Paula Gilbert has been doing photography for 4 years. She is a self-taught photographer. A
photographer friend of hers got her into photography by letting her use one of his old
cameras. He told her to go out and just start taking pictures. At first, she says that she did it
just to humor him. But then, she started seeing things differently and began
paying attention to how light and shadow affected the appearance of things. Then she started getting more serious, and began reading books on photography and going out and trying to get better pictures. Like most beginners, Paula says she photographed everything. "I could not settle on any one subject." Paula said. "It took me
until now to focus on car photography."
Photographing cars came about from a
friend of hers who is a low-rider. He's in a club called The Lo-Lows. He
brought his car to work one day, and let her photograph it and it turned out really
good. He suggested that they do a calendar for his car club, so she put together a test
calendar for him to show his club. Paula says "Seeing my work in a published form for the
first time was eye-opening. It looked really good. I was totally surprised.
That led to more studying and practice."
She began attending car shows, and
learning about cars. Paula explains, "It works well for me. I am a female in a male-dominated
field. I enjoy being around men. I have always felt more comfortable being
around guys than I have with women. It's fun to hear them talk about their
cars. A lot of love and passion goes into customizing a car, not to mention, a
lot of money! When their car becomes art, it's a beautiful object to
photograph. Car photography is also very challenging. The surfaces are
reflective, windows are see-through, and every car has a style, a personality,
and a history that makes it unique. Same with every car owner. I try to keep
all this in mind when I'm shooting. The finished image should be an homage to
all those qualities."
Paula says that she is on a budget, and therefore utilizes as
little gear as possible. "I use a Nikon D3000, a circular polarizer (it cuts
down the reflections on cars), a speed light, and natural lighting. I use
Photoshop and Light room for post-production, and a tablet. My lenses are;
17-55mm, a 50mm prime, and a 50-200mm zoom. Most of my photographs are done
with the 17-55mm. The lens that came with the camera! I don't believe you need
to run out and spend a lot to get started. My basic camera kit costs
about $2000.00. The software will cost a bit more but is, in my opinion,
crucial to the final image. I print my own business cards and hand them out at
shows."
Her advice to women who would like to do
start their own business is to study and work hard. Have confidence in
yourself that anything is possible. Take time to learn the basics of
photography; composition, lighting, shadows, and how lenses affect the image.
Read car magazines, and start attending car shows. Important: learn a little
about cars. She says how she learned the hard way, "at a British car meet, when I innocently
remarked that I didn't know Morgan still made cars. The owner told me huffily
that "yes they are still made in Britain!" then he walked away. A
lost customer, so learn your car history! And, dress well. I go to car
shows in casual business attire. If you want to be taken seriously, do not show
up dressed like a stripper. A lot of cars you will see are high-end, with
wealthy, educated owners. You want their business, not their ridicule."
Paula mainly photograph cars for car clubs and private owners. On her website, you can order prints, calendars, coffee mugs, key chains, and posters. She also set up a sponsorship with "Autism Speaks" where she photographs car events and donates a portion of her sales.
On Google+= "PR Gilbert"
