Being a photographer, especially for my 9-to-5, comes with its fair share of challenges and unexpected moments. While I usually shoot cars for dealership websites, every now and then, I get assigned something a little more special. On this particular day, my assignment was to photograph the newly renovated Audi Calabasas building. The dealership had just completed a massive renovation, and it looked like an architectural masterpiece—a sleek, modern structure that felt as luxurious as the cars it housed.
It was late afternoon in October when I arrived, and the building was bathed in the last rays of sunlight. Customers were coming and going, walking through the giant glass doors, while I stood in front of the building, setting up my tripod and camera. The sun was slowly disappearing behind the hills next to the dealership, and I knew I had just a narrow window to capture the perfect shot.
As the sun dipped lower, the light spilling over the top of the building created a magical effect. The hill acted like a shield, blocking the harsh light while still illuminating the upper portion of the dealership. I stood there, waiting for the exact moment when the last bit of sunlight would fade, signaling the start of my photoshoot. The anticipation was building, and I could almost hear that perfect click in my head.
And then… it happened.
No, not the beautiful golden hour I was expecting—a car pulled up right in front of my shot. Of course. In my head, I was laughing and pulling my hair out at the same time. Why did this have to happen at that moment? I thought, “Okay, no big deal, maybe I can Photoshop it out later.” I adjusted my camera and got ready for the next shot, trying to remain calm.
But before I could hit the shutter, another car pulled up. And then another. It was like the universe had conspired against me, sending car after car to block my perfectly planned shot. I started to think I must be in some sort of candid camera situation—where was the hidden crew waiting to see my reaction?
At this point, I knew I was running out of time. I had about 30 minutes left to get at least three solid exterior photos, and I hadn’t even made it inside yet. With each passing car, I was losing hope. And just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, a fourth and fifth car pulled up. I had to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Sometimes, the only way to deal with these moments is to find the humor in them.
I finally snapped a few shots, knowing they weren’t going to be perfect, and moved on to another part of the building. Three exposures here, three there—I was working as quickly as possible, trying to make the most of the fading light. I moved around to the back of the building and took some shots of the service area, hoping that the interior shoot would be a bit smoother.
But once inside, I realized the challenges weren’t over. The dealership was buzzing with activity—customers exploring the showroom, admiring the shiny new Audis, and walking through my frames. I knew I had to move fast. The cars on display were stunning—particularly a lime green Audi RS3 and an orange SQ8 that seemed to demand attention. They were like the stars of the showroom, ready for their close-up.
Shooting around customers was a bit like playing hide-and-seek. I’d set up my shot, wait for them to step out of frame, and then quickly snap the picture before anyone else wandered in. It was a game of patience and timing, but I was determined to get those shots. At one point, I found myself crouching behind a couch in the waiting area, trying to capture the perfect angle without being in anyone’s way. It felt a bit ridiculous, but that’s the life of a photographer—you do what you have to do to get the shot.
I managed to capture five beautiful shots of the showroom, but I still needed one more—the main entrance. I set up my camera, ready to take the final image, but of course, just as I was about to shoot, a group of customers sat down right in the middle of the frame. I was so close to being done, and now it looked like I wasn’t going to get that last crucial shot.
But then, I remembered—when I first arrived, I had taken a few test shots of the showroom. They weren’t perfect, but one of them was from the exact angle I needed. I smiled to myself, relieved that I had a backup plan. Sometimes, those early test shots end up saving the day.
As the day came to a close, I decided to try one last idea. I set up for a panoramic shot of the entire building, taking six sets of three bracketed images. For those who aren’t photographers, bracketing is when you take multiple exposures of the same scene to later merge them into a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image. It’s a bit of a tedious process, but the results can be stunning, especially for a building like this one.
By the time I finished, the light was gone, and the shoot was officially wrapped. But as any photographer knows, the work doesn’t end when you leave the location. Back at home, I sat down with a hot cup of coffee and opened Lightroom, ready to start the editing process. It’s always a bit of a thrill going through the images, seeing what worked and what didn’t.
As I edited, the lime green RS3 and the orange SQ8 looked even better than I remembered—these cars were made to be photographed. And then I reached the panoramic shot. It had been a long day, and I wasn’t sure if I had the energy to work on such a complex image, but something told me to go for it. I spent about an hour fine-tuning it, making sure every detail was perfect.
A few days later, I got an email from the dealership asking if I could adjust the aspect ratio of the panoramic shot. I made the changes, sent it back, and crossed my fingers. Then I got the best news: the panoramic shot was going to be the main image on the Audi Calabasas website. It was a moment of pure satisfaction—after all the roadblocks, that shot had ended up being the highlight of the shoot.
If you visit the Audi Calabasas website on a desktop, you’ll see the image front and center. On mobile, you’ll have to switch to the web version and turn your phone sideways, but it’s there. It’s moments like these that make all the challenges worth it. Photography is about capturing beauty, but it’s also about resilience—sticking with it when things don’t go as planned and finding a way to create something amazing despite the obstacles.
I’ve included a gallery below with all the images from the shoot. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed capturing them. Thanks for reading, and until next time!
