Amelia Concours 2013: Shooting for McLaren

During the Concours weekend, we had the pleasure of providing coverage for not only The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, but also Top Gear (See our coverage here) and the subject of this post, McLaren.  If you follow the automotive world, you know McLaren made a big splash a few years ago with the unveiling of a brand new supercar, the MP4-12C.  McLaren has since launched 10 dealerships throughout key US markets and has quite a head of momentum going in this hard fought market.  And this is where McLaren, the 2013 Amelia Concours, and Deremer Studios intersect.

For 2013, McLaren ramped up their Amelia Concours presence with a static display and executive test drives both Friday and Saturday, as well as a large show display featuring the venerable McLaren F1 and the new Can-Am spec MP4-12C for Sunday.  The results, at least from my perspective, were rather fantastic.  The McLaren camp was swamped with onlookers and admirers each day, and as you can see from above photo, youngsters were overjoyed at the sight of these stunning cars.  It reminds me of my own love of the McLaren f1 when it came out during the early 90′s.

As a car guy, this shoot was an especially enjoyable time for me.  All in all, the Concours weekend was a stellar, memorable event!  I encourage you to check it out next year – you will not be disappointed!  As always, feel free to download any or all of the images for use as desktop wallpaper!  Enjoy!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Amelia Concours 2013: And Now, Without Further Adieu…

Today was the grand finale for another wonderful weekend at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.  The star of this year’s event was the GT40 Class, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ford’s racing icon.  In total, there were 13 of these storied cars, representing each of the evolutions of this legendary racer.   But that’s just where the fun began…

From one of a kind prototypes and show cars, to automobiles from the fledgling days of automotive innovation over 100 years ago, the Concours has hundreds of cars spanning over a century.  You never know what you’ll see at this show – such as this amazing Space Age inspired car, Fascination (below) – one of only three ever produced. believe it or not, somehow this thing is street legal!

As always, feel free to download any or all of the images for use as desktop wallpaper!  Enjoy!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Amelia Concours 2013: All Shouty

It was another wonderful day at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance with a great open-to-the-public car show including the new C7 Corvette (above), as well as a record breaking RM auction, and lots of luxury test drive opportunities.  The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island was the focal point of the day’s events, housing the standing room only RM auction (below) and several seminars.

I had the opportunity to meet all sorts of people – from highschoolers to retirees – all with a passion for cars that is downright contagious.  Many shared with me their own car stories which I found simply fascinating – but I’ll leave it at that for now as morning will be coming along quite early, especially with daylight savings time!  Don’t forget – be sure to check back over the next several days for the latest from the Concours.  Enjoy!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Amelia Concours 2013: Morning Glory

Today marked the first day of the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and we didn’t waste any time getting to business.  The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island has officially been invaded by some of the most beautiful and expensive cars you’ll ever see – a veritable feast for the eyes of any petrol-head.   This year, we arrive just before sunrise to photograph the cars with that dramatic dawn lighting, as with the photo above.

We also spent much of the day with the folks from McLaren, documenting their static display and test drives, but more on that in a coming post.  The star of the show this year is the great Ford GT-40 racers of the 1960s.  Look familiar?  Yes my friends, it is cars like these that inspired the animated cartoon of old, Speed Racer.  I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, so I’ll leaver it here for the time bring.  Be sure to check back over the next several days for the latest from the Concours, and as always, enjoy!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Amelia Concours 2013: The Preview & The BIG News

On Monday, we were arriving at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a corporate event (post coming soon) when I stumbled upon this little gem – a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT.  This car, along with several others were there for the annual Orange Blossom Tour, put on by Classic Motorsports Magazine.   Around the resort, everything is beginning to take shape, with the RM show tent being erected and the special auction area setup for the big weekend.  As in previous years, we’ll be shooting the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance on behalf of the resort.

