HW 1

Although the Honda FCX may be the future for vehicles, it won’t sell well with the audience because of the way it is portrayed. As sad as it seems, people don’t care for what a car will do for the environment, or how much you can save on gasoline. The one thing on a person’s mind is “how good would I look in this,” because let’s face it a car is more than just wheels that take you from one place to another. They are an extension of a person’s wardrobe, a fashion statement. In order to grab the attention of the public we would need to stop trying to promote what lies inside the vehicle and take a more simple and logical approach to selling a car. A first impression goes a long way, and who could be better at leaving a lasting impression than Tim Wallace and his photographs of cars?

I decided to choose Wallace as the photographer for the new Honda FCX campaign because of his experience photographing luxury cars. Most of his photographs exert a sophisticated and classy atmosphere by using high contrast. This makes certain details pop out to the viewer and keeps their attention as well. Wallace uses abnormal angles to bring attention to the vehicle’s attractive areas and uses eye level viewpoints to show off the entire body of the car. His overhead shots give the cars personalities and depict them as aggressive creatures. He also uses extensive depth of field to make it stand out from the background. It’s not just another car on the road, it’s that car that you should be driving.

It is possible to make the Honda FCX look more appealing by focusing on smaller aspects of the car. For example, using an image of only the cars headlights and reflective grill could give tell the viewer that the future is here and they can be a part of it. We have to remember that a photograph can make someone desire almost anything with the right composition, and I believe that Tim Wallace has shown he has what it takes to sell the Honda FCX.