Category: Photography Blog

JAY MAISEL R.I.P.

It’s been announced that the remaining original giant of color photography, Jay Maisel, has passed away at 95. His sense of light, gesture, and color were a goal for many of us who started shooting seriously in the mid ’70s. He joined fellow pioneers Ernst Haas and Pete Turner in what many consider to be the holy trinity of early color photographers. Jay was a very influential and an inspirational legend. RIP

In addition to his corporate, editorial and fine art work, check out all the jazz covers Jay shot, including the seminal Kind Of Blue Mile Davis portrait.

(Photo of Jay by his and my friend Arthur Meyerson)

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WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY

World Photography Day is celebrated every year on August 19. It marks the date in 1839 when the French government bought the patent for the daguerreotype process—the first practical way to take permanent photos—and gave it free to the world.

Photo: “Found scene” made while on a car assignment recently. Never stop shooting for your self.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT

There are two things one should never waste time on: things that don’t matter and people who think that you don’t matter.

Work’s for me.

(P.S. Trompe l’œil (pronounced tromp loy) is a French art technique that means “deceive the eye”, similar idea to another name.)

CHOICES, CHOICES

Chinese Insta360 company founder JK Liu recently explained his long-term ambitions by saying this, “One day everyone will forget cameras even exist.”

Not a good long term business plan if you ask me. Think I’ll stick with GoPro or DJI for a 360 “camera”.

Automotive Photographer and Promotional Writer Randy Wells, Image of a tan sports car and the Seattle skyline in Seattle, Washington, Pacific Northwest, Porsche 1967 911S, property released

THE BEST PLACES IN SEATTLE FOR CAR PHOTOGRAPHY

I’m spilling the beans, so to speak, although there are hundreds of other locations and geography near Seattle that will work just as well as those listed below.

Let me start out by saying backgrounds are very important, but so is the color of the car, as is the light, which IMO is the most important element of all.

Not all car colors work for photography or filmmaking on a sunny day. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Seattle is not that sunny except for a handful of weeks during the summer each year.

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LOOK AT ME VS. LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF

Appearances or integrity? That choice is made every day with the world shifting towards a more superficial “look at me” way of being.

Slowing down, staying on a clean diet, reducing screen time, letting your personal emotions come to the surface, and using those as a base for generating conceptual ideas is a worthier creative goal than propping yourself up with temporary “solutions”.

Here’s a great article that I can recommend for photographers wishing to connect with what they have to say (the most important part of finding your “style” IMO).

FStoppers article

SUPER WIDE ANGLES CAN BETRAY YOU FAST

Some readers have asked me to elaborate on the use of a super-wide angle lens for photography.

To master anything wider than a 24mm lens on a full frame camera (like the 20mm photo seen here), requires a lot of practice, especially in automotive and architectural photography. The real risk is to unwittingly insert distortion where you don’t want it, in the corners and edges of the frame.

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INSIGHTS TO CONSIDER FROM THE INTENTIONAL ARTIST

1. You can’t fix what you won’t acknowledge.

2. The truth you’re avoiding is the door to your freedom.

3. Every excuse is a story you’re choosing to believe.

4. What would you change if you got brutally honest with yourself about where you are now?

The above from The Intentional Artist

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND “HUMAN” BOTS

Well, it was bound to happen, a company wants to hire me to train AI bots on how to modify photos of cars and backgrounds. Just when I was making a renewed effort to remain authentic!

AI and Human Bots are oxymorons that make me want to un-list my phone number and email address. However, like most people, I hate contact forms. So, If I don’t pick up, and you need to leave a message, you’ll know why.

LATEST COVER

You never know when the photo you make might become a cover on a magazine.

The team at PCA has once again provided me with this gift. It feels the same way every time. A thrill followed by a sense of gratitude. My thanks to them and Lorenzo Strong at West Coast Customs for following me to one of my favorite photo locations in Monterey, CA and bringing along this tastefully modified 1977 911S they built for a client.

This white beauty with blue graphics looks and performs like a 1974 IROC RSR with some exciting modern touches. This is one cool ride. My story and photos appear in this month’s issue of PCA’s national magazine Panorama.

