A lot of automotive photography is overproduced, glossy and, frankly, cliché — but not these. If you’re a gearhead who has a passion for original photography, follow these guys and gals.
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with new picks for 2016. Our previous picks can be found on page 2. Additional contributions by Tucker Bowe
Just because a gearhead can’t get seat time or throw a leg over a bike and tear up a canyon doesn’t mean we’re not dreaming about it. For gearheads, love and appreciation for cars and motorcycles never stops. So when the weather says “No” to a ride or you’re commute forces a bus or train ride into your life, Instagram has the eye candy to help you cope. Enthusiasts from all over the globe share their rides, drives and adventures through vivid imagery and 15 second videos. If you’re in need of a daily high octane fix, these are the Instagram accounts to follow.
Petro Camp
If longing for the golden era of racing is a daily thing for you, Petro Camp has you covered. There’s just something so beautiful about a fire-spitting M1 Procar rounding a turn at maximum attack and overhead shots of classic Le Mans racers.
We had a sit-down with Amy Shore to pick her brain and see how she creates such incredible images of cars and people. Her Instagram gives just a small slice of her astounding work.
Based in Sydney, Australia and Copenhagen, Denmark, The Throttle Dolls are a group of beautiful young ladies who love to ride and share their adventures with the world.
DW Burnett (pen name Puppy Knuckles) is an extremely accomplished automotive photographer who has done work with magazines, websites and racing sanctioning bodies all across the country. His Instagram wall is vivid, professional grade, and hard to look away from.
If you’ve never had the chance to go to a Cars and Coffee meet-up, know that it’s an automotive overload. And since the Italians take their coffee seriously and their cars even more so, Cars and Coffee Italy is littered with incredible autos.
Founded by Ken Block, The Hoonigan group is devoted to melting tires. The Instagram is packed to the brim with horsepower, drifting and burnouts — pure entertainment.
Custom bikes galore. Bike Exif isn’t about flashy choppers from upstate New York, though. Only beautifully crafted rides with subtle style and class make it on to their wall.
If it has two wheels, Bucky Sacrilige can drift it. If you’re not impressed with dragging a knee, watch Bucky drag knees, elbows and then do it all over again — one-handed.
He may be the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles global head of design, but Ralph Gilles is a lover of all cars and good design. Follow his feed and you’ll see an appreciation for beautifully sculpted automobiles — rare, odd or otherwise — as well as a few videos of him tracking his Viper ACR.
We may not get Intersection Magazine in the US anymore, but that doesn’t stop the publication from creating stunning content, marrying high fashion and the automotive industry.
Xavier’s photo stream is intimate, capturing moments during his far-reaching travels. This one-time professional ski mountaineer is now an award-winning commercial director for Ford, Toyota and Gillette. His photographs showcase his American West roots, along with the beautiful vehicles and adventurous spirits that thrive in it.
If you asked him, Wasef would probably say that he prefers two wheels over four. But truthfully, the motorcycle enthusiast has a soft spot for any motor vehicle with raw power. Most of his crisp photos are of fast cars, both old and new. He also has some personal shots scattered in there for good measure.
Krog describes himself as a “professional filmmaker for the automotive and motorcycle industries,” and his Instagram doesn’t make us think he’s lying. From shooting TV spots for Jaguar and capturing a Ducati on the street, to messing around in a Mercedes-Benz, Krog doesn’t discriminate — he captures all kinds of cars.
She’s captured everything from a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle and a 1966 Ford Mustang to more contemporary beasts like the Nissan R35 GTR. Cutchen is freelance photographer who is exceptional at snapping automotive portraits. Don’t expect any top-down shots of food on this feed; it’s all cars.
Dargegen was 14 when he took photos of the last editions of Bagatelle’s Louis Vuitton Classic Concours d’Elégance. He’s been around classic and European cars all his life. Today he lives in Paris and primarily takes photos of fast cars with old souls.
On his quest to capture the best European supercars, Penfold armed himself with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III. He has beautifully captured every supercar — including a Lamborghini Gallardo Balboni, Porsche 918 and Pagani Huyara — that The Fast and the Furious wish they had.
Photography and motorsports are in Thrasher’s blood. Having grown up near Portland International Raceway, he was allowed to photograph local racing teams at a young age. This honed his skill using a camera lens. As of today, his work has been featured in various motor racing publications, including Modified Magazine, SpeedTV and Excellence Magazine.
If you’ve ever scrolled through Petrolicious‘s Instagram feed, you’ll have seen Heslup’s name. In addition to contributing to them, he’s the director and founder of Valkyr films. His emotive photos tell a story, usually with an old Mercedes-Benz or red Beamer as the protagonist.
A professional photographer and filmmaker, Clason’s film on the 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO earned acclaim as a finalist at the 2014 Jalopnik Film Festival. Clason is a self-described “vintage car fanatic”. His Instagram is a confluence of adventure and classic cars built for speed.
