Jeff Mesnil
Weblog · About

Jaguar XK 120 Roadster

July 12, 2011

I don't care much about cars but when I see a beauty, I know it.

A friend's father owns the Classic & Sports Auto garage and kindly invited me to shoot a Jaguar XK 120 roadster that he is renovating:

Jaguar XK 120
Jaguar XK 120 Roadster

Jaguar XK 120
Jaguar XK 120 Roadster

It was a great opportunity to shoot such a beautiful car with enough time and freedom to compose the shots. I waited for the late afternoon and the sun was starting to be low enough to reveal the curves of the car.
I shot on top of a stool to remove the noisy background behind the car and put the emphasis on the car's front. A 3/4 view was the best way to show the length and curves of both the car's hood and left side.

I used my Nikon 16-85mm at f/11 to shoot it. At first, I tried to shoot at 16-18mm but I found it made the car's hood too much proeminent at the expense of the rest of the car. I stepped back a little bit, zoom to 35mm and shoot it on top of the stool to get a more realistic perspective which still highlights the long and curvy hood.

If you like this car, you are lucky: you can buy it once it is renovated.

I really enjoy the experience and I am looking forward to the next opportunity to shoot such a beauty again. I may even start to care about (beautiful) cars a bit more!