CARS & LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY Apr 2010

Bonifatius Ametsbichler is a Munich-based photographer specialising in car and still life photography.

After training as a photographer he worked on studio and international car productions for Audi, BMW and VW with photographers Simon Puschmann and Thomas von Salomon.

Bon has been working freelance since 2001 from his Munich-based studio, Newhousestudio. He has experience in both studio and location photography and has a passion for detail that allows him to extract the innate character and essential design features of each car he shoots.

Clients include BMW, Mini (sales catalogue - studio and location shots, interiors and stills), and lifestyle and car magazines such as BMW Magazine, Playboy and ADAC.

Chris Gordaneer's energetic, atmospheric images are the result of the intimacy he creates on his shoots. "I always make people feel invited and welcome when I'm shooting," he says. Combining his talent and vision with top-notch production, Chris gets the most out of every shoot and it is easy to see why he has won more than 100 awards over the past 12 years.

Chris is a partner of Westside Studio in Toronto, the largest photographic studio in Canada. His shoots have taken him across the US and Canada as well as to South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe.

New Zealand-born international photographer Chris Sisarich has long been a location specialist. His cinematic style and acute sense of light and environment play a strong hand in his automotive, landscape and lifestyle portfolios.

Lauded by clients for his down-to-earth "can do" approach, Chris' relaxed manner belies his rigorous attention to detail and commitment to realising perfect shots. It has been said that if there is one attribute that sets him apart in his field, it is his unerring ability to produce images without waste. All elements, even those that appear raw or spontaneous, meld seamlessly into a single cohesively memorable composition that never fails to draw the viewer's unwavering attention to the core subject.

Recent clients include Lexus Europe, Toyota Europe, Skoda Europe, Toyota Australia, Subaru Australia, Sony Japan, Frito Lay USA, Tourism Egypt, and Tourism Victoria Australia. Chris is also photographer of choice for Air New Zealand.

hiepler, brunier, is made up of David Hiepler and Fritz Brunier. The photographers have been working together since 1997 and are specialised in landscape, architecture and transportation images.

Their portfolio recently expanded to include CGI-motives that were developed in close collaboration with specialists from PX3D Hamburg and PX1 Berlin. The images are presented for the first time in this Spotlight.

Clients include companies such as Audi, bulthaup, Chrysler, Siemens, Camel, The Post Bank and Swiss Reinsurance, advertising agencies including BBDO, Scholz and Friends, Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis, EuroRSCG, C&O and Jung v. Matt, and magazines AD, Vogue, BMW Magazine, VW Magazine and Die Zeit.

The work of hiepler, brunier, has been distinguished at Cannes Lions, The New York Festival, The One Show, ADC Germany and ADC New York, amongst many others.

Holger Wild has been working in Hamburg as a freelance photographer since 1996. He is specialised in transportation, landscape, architecture and Fine Art photography.

Among his clients are agencies including JungVonMatt, Philipp & Keuntje, Publicis, Grabartz & Partner, Saatchi, BBDO, H-Paris and others, as well as design studios such as Mutabor HH.

He enjoys both location and studio productions with advanced technology and is a member of Bund Freischaffender Foto-Designer (BFF). He has received numerous awards.

Holger is represented by Studio Wild in Europe (+49 172 8660069) and Tim Mitchell in the US (+1 617 9019359).

For more than 30 years, Manfred Rieker has been one of Germany's leading car and still life photography studios.

The Mercedes GL shots are the result of free work produced in Cuba and Scotland, where Tom Wittkemper shot the backplates and spheres for this CGI production.

The studio and detail shots show some of the studio's latest free indoor and lighting concepts. All shots are conventional studio photography.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder shot is part of an indoor studio production.

Visit the Manfred Rieker Studio website to check out the entire portfolio.

MHCPhotography focuses on automotive but uses the camera to capture much more.

Mike Cutler has been an automotive photographer for nearly three years. He was involved with Festivals of Speed, Classic Audi, Ultimate Motors, Porsche Citrus Region, and the SCCA Club during his time at Full Sail University, where he also earned a bachelor's degree in film.

Mike's work has made it into the March 2009 issue of CMYK Magazine, with hopefully more publications to come.

