Tim Wallace

Tim Wallace's course on Kelby Training | Lightning

2012-02-14T03:23:00.000-08:00

Click here -> to see Tim Wallace's course on Kelby Training

2012-02-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to new client Imperial College London

This week we would like to welcome The Imperial College London as a new client to Ambient Life. The Imperial College of Science and Technology is a public research university located in London, specialising in science, engineering, and business. This week photographer Tim Wallace has been working with Imperial to produce a body of work for a editorial and online feature surrounding the work of Will Fiennes and his business based in the UK restoring vintage Bentley and Rolls Royce cars.

Imperial has around 13,500 full-time students and 3,330 academic and research staff and had a total income of £694 million in 2009/10, of which £297 million was from research grants and contracts. There are currently 14 Nobel Prize winners and two Fields Medal winners amongst Imperials alumni and current and former faculty.

KelbyTraining.com - Tim Wallace "Inspirational Light and Automotive Phot...

2012-02-02T02:24:00.000-08:00

The four classes that are online with Kelby Training from AmbientLife are :

1. How to light a car using multiple lights

2. Lighting a car and shooting detail with just one light

3. Shooting cars with only available light

4. Photoshop techniques for Car Photographers.

Aston Martin in the alps | Tim Wallace | AmbientLife

2012-01-29T11:41:00.001-08:00

Mustang | Tim Wallace | AmbientLife

2012-01-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

The Ford Mustang has for many years been the hero of the American US motor industry, a car that has survived the test of time and today remains as infamous as it always has been. Photographer Tim Wallace was in the US recently shooting the V6 Mustang, the modern day leader in this all American brand.

The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, dubbed as a "1964½" model by Mustang fans, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A. The model is Ford's third oldest nameplate in production and has undergone several transformations to its current fifth generation.Ford introduced a redesigned 2005 model year Mustang at the 2004 North American International Auto Show, codenamed "S-197," that was based on the new D2C platform. Developed under the direction of Chief Engineer Hau Thai-Tang and exterior styling designer Sid Ramnarace, the fifth-generation Mustang's styling echoes the shineback Mustangs of the late 1960s. Ford's senior vice president of design, J Mays, called it "retro-futurism." The fifth-generation Mustang is manufactured at the AutoAlliance International plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.

Porsche 911 | Tim Wallace | AmbientLife

2012-01-29T11:17:00.001-08:00

Pro Interview Feature in Malaysia | Tim Wallace | Automotive photography

2012-01-22T04:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.carstockphotography.co.uk/news/Mal%20Feb%202012/Pro%20interview%20Tim%20Wallace.pdf

Aston Martin Vantage | Tim Wallace | automotive photography

2012-01-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

Aston Martin Classic Design Campaign Photography

2012-01-15T02:02:00.000-08:00

Often billed as the “most famous car in the world”, it was the Aston Martin DB5 that automotive car photographer Tim Wallace chose to shoot for a advertising campaign that we have just completed on Aston classics and their timeless design for our client Aston this week. Regarded by many as the most beautiful Aston Martin produced, the DB5 shares many similar traits to the DB4 but is still the boyhood dream of so many over the years and possibly the most famous model that Aston ever produced to this day.

The campaign that Tim shot was specifically to look at the classic lines and the simple beauty of the DB5. Tim - "It was very tempting to start taking these 5's out on location somewhere, get some drama going on and look for that epic shot but finally I decided to actually work alone with the cars inside and look at what it is that makes these models so beautiful and keeps them in peoples memories for a lifetime. For me the bonnet and its positive / negative curves mixed with the infamous Superleggera badge and the Aston Martin 'wings' are most recognisable. I have kept the lighting on these very simple and most of the time I was working with just a single light in the dark to quite literally drape light over the area I wanted to shoot, the effect I think focuses your attention to the lines of the car and the results seem to have worked very well so I am thrilled about that for our client who has already had some very positive feedback from the images. Sometimes I think less is most definitely more and in this case the set of images tie together and work well together because of this simple approach."

The Aston Martin DB5 was launched in 1963, and was a development of the previous DB4 model which it replaced. Available as both sports saloon or convertible, the DB5 was slightly longer and also heavier than its predecessor, but the weight disadvantage was offset by the 4 litre version of the double overhead engine which produced 282 bhp. A higher performance Vantage model of the DB5 was also made and the power output on this car was 325bhp. Early cars were fitted with a four speed gearbox but had the option of three speed automatic, or a five speed ZF manual unit. The five speed gearbox soon became standard equipment on all DB5 cars. Further improvements over the DB4 included an improved exhaust system, alternator rather than dynamo, and electric windows as standard. Air conditioning was available as an option. In 1964 the DB5 found fame as the transport of a certain James Bond (played by Sean Connery) in the film Goldfinger, making it probably the best known of all Aston Martin models. After production of just over 1000 cars the DB5 was replaced in 1965 by the DB6.

