TPX30: Michelle Szpak – The business of motorcycle and automotive photography

Michelle Szpak of www.szpak.co.uk has been shooting for over 15 years and specialises in motorcycle and automotive photography. Not the classifieds type of car and bike phots, what Michelle creates are special, incredibly lit art pieces for her clients.

Her byline reads…

Unique, passion-fuelled professional Automotive photography of your pride and joy. Creating Artwork for your Walls that last a lifetime.

But it hasn't always been all about incredible images of beautiful motorcycles and fancy cars!

Michelle started with the idea of being a landscape and animal photographer before moving on to portraits – that was 12 years ago.

Then in 2013, she photographed her first motorcycle, and automotive photography has been the focus since.

The images our guest creates are works of art that require a fantastic imagination, expert lighting skills and an understanding of composition any photographer would die for.

You might be surprised at the lighting she uses to showcase the cars and bikes (examples below). Michelle shares techniques and more, including the business and sales side of her photography, in this interview. 

Big thanks to ImagenAI for sponsoring and making this episode possible. If you'd love to have your post-processing after every shoot done for you – in minutes and at super affordable costs (around 5c/image) you need to take a look at ImagenAI.

Here’s some of what we cover:

• Who are Michelle's clients
• How clients find Michelle's work
• How the lockdowns affected Michelle's business
• What are automotive exhibitions and why are they so good for attracting clients
• Why automotive photography works well in the motorcycle industry
• What happens during motorcycle exhibitions that make them client attraction days
• Generating new photos to build your portfolio
• Being confident and upfront when talking about your photography pricing
• Michelle's booking process
• Scouting photoshoot locations for cars and bikes
• Michelle's lighting process
• Average client spend on wall art
• What equipment to use for automotive photography
• Michelle's shooting and editing process
• How long it takes to photograph cars and bikes
• The difference between photographing cars and bikes
• Using Photoshop and Bridge for post-processing images
• Michelle's reveal process
• Payment process
• Why Michelle limits her bookings to 20-30 sessions a year
• Dealing with burnout when running a photography business
• How long it takes to edit automative photos
• Do you need to hide number plates when posting on social media
• How the pandemic became an eye-opener for Michelle
• Can wedding and portrait photographers with the skills charge their usual rates for automotive photography
• What Michelle teaches in her photography course
• The importance of having the right mindset for a successful business

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to read your feedback and comments. Was there something from this interview that struck a chord, inspired or motivated you?

Will you take any kind of action after hearing what Michelle had to share?

I've learned to be very confident with how much I charge for this because it's a very heavy process so I'm not scared of saying the price. – Michelle Szpak

Let me know by leaving your thoughts in the comments below.

If you have any questions