A taste of the shoot. More photos are in the full gallery further down the page.
Peninsula Sports Cars is a classic and sports car workshop in Brookvale, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. The sign out front says it has been there since 1994. When the business changed hands, the new owners rebranded it, and they wanted photos that showed the workshop as it is now. This is how I approached classic car workshop photography for a business starting a new chapter.
The brief: photos for a rebrand under new management
A rebrand is more than a new logo. If the website and social media still show the previous owners' photos, or stock images of cars the workshop never touches, the new brand doesn't feel real. The new management wanted a visual identity that matched the brand, built from their own people, their own cars and their own premises.
So the photos had two jobs. Show customers who now looks after their car. And show the kind of cars they look after, because a specialist workshop wins work by being obviously specialist.
What I photographed at a Northern Beaches classic car workshop
Most of the shoot was the team at work. I photographed a mechanic rebuilding a red engine head, another working a hydraulic press, a wooden steering wheel being fitted, lights being checked and work going on inside the cabins of classic cars.
I shot in portrait and landscape and from several angles, so there was a choice of photo for every page layout on the new website.
Close-up details for backgrounds and headers
This shoot had something the Redfern mechanic shoot didn't need. Classic cars are full of character, so I spent time on close-ups: chrome dials, an old radio, leather seats, twin carburettors, a brake disc and suspension. These work as page backgrounds, section headers and social posts. They also tell a visitor straight away what this workshop works on. MG badges, a Triumph and a Datsun steering wheel all turned up on the day.
The premises
I photographed the street frontage and signage, the open workshop floor with MGs up on hoists, the refreshed reception and parts shop, and the rack of alloy and wire wheels in the window. These suit a contact page or an About page, and give people a feel for the place before they visit.
Where the photos were used
The photos went on Peninsula Sports Cars' website and social media, and they still use them today. They came with a commercial licence, so they can also go on print ads, brochures and letterbox drops.
The photos were one part of a bigger project. As a marketing consultant I also built their website and looked after the content and SEO. The business has grown a lot since, and I wrote the whole project up as a case study.
Case Study: Classic car mechanic website with 290+ enquiries
A 30-year-old Brookvale workshop known for MGs needed a new owner’s vision made visible online. Four years on, organic search delivers 60% of its visitors and more than 290 enquiries.
Automotive business photography for a rebrand: what to plan
If you've bought a workshop or are rebranding one, this is where I'd start:
- Replace every old photo at once. A new logo next to old photos sends mixed messages. Plan one shoot that covers the website, social media and print together.
- Show your speciality. If you work on classics, European cars or four-wheel drives, make those cars the stars. Close-ups of badges, dials and engines say it faster than words.
- Put the new team front and centre. Customers of a long-running workshop want to know who is looking after their car now.
- Show what's changed. A refreshed reception, new signage or a tidy parts shop tells regulars the business is in good hands.
- Think about privacy. Customers' number plates and staff name tags can be cropped or left out of the photos you publish.
Mechanic photography in Brookvale and across Sydney
Business photography starts at $495 for up to an hour, with up to 10 edited photos and a commercial licence included. I photograph workshops on the Northern Beaches and anywhere in Sydney.
Shoot details
Client
Peninsula Sports Cars
Industry
Classic and sports car workshop
Where
Brookvale, Northern Beaches, Sydney
Photographed
The team at work, the workshop, reception and parts shop, and close-up details of classic cars
Used for
Website and social media, as part of a rebrand under new owners
The full gallery
More photos from the Peninsula Sports Cars shoot. Click any photo to see it large.
Need photos for your workshop's new brand?
I can photograph your team, your cars and your premises in one session, so your new brand looks like your business. Business photography starts at $495 with a commercial licence included.