New 2012 Art Buyer / Client Portfolio

2012-01-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

Aston Martin

2012-01-12T05:18:00.001-08:00

Aston Martin DB5

2012-01-12T05:13:00.001-08:00

Aston Martin bonnet

2012-01-12T05:11:00.001-08:00

Beijing Eye agency

2012-01-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

Beijing Eye is a well respected and forward moving agency based in China and we are very pleased to report that Beijing Eye now officially represents Ambient Life car and commercial photographer Tim Wallace in that region. We look forward to working with this agency closely over the coming years as they grow and extend into new exciting markets. www.Beijing-eye.com

DB 5 in Switzerland

2011-12-20T04:33:00.001-08:00

Alfa Giulia SS Bertone

2011-12-20T04:30:00.001-08:00

Morgan Supersport

2011-12-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

How he is working ...

2011-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Tim works professionally as a commercial photographer worldwide and specialises in automotive photography, shooting cars from Aston Martins to Ferrari and Mercedes. Cars are something that we see everyday in our lives, and we have all swooned over the images in the glossy car brochures, but what makes a great automotive image?

“For me it’s all about creating a desire and passion for the car. In many ways cars have their ownersonalities, so I approach a shoot almost like I’m taking an automotive portrait that captures the personality underneath the metal and chrome. With many of the older Classics such as the DB5 it’s all about the lines of the car, sheer beauty and elegance, whereas with the more modern sporty cars it’s often tied into power and design.

Setting the Stage

Whether you’re shooting a Fiat 500 or an Aston Vanquish, the first element is to set the scene that you’ll be placing the car into, very much the same way as you do for a portrait with a person. This helps set the mood, and really your options are only limited by your own imagination.

Elinchrom’s ‘Ranger’ portable flash system and Profoto B units are something that I use on many of my car shoots as it allows me to direct light in a carefully controlled fashion, and helps create the image I’m looking for ‘in camera’. A lot of the time I try to light the subject gradually, increasing the lighting as I find many people when lighting tend to over light and often this can kill the atmosphere of a shot. I like a shot to almost look as if it has not been lit at all. Another huge problem when shooting cars is that they are by their nature shiny, reflective objects with curves and angles wherever you look. Therefore it’s hard work at times making sure that yourself and the lighting gear is not reflected in the shot. I often wear black on a car shoot and do carry lengths of black fabric, which can help a lot. I’d have to say that the bulk of the equipment I carry is lighting related as you just can’t avoid the need for all those boom arms and grips etc. I’ve recently started working more with smaller strobes like the SB-900’s, which are truly brilliant in my view, and very versatile, as well as being able to complement larger kits like the ‘Ranger’ through the use of the Skyport radio trigger system that I use. Also I work alone, which many find surprising, but it’s just the way that like to work.

Good lighting is all important, and it does not have to come from expensive studio equipment. However, I’ve often used very simple lighting to highlight an area such as a wheel with a reflector and tape. Working with natural ambient light is great, and learning how the light changes through the course of a day, or after a thunderstorm, really can help you to create some stunning work and improve you as a photographer. You simply can’t beat Mother Nature’s studio!

I recently did some seminars for Jaguar in the UK, and whilst this involved mostly me being on stage doing a live studio shoot using Hasselblad, I did spend a lot of the time talking to the audience about all aspects of my work, and how important the car’s ‘environment’ can be to a shot, making the most of elements so to speak.

I’m glad to say that the seminars were a success, and a lot of people said that they left feeling ‘inspired.’ That’s really important to me as I firmly believe that you need to be inspirational in your work whenever you can. Photography is a journey not a destination, and for me I never stop learning. Some car photographers only work primarily in studios but my favourite studio is the great outdoors. You simply can’t beat ambient light in my view, and often I hear photographers say it’s not the right light or it’s too overcast and wet. Living in England this is a common event…lol. In truth, a cold overcast day with a stormy sky puts me in my element! Helmut Newton I believe was of the same mind in some respects and hardly ever used strobes. He used natural light to itsbest advantage, from its softness to its harsh shadows. In my view natural light is the greatest teacher and can be a valuable learning tool.

Having said all that I also fight convention when I can and enjoy shooting in ways that others say you can’t. I generally find if somebody says that you can’t shoot it that way it means that they have tried and not pulled it off themselves. There are a billion photographs yet to be taken, and if we didn’t try new things then, in my view, photography would never progress. Sometimes it’s good just to shoot something to see what it looks like shot. A typical example of this is shooting harsh daylight to look like moonlight. Really the sun and the moon are not that unalike apart from sheer difference in intensity.

I recently spent a few weeks in the US filming 4 video classes for Scott Kelby where I try to take people through different setups for shooting cars,. from the use of many lights all together, to one light and then finally to just what you can achieve using just available daylight. These will be launching in February 2012

I started out my career as a printer and in some ways I used Photoshop in the same way. It’s my own way of doing things, but it works for me, and I believe it’s always good to try new things and not just follow convention. Sometimes you have to walk into the dark if you’re going to see the light!

