Photographer Jeff Bushnell’s compelling shots of rare and exotic cars and motorcycles have appeared in The New York Times, Cycle World, Autoweek, the Los Angeles Times, and this magazine, among others. He’s captured images of auto enthusiasts and their vehicles at some of the most exclusive Car Week events throughout Monterey County.
Bushnell was the official photographer for events founded by Gordon and Molly McCall, like McCall’s Motorworks Revival, which ran for 30 years; The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, now in its 21st year; and The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, which just celebrated its 14th year. His work has been featured on magazine covers, posters, car advertisements and more. Additionally, he specializes in luxury home shoots for real estate marketing and food imagery for restaurants.
While many of the Car Week events Bushnell photographs take place on world-renowned golf courses, like Pebble Beach Golf Links, he first walked the local greens as a pro golfer.
“I grew up in Utah playing competitive golf,” he says. “I picked the golf meccas I wanted to explore and came out to Carmel to pursue a career as a professional golfer.”
Bushnell eventually worked as a PGA golf professional at courses such as Quail Lodge & Golf Club and Pacific Grove Golf Links.
After a stint on the Mini Tour, Bushnell pivoted to a career in local law enforcement which lasted over two decades. Cars and cameras remained a passion for him. His friendship with the McCalls provided the encouragement he needed.
“My dad was a photography enthusiast, so growing up, we had a photo lab at the house, and I enjoyed darkroom photography. I got away from it when I got involved in skiing, golf, motorcycles and dirt bikes,” Bushnell says. “I met Gordon [McCall] in the ’90s. Around 2007, I purchased a digital Nikon SLR and started having fun shooting again. I was showing Gordon some of the stuff I had done, and he invited me to photograph McCall’s and he liked what I did and started having me come out every year.”
At the time, Bushnell, along with a friend, built the only local automotive photo studio and became skilled at lighting and photographing cars in a huge indoor space in Sand City.
“We had a big light box on motorized win-ches to move it up and down, and a large space with over 20-foot-high ceilings,” he says. “Everything was painted a particular white with a special epoxy floor, and we used big backdrop curtains so we wouldn’t capture any reflections.”
While mastering technical difficulties in the studio and in the field, Bushnell was also becoming proficient at post-production editing.
“Angles, reflection and lighting have to come together to get a shot,” he says. “It’s very challenging and you have to watch your surroundings down to what you’re wearing to prevent reflections into the car. It also comes down to better, and unfortunately, more expensive equipment, along with the latest processing software such as Adobe Photoshop and Creative Products.”
The results are images that reveal the texture of the paint, the detailed outlines of a glossy hood ornament, the sporty curves of a race car, or a closeup of a polished emblem.
For architectural photography, Bushnell carefully plans his shoots according to the amount of daylight he wants to use, including dusk shots that create a different mood, and waits for the ideal weather conditions to showcase all the details of a home. He often uses a drone camera to capture the surrounding landscapes, resulting in stunning aerial footage of a property surrounded by mountains, the ocean and other local landmarks in both still and video.
“Photography is all about lighting and composition,” he shares. “Pretty much everything I’ve learned has been through trial and error, discovering something new with every photographic experience, and applying those lessons to future photos.”
When shooting events, Bushnell avoids crowds by arriving the evening prior or early in the morning, but of course, he also enjoys capturing the energy of the actual celebration.
“When I would shoot for The Quail, I would get everything: the crowds, the awards presentations, the food, the vendors and people having a good time,” he says.
Bushnell also loves shooting racetracks, race car winners, Supercross events and rare auto collections. More recently, he’s been photographing rural areas in locations such as Wyoming, Montana and Utah.
“I just get in the car and head out,” he says. “Being able to be creative while doing something I enjoy is very relaxing. There’s a freedom to it and I can forget about everything else.”
For more information, call 831/224-6227 or visit www.mjbushnellphotography.com.