And now for the BIG news – McLaren, the British supercar manufacturer of such venerable giants as the F1, and the stunning MP4-12C above, has hired Deremer Studios to cover their display for the Concours.  As a young adult, I was borderline-obsessed with the then new McLaren F1 – the worlds fastest production car with a top speed of 241MPH.  So, having the opportunity to spend the weekend with some of the folks who brought us that car will be rather thrilling.  Stay tuned for some great cars on the blog sometime early next week!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

The Daytona 500 As You Have Never Seen it Before

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of once again going down to Daytona for the annual running of the Daytona 500.  One of the first things you notice is that you’re surrounded by people with cameras – from fellow professionals, to the masses of spectators with their own SLRs, point and shoots, and cell phones.  And so, the challenge becomes, how do you capture unique photos when everyone is photographing the same thing?  Sure getting those split second shots of a wreck and the significant moments of the race, like Danica Patrick becoming the first woman to take pole in any NASCAR race, and also becoming the first woman to lead a lap (below) are important.  Those are all good, noteworthy photos that tell the story of the race, but with thousands or event staff and hundreds of thousands in attendance, there are lots of other stories as well.

The big headline of the race was certainly Danica’s pole position and a genuinely top-shelf performance throughout the race.  Other notable subjects included the issues with Toyota’s powerplant and of course, the injured spectators from the Nationwide race were still weighing heavily on the drivers.  Thankfully there was no incident with a Jet Dryer as with last year (see our coverage of the dramatic explosion here), but there was still plenty of news to go around!

But now, onto some of the micro-stories of the event. For example, despite the previous day’s graphic illustration of why standing up against the fence is a bad idea, the annual battle between spectators and the fence guards went on as if nothing had happened.  One such incident that kept replaying time and again, almost every lap, was the site of countless hats being blown off of race fans’ heads as they walked as close to the fence as possible with the cars speeding by at over 200MPH (you can see the photo of one close save in the slideshow below).   Another piece or the race day experience that rarely goes noted is the work of all the folks behind the scenes.  One person that especially caught my eye was the technician who ran the half mile long camera dolly suspended 100 feet above the track (above).  Several times during the race, I noticed him in an insanely tall cherry picker, fiddling with the rig, making sure it would be ready for the next pass.

To quote our friends at Top Gear, “and on that bombshell”, enjoy the photos!

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Feeling Thoroughly Alive at the Wheel of a Jaguar!

This past Saturday, we had the opportunity to enjoy some very fine vehicles thanks to the Jaguar Alive Driving Experience.  The event consisted of about 3 hours worth of fun, from brief but informative videos and speakers, to lots of driving ranging from graceful real world driving, to some adrenaline-pumping autocross (above) and drag strip racing in several of their 500+ HP beasts.  Hosted just outside of Orlando, the two and a half hour drive from Jacksonville was most certainly and unequivocally worth it!

Our slot was 10:30, so we arrived a bit early, to the site of one of the 550HP XKR-S supercars taking off down the drag strip, belching an other-worldly exhaust note that instantly put a smile on my face.   From there, we entered the event space, went through a brief registration and were escorted into the venue to peruse some of the displays while waiting our turn out on the pavement.  Included in the showroom was the brand new F-Type (below) – the first roadster Jaguar has produced in almost 40 years – and let me tell you, by the looks of it, the car is well worth the wait.

And now for the fun stuff – After our brief introduction to Jaguar, we went out and saw what these things could do.  First was the everyday road demonstration – we were in an XJL – a gigantic specimen of an executive car, but with 510 HP, it was surprisingly agile and scary fast.  From there we tried out the all weather course which featured simulated ice, soft sand, and Jaguar’s all new all wheel drive system.  We also tried out an XJ, XKR Convertible and XF on their refinement course, and then moved on to the really fun stuff – a 0-60+ MPH (I hit 78) run in the XKR-S, and finally a three lap timed autocross competition on their tight and technical course in an XFR.

When all was said and done, we each drove 7 cars totaling in excess of $750,000 and best of all we didn’t crash a one!  Enjoy the photos!

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Corvette: In with the New, Memories of the Old

There’s been some pretty exciting news on the Corvette front this week – namely the unveiling of the long-anticipated C7 Corvette, complete with the comapny’s first 7 speed manual gearbox!   As a tribute to this 60 year old car, I thought I would share our Corvette coverage from the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.  In 2012, Road & Track featured a selection of one-of-a-kind concept Corvettes, and the event included a Marque Car Road Tour featuring, among others, custom Corvettes.

One of my favorites from the event was the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Scaglietti Coupe (below) which looks a lot more like a Ferrari than a ‘vette.  One of only three, this Corvette has all the underpinnings of that reliable Chevrolet muscle, but the body was designed and manufactured by Sergio Scaglietti of Ferrari fame.  Enjoy!

