Reduction and Magic

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The 2017 Audi Q7 receives photographer Panitz’s creative treatment.
The sought-after shooter—who created the cover images for the 2017 Audi of America model brochures—feels thrilled by the multifaceted role of car photography within product imagery, with cars typically their own personalities. “To find their perfect angle is definitely a challenge,” Panitz said. “To transport this angle in the location is another challenge, and to create or catch mind-blowing lighting that reflects the impression you have in mind—that, in my opinion, is pure art.”
Art completely captivates him. “The older I get, the more I understand that art is the key if you want to be successful as a photographer,” Panitz said “That’s an awareness that the Audi shoot has even deepened. Influenced by the ‘NY Upstruct’ series [www.igorpanitz.com/projekt/ny-upstruct], they came to me and said, ‘What would this look like with Audi vehicles in it?’ First, do art as good as you can, and that’s the thing.”
Panitz admitted that the long, elegant Audi A7 is his favorite model and represents a milestone. “Its flowing lines seem to be shaped by wind,” he said. “What Audi does reflects perfectly my understanding of excellent design. They don’t do too much. They have this perfect mixture of reduction, line and dynamics.”
Based in Stuttgart, Germany, Panitz works in a studio with a bar area that he designed himself.