He is looking forward to moving his photography to greater heights and collaborating with agencies and magazines on high quality, cutting edge work around the globe.

oliverstefan photographers are Oliver Paffrath and Stefan Grütter. Both have 10 years experience and specialise in and around the car industry. Their recent fusion offers a stronger, more vibrant new look and feel to their photographic output.

The pair teamed up to satisfy clients' needs and meet the demands of a rapidly changing market, taking into account that timing, budget and quality are the three main concerns for every production. Working as a team allows OliverStefan to meet such demands and has opened up a strong potential for cost efficiency and artistic expression.

Together they have become a thrilling combination of talent and creative interaction, effectively producing high quality achievements while saying "No" to reproduction and "Yes" to reinvention.

Pixelway digital imaging studio has been based in Milan, the Italian fashion and design capital, since 1994. Founding partner, Giorgio Lari, is an experienced professional with a solid background as a photographer, illustrator and visual communications expert.

During 16 years in the business, Pixelway has consolidated its position as one of the leading European digital imaging studios thanks to its level of professionalism, high-tech, high-quality output, and ongoing creativity.

Pixelway is a meeting place where photographers, art directors and designers can creatively interact in a stimulating environment and is designed to provide a source of inspiration for new ideas.

The company keeps well abreast of new and continuously evolving trends and can offer a comprehensive range of services and state-of-the-art techniques. As a result, the Pixelway portfolio has become a showcase of the most influential international brands.

Rainer W. Schlegelmilch began his career as a Formula 1 photographer at the Nürburgring in 1962, presenting his driver portraits for his final exam at the 'Bayerische Staatslehranstalt für Photographie'. 18 months later, he opened his photo design studio in Frankfurt. Rainer's passion for car photography led him to more than 500 Grand Prix events and steered him in the direction of commercial work for prestigious publications including Auto Revue, Auto Motor und Sport, Powerslide, ADAC, Sports Car Graphic, Car & Driver, Road & Track and Car Review and various others.

Shooting originally in black and white, from 1970 Rainer devoted himself to colour photography and his images began regularly appearing in calendars and books. International companies including Philip Morris, Mobil, Shell, Champion, Mercedes and BMW also used his work.

Rainer's passion for shooting motor sports continues and today he owns one of the largest archives on the sport with over 350,000 images. He has published numerous editorial books on Formula 1 and for brands including Mercedes, BMW, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche. His clients like how he uses natural light extensively without the use of huge staging or digital enhancement. Amongst his regular clients are glossy magazines, book publishers and advertising agencies, as well as Formula 1 marketing departments from the likes of Tag Heuer, DHL, BMW and Red Bull. Rainer's iconic images can be seen in the enormous archive section of his website.

Romerphotography faced an enormous challenge during June, July and August 2009, with 84 motives to shoot, five brand new Cayenne prototype cars, and a decision to be made as to where go to shoot them. Once again, Stephan Romer trusted the professional skills of Lighthouse Productions New Zealand, hitting Australia for the tropical areas of Queensland and lush countryside of New South Wales.

"Spiders, snakes and loud laughing birds were our daily 'friends' and gave everybody the feeling we were shooting in a zoo," said Stephan. "But in the end, nobody got left behind and we all made it back to our home destinations with the amazing feeling that the weather was with us the whole time. 45 days of pure sunshine, amazing!"

Heading directly from Australia back to New Zealand, Stephan shot several images of a red double decker for an upcoming New Zealand Post ad. Visit the new website to see this and many more images, including brand new CGI motives.

Latest work from Stefano Morini:

• Alfa Romeo 159 advertising campaign shot in the United Arab Emirates.
• Buick - GM China campaign shot in Shanghai.
• Patagonia landscapes, personal project shot with extra-high resolution.

Visit his website for more information.

Over the past three years, Till Leeser has been continuously working in China for Chinese clients. Featured in this Spotlight is his work for BBDC (Mercedes Benz China) and GMS (General Motors Shanghai). He has also worked in China for Honda, Skoda and Peugeot.

Till has just completed the new E-Class saloon catalogue in time for the car to be launched at the Beijing Motor Show. The photographs will be shown as soon as it is presented to the public.

Till's Chinese office can be reached on 0086 - 136 815 70 260, or he can be emailed directly.