A Triathlete, His Ferrari and a Sunset at Lake Woodlands
Lighting a man and his silver Ferrari at sunset, from masculine portraits to a surprise sun flare and a last-light driving shot.
2026 note: I shot the final driving photo from the back of a moving truck, and I wouldn't do that today. If you try a car-to-car shot, use a proper rig, a closed road and a professional driver.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a local triathlete, Winston Cervantes, on a personal project. When we first met to talk it through, he mentioned he'd be leaving Texas soon and wanted to do a shoot with his Ferrari before he left. He'd always wanted photos of himself with his beloved car but had never done it, and he couldn't come up with a reason why. I could come up with one big reason to say yes: it's a Ferrari!
The plan
We scouted a few locations in The Woodlands the night before and found a great spot with Lake Woodlands in the background and a sky that would reflect the sunset. The goal was a few shots of Winston in front of the car, a few of the car and its beautiful details, a couple of Winston getting into or sitting in the car and, if possible, a moving shot of him driving.
The shoot
We met the next night, and Winston instantly impressed me with how at ease he was in front of the camera. The shoot was a breeze and a blast.
I kept the lighting masculine, either glamour-lighting Winston or swinging the light off to 45 degrees to create strong, dark lines and shadows. I also wanted a kicker light on the car itself to bring the silver finish to life and show off the lines that make these cars famous. I couldn't have been happier with the results.
After getting the main shots, we opened the doors and photographed Winston in the driver's seat. We finished that part with a fun one, using the sun to flare into the frame and give it the look of him stepping out of his car onto a red carpet somewhere. The flare gave the shot a pop I wasn't expecting. It's always great when unexpected light gives you results you didn't plan for.
The last light
By then the sun was going down fast and there was no time to set up lights, but I still wanted to give Winston a driving shot to send him off. So I climbed into the back of the truck while Sam drove, and we caught a nice motion-blur shot of Winston in his silver Ferrari to end the night.
Originally published on the Ruddock Visuals blog, August 2013. Lightly edited in 2026.