I’m by no means a master of Photoshop, but as a photographer I recognize its central place as the new digital darkroom. Everybody has their own way of using these tools, and for me I suppose it’s basic simple use that works best for me; not over complicating things to the point where I spend more time behind the screen than I do behind the camera.

Work of the day

2011-12-15T05:16:00.001-08:00

Jaguar E type v12

Aston Martin Vanquish

2011-12-14T11:42:00.001-08:00

Aston Martin

2011-12-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Tim Wallace

2011-12-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

The work of photographer Tim Wallace is often described as dramatic and conceptual and is highly regarded both within the commercial and advertising industry with recent awards including, International Advertising Photographer of the Year 2010 and UK Motor Industry Photographer of the Year 2010

Tim works wide a range of corporate, media and commercial clients in both the UK, Europe and the US such as Aston Martin, Land Rover and Morgan within the automotive sector, as well as covering a more broad commercial body of work through our creative and innovative approach and works mainly through recommendation with a strong client reputation for both quality and creativity as well as also providing stock photography syndication for both commercial and advertising use in Europe and Worldwide of both car and commercial work covering famous brands such as Aston Martin and many other prestige models along side a comprehensive stock photography library of emotive classic car work.

A man who's known for his down to earth attitude, his feet are firmly on the ground and his desire to produce creative work is one that he has been driven to from a very young age when he first picked up a camera.

"Being out there is where things happen,

so do something worth remembering"

Who is Tim Wallace ?

"I plan to live forever, so far so good..."

"Well I'm 40 but think it's the new 30 so things are always good!, I don't sleep much because I'm always thinking about what I can do to create something new, on a morning I often wake up excited for the day like a kid at Christmas just wanting to get out on the road and get on with it. People say I have a wicked sense of humour, not sure on that one, maybe its just a defence mechanism for the fact I'm always trying to lose weight but enjoy good food too much...!

I love to share my work, the whole creative visual voodoo, the journey from A to B and the chance of arriving at C.

My work is often regarded as conceptual and dramatic and to me photography is a process, you'll never hear me mutter 'it'll be fine' as that's simply not enough for me. Life is short and I aim tomake mine worth while and interesting with work that I hope reflects this.

My goal in life is to be myself always, be creative, be true and most of all improve just a little part of peoples lives with images that both entertain and sometimes invoke the feelings that I had when I shot them. I've won awards and I'm always of the thought that maybe they got the wrong Tim Wallace, hey I'm grateful always but never take myself or any achievements too seriously, life's too short and people will forget you quickly.

I jumped off a cliff in Norway a few years ago in a BASE jump, why?, well because it felt right for me to do that for myself at that time, I truly believe that anything in life is possible, work hard, be an honest person, tell the people that you love just what they mean to you as often as you can, and most of all be out there shooting because sometimes that's where amazing things can happen."

"the journey from A to B and the chance of arriving at C"

My Background

At 16 Tim started work in the darkrooms of the Daily Mail Group where he learned the art of printing and had a baptism of fire into the world of photojournalism, working with many great photographers from both the National Press and agencies.At 19 he joined a top agency based in the UK, and went on to spend an increasing amount of my time behind the camera. His slightly 'different' approach to shooting and his understanding of tone and contrast giving him a potentially different outlook on a scene, mixing this with a more 'contemporary' style to his work, he soon found favour with the UK National Press, having work published in the Guardian, Independent and Times. Later he went into partnership with another mainstream Agency based and continued building on his successes whilst exploring other area's such as Public Relations and Corporate photography with many large UK company contracts until an economic downturn in the country forced him to re-evaluate his options and seek a new challenge.

At the age of 22 Tim joined the Royal Navy, serving with 42 Commando Royal Marines in many parts of the world, and after service he followed a more corporate route working with large media companies such as Virgin and Orange before launching Ambient Life to transport his vision forward.

Over the recent years Ambient Life has continued to go from strength to strength. Scott Kelby (NAPP), featured our work recently and referred to it as 'some of the most inspirational automotive work to come out of the UK' ands in 2011 Tim travelled to the US to film 4 classes for Kelby Training to join the ranks of Kelby instructor photographers around the world such as Joe McNally. Over recent years we have seen a very healthy growth in new clients, which we believe is testament to the quality of the work that we produce with virtually all our commissions being generated through referral and reputation, something that we feel is very important. We have also enjoyed a number of features in magazines around the world on our work not to mention exciting 'industry first' events working with Jaguar, Land Rover, and Morgan to hold 'live shoot' car photography seminars at their headquarters. These seminars have been extremely popular and have been a great success with support from all the major manufacturers as they get behind our work including Hasselblad and Profoto.

"I am an idealist, I don't know where I am going but I know I'm on my way..."

The future ?

Who knows what tomorrow will bring apart from more opportunities.