P.S.  Top Gear fans – come March, you may find some of Deremer Studios coverage of the 2013 Concours featured on TopGear.com.  We’ve confirmed with the folks at Top Gear that we’ll be sharing our photographic coverage with them for the 2013 Concours!  Pretty exciting stuff!

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Welcome Back TR6 & The 2013 Amelia Concours

Okay, so this may be old news, but I never found the time to tell you back in July about it – namely the new – well, sort of new – addition to the Deremer clan.  The above car is a Triumph TR6 and on July 3rd, it found its way back to Florida after over 30 years ‘abroad’ in other parts of the country.  This TR has actually been in our family for years.  First my uncle purchased it sometime before the Second Dynasty of the Egyptian Empire, followed by my Dad purchasing it from him in 1987.  For some reason unknown to me, he let my brother and I drive the car quite a bit, including to school (where one day the football players decided it would be fun to pick it up and turn it around).  Surprisingly, the car survived!

For the last 12+ years, I’ve been rather relentlessly and not-so-subtly hinting that the TR would do very well down in Florida – and thankfully the fruits of my efforts were finally reaped this spring when my Dad offered the TR to me.  Since getting it down here, I’ve put a few hundred more miles on the odometer and have had an absolute ball!

On a slightly realted note, we’ve now received official word that we’ll have our media credentials for the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.  And, as always, Enjoy the photos!

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

By Special Request – Ferrari 212 at the 2012 Amelia Concours

While I was browsing Facebook, I came across a post from car buff Robert Rodriguez featuring the Ferrari 212 from the 2012 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.  I mentioned that I had a few photos of the car on the blog – only to discover that the only picture of the 212 on the blog was a photo of it partially concealed behind another Ferrari.   So, I had to go ahead and make it right – here are three photographs we captured at the 2012 Concours of this very unique car.  Enjoy!

P.S.  Top Gear fans – come March, you may find some of Deremer Studios coverage of the 2012 Concours featured on TopGear.com.  We’ve confirmed with the folks at Top Gear that we’ll be sharing our photographic coverage with them for the 2013 Concours!  Pretty exciting stuff!

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Road Trip – Florida’s Forgotten Highways

It appears that today is fine art catch-up day for Deremer Studios.  This post features a pair of road trips I recently took in conjuntion with shoots.

Back in August, I went out to Destin for a wedding and the next morning, took a day trip along the forgotten roads of Florida.  I stayed overnight in Chattahoochee, FL along the old, venerable US Route 90.  Before the interstate came through in the 1960′s, this was the main road from the Atlantic coast of Florida to the border with Alabama.  It wound through little towns, big cities, and along miles of rural countryside.  There were thriving business, service stations and motels lining the roads from Jacksonville to Alabama.  But that wasn’t to last.  Today, the road is lined with dilapidated and collapsed shells – the only reminder for what once was there – well, except for this restored service station (below) about 10 miles west of Tallahassee.

The other road trip was up to Amelia Island on a pre-sunrise road trip up to a shoot at the Ritz-Carlton.  I always enjoy driving along Heckscher Dr – a 30 mile stretch of road winding along the marshlands, coastal forests, and atop 9 bridges.  Not only was there a gorgeous sunrise, but also a great reward at the end of the drive – a pair of Audi R8s (the V8 version is below).

Enjoy – and of course, feel free to download as a desktop wallpaper!

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait) |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Car Crazy: 2012 Amelia Island Concours – Part 3: Panorama

Here’s the last of the photos from our shoots at the Concours – this time in our ultra-high resolution panoramas!  Feel free to view or download the HD photos using the slideshow below.

If you would like to purchase a print of any of the photos from our time at the Concours, or if you’d just like to browse additional images that weren’t on the blog, check them out on our online viewing and ordering site: http://www.photoreflect.com/store/thumbpage.aspx?e=8441882. Enjoy!

All the photos can be downloaded for free as HD desktop wallpaper.  Simply click on a photo below, click on the permalink (bottom right), save the HD wallpaper by right clicking the “1280×720″ link, and selecting save as.

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at DeremerStudios.com  |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Car Crazy: 2012 Amelia Island Concours – Part 2

Yesterday, we finished up our coverage of the 17th Annual Concours D’Elegance on behalf of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.  Sunday is the big day at the Concours – all those in the show (and there were a whole lot this year!) bring their cars out onto the 10th and 18th holes for everyone to see.  From turn of the century motorized wagons and early 20th century custom coaches, to concept Corvettes and one of the largest gatherings of Ferrari 250 GTO’s in recent history – this year’s Concours really had it all!

