastic; they are a great group of people with a defined vision, making them great to work with.”
Red Urban
Photographer: Todd McLellan
Art Director: Joel Pylypiw
Passanger Side View of the Passat
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