P.S. The trick to making a successful automotive photo using a super wide-angle lens, especially a close-up like this, is to minimize distortion and maximize believability. To master this technique, it takes years of practice with a 16-20 mm on a full-frame camera, along with developing the necessary pre and post-visualization skills. You have to know what the eye sees as normal and make that happen. It’s not as simple as a single Photoshop or AI action.

PCA Panorama

INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE MANAGEMENT TIPS

Photography enthusiasts who are considering making it a career sometimes seek me out for advice. I always give them what I think are the most important things to personally manage as a full-time professional:

1. Don’t assume anything. (This rule is also #2 and #3)

2. Have a back up plan. Better yet, have three backup plans.

3. Choose your potential clients and co-workers wisely.

4. Only show your best work. If it’s the work you want to be hired for, it helps. If you have talent and are willing to work very hard to become better, you have a chance. If you have something to say, you have a real chance.

5. If you want to stay in business, don’t work for free and never do anything half way.

6. Establish minimum fees depending on the time, energy and expertise required to do your best work.

7. If the client wants all rights, it’s OK. You just need to charge a lot more, unless it’s work you will never want to own.

8. Never complain, and always make your deadlines.

9. Always believe in yourself, and never stop creating new work that pushes the envelope. Rejection and criticism are part of the business, so grow a thick skin. And learn to say no.

10. Equipment is just a tool. Practice until you don’t have to think about it anymore. Use your intuition instead.

Bonus tip: Shoot for yourself, and don’t fall down.

1972 Porsche 911T # 9112100836

Award Winning and Published 911ST Tribute Developed by Porsche writer, photographer and filmmaker Randy Wells

It is my honor to offer my 1972 Porsche 911T/ST for sale to the right caretaker. It has been with me for almost 30 years and is completely sorted and repainted in its original Light Ivory color.
 
It is a well-known R Gruppe car, having attended several Treffens with me since 2002. You may have also seen it featured in these issues: Excellence Magazine (November 2001 and November 2012) and PCA Panorama Magazine (December 2015).

This iconic ’72 T has been under constant development since 1998 when I purchased it from the third owner in California. It is currently in ST bodywork with a 30K-mile 1996 3.6 Varioram motor, with Carillo rods, RS valves, 993 Sport cams, solid lifters, race springs and remapped DME (315 flywheel hp and 300 ft-lb of torque, 2250 pounds dry).

The gearbox is a 1981 aluminum 915 with a 8:31 R&P and the Wevo shifter and internals. Installed are a Quaife limited slip, Turbo synchros, Guard side cover, close gears 2-4, and the longest 5th gear available (70 mph 3,000 rpm in 5th) early gears, and Quaife LSD. Recent leakdown test was 2% all cylinders.

The interior has a 1976-only non-speaker dash, factory early rubber mats, 1967 door panels, black headliner, perlon carpet, Classic sport seats with authentic houndstooth inserts, and 914-GT/ST steering wheel. Front bumper, front fenders, and front and rear lids are ST period-correct balsa reinforced FG. The windows are tinted and the rear glass is 912 non-defrost.

Also installed are a custom 28 gallon tank, 964 front brakes with in-cockpit adjustable proportioning valve, Sycip rally muffler, and twin fan-fed front fender coolers by Elephant Racing. 7 & 8 X 16 Fuchs are mounted with road tires (soon to be replaced with brand new Pirellis).

Proper recognition for this build goes to: 
Redmond European – 3.6L RS engine build
Chris’ German Auto Service – 3.6L transplant, transmission rebuild, all maintenance
Steve Hogue Enterprises – custom fuel tank and rear steeel ST flares/bumper
Eurotech Bodywerkes – ST front body work, trunk paint and body paint
It’s time to pass this iconic R Gruppe longhood onto a new owner.

$165K www.randywells.com 425-941-4132

PERSONAL WORK 2025

Followers of my blog know that at the end of each year I post a series of personal photographs made at a non-assignment single location. Here’s a 4-season composite I made at a local road known for cool photo ops. Enjoy something new this season!

Porsche’s 911 Through the Years