Pictured above is Mauro Forghieri, the head designer responsible for the stunning lines of the 250 GTO’s bodywork.  He was one of the judges for the event, and it was amazing standing nearby as he shared little details and stories about each of these cars.

Also on hand for the show was a collection of notable Road & Track cover cars including (above) this beautifully preserved Astro II Covette Concept from 1968.  But, this is the Concours, so why stop at one concept?  Also on hand was the 1990 Corvette CERV III concept.  A Corvette nut at an early age, I still remember drooling all over myself when I first saw photos of this car.

Another of the noteworthy cars from the event were the various Shelby Cobras.  The one pictured above – a 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe – is one of just six ever made. Below are all my favorite photos from Sunday.  Enjoy!

All the photos can be downloaded for free as HD desktop wallpaper.  Simply click on a photo below, click on the permalink (bottom right), save the HD wallpaper by right clicking the “1280×720″ link, and selecting save as.

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at DeremerStudios.com  |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

Car Crazy: 2012 Amelia Island Concours – Part 1

This morning, we had the pleasure of shooting the Concours D’Elegance on behalf of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island.  As you may know if you’ve followed the blog for any period of time, I am a bit of a car nut.  So, when I was offered the opportunity to photograph this prestigious event, saying I was excited would be a big understatement.   From antiques and exotics, to modern luxury vehicles, the C0ncours has it all.  This year’s honored car is the Ferarri 250 GTO.  Of the 32 still in existence, 10 are featured at this year’s show.  And with the last GTO going for over $30,000,000, these cars represent some serious investments.

One unique aspect of the Concours is Friday’s Isle of Eight Flags road trip. This tour takes participating guests through the scenic Florida coastline and ends with a wonderful luncheon in the heart of Downtown Fernandina.  Not only does this give the owners of these priceless cars the opportunity to stretch the cars’ legs, but it also provides all those folks who love cars, but may not be able to afford a visit to the Concours, an opportunity to see all these wonderful cars for free (above).

I also had the pleasure of test driving several cars this morning.  I tried out the latest Chrysler 300 SRT, scaled the mountainous off-road course in a Land Rover Evoque, tooled around the island in a Porsche 911 Carerra S, and I would have to say the car I enjoyed most was 550 HP the Jaguar XK RS (above).  My host for the test drive was Formula Drift Pro Am driver Doug Van Den Brink.  Unfortunately, Doug informed me that drifting wasn’t part of the test drive…  Below are all my favorite photos from today.  Enjoy!

All the photos can be downloaded for free as HD desktop wallpaper.  Simply click on a photo below, click on the permalink (bottom right), save the HD wallpaper by right clicking the “1280×720″ link, and selecting save as.

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at DeremerStudios.com  |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com

You are Entering the Twilight Zone: Daytona 500 Under the Lights…

As you can see from the photo above, we had quite an adventure shooting the Daytona 500 last night!   The race, which was delayed over 30 hours due to rain (the first time in its 54 year history the race was not run on Sunday), was marked by events that could have been straight out of the grainy, black and white world of the Twilight Zone.

The race itself, promised to be exciting when just one lap into the race, a large crash collected several cars.  But before long, the race was going full bore, with very little in the way of incidents and with everyone for the most part staying in line and waiting for the last run.  But that was all about to change…

At lap 160, while the caution was out, the 42 Target car was on the back stretch catching up to the pack.  Just before entering turn 3, something broke in the rear of the car, sending it spinning out of control – and directly toward one of the jet dryer trucks that was slowly circling the track.  I just happened to be looking in that direction, and saw a massive fireball erupt as the two vehicles met.  I quickly grabbed my 100-400 and took the following series of images.  The first is just a second or two after impact, before the jet fuel ignited.  As you can see, the damage doesn’t look all that severer.  The second image is shortly after the fire crew arrived.  The third image is after the fire has been put out – you can clearly see the destruction.

Below are my favorite photos from this very unique race!

All the photos can be downloaded for free as HD desktop wallpaper.  Simply click on a photo below, click on the permalink (bottom right), save the HD wallpaper by right clicking the “1280×720″ link, and selecting save as. 

Copyright 2012 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at DeremerStudios.com  |  904-744-1103  |  nate@deremerstudios.com