Diary: Extreme Winter Automotive Photography

Ever wonder what photographing cars on top of a glacier is like? Look no further. Join Max Loewenstein as he discusses his time shooting for the Hyundai Winter Experience in Sölden, Austria.

Over to you, Max.

As a freelance photographer, I've had the privilege of travelling to destinations beyond my wildest dreams and capturing experiences I never thought I'd be part of. Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in and photograph the Hyundai Winter Experience on a glacier in Sölden, Austria. The goal was to put their vehicles — the Santa Fe, Tucson, and Ioniq 5 — to the test in extreme snowy conditions, led by professional driving instructors. As a car and travel photographer, I jumped at the chance to go.

In my first few years as a freelance photographer, I learned how to play the game, starting with low-budget gigs to build up my portfolio before pitching to more brands and raising my prices as my experience grew. My strategy to incorporate automotive photography into my portfolio was to get my foot in the door with a motorcycle helmet company. Eventually, I caught a lucky break, landing Toyota as my first paid car company, which led to gigs with Mazda and Jaguar.

I was particularly drawn to the Hyundai Winter Driving Experience because it promised to teach us drifting, J-turning and emergency braking in snowy conditions. It seemed like both practical training and a chance to shoot some incredible snowy car content, something I'd always wanted to do.

For this trip, I used a Sony A1 because I needed a camera that could shoot rapidly without missing a moment. At 30 frames per second, the Sony A1 was the perfect choice for me. I brought along a variety of lenses, not knowing what I'd need the most. My kit included a 16-35mm f/2.8 GM, 24mm f/1.4 Sony E, 24-70mm f/2.8 A, 50mm f/1.4 A, and 70-200mm f/2.8 G SSM A. I always like to have as many options as possible to ensure I have the right lens for any shot.

Our day started with an amazing hotel breakfast, after which our group of around 30-40 people loaded onto a bus and made our way up the mountain. At the end of the road, we boarded snowcats — giant enclosed snowmobiles that are more adept at driving through snow-covered roads and on glaciers. These snowcats took us the rest of the way up the glacier to where the cars were parked. I became more excited by the minute as we unloaded and saw the impressive fleet of Hyundai vehicles.

We were then divided into two groups — one worked with the Santa Fe and Ioniq 5 while our group started with the Tucson on the other side of the mountain. Our first task was to get familiar with the car by driving on the snowy course and doing braking tests.

The fun started when we did the J-turn drill. J-turns involve accelerating in reverse, switching to neutral, turning the car rapidly to do a 180-degree spin, then throwing it into drive and taking off. It's something you'd see in an action movie, and I'd never done it before. My first few attempts were rough since you have to switch gears and turn the wheel within a few seconds, so it took some practice. But by my third attempt, I was an expert.

Although this was a fun experience, I felt torn between participating in the drills and being outside the car to take more photos. We only had one day to get all the content we needed, so as the day went on, the stress only grew. As we did more drills, we had a few moments of downtime to position the car outside the drills and capture photos of the car against the gorgeous backdrop of snowy mountains.

Continuing where we left off, the final drills in the Ioniq 5 were the most fun part of the day. We were all looking forward to drifting and capturing some insanely cool photos. However, in the process of switching cars frequently, I made a huge mistake and left my camera bag in the back of the previous car. By the time I realized it, we had already moved on to the other side of the mountain. While it wasn't an issue of losing my gear, I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to change lenses for the rest of the day.

But I wasn't going to let that stop me from getting some amazing shots. I decided to work with the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and focus on capturing the moment rather than just worrying about changing lenses. As we headed into the first drifting exercises, our instructor hopped into one of the cars and showed us what he was made of. It was the first glimpse we got of his driving skills and he didn't disappoint. He drifted around the course like a pro, launching snow in the air and making for incredibly cool shots.

As the day went on, I was fortunate enough to borrow a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens from a fellow photographer friend. I always love seeing photographers help each other to get the shots they need, and I try to do the same. With this lens, I was able to capture some of my favourite car images of the entire day. The photos allowed me to capture more details, like the snow launching up in the air but out of focus, creating depth and then capturing the car in extremely sharp detail.

But the highlight of the day was getting behind the wheel and drifting the car myself. It was my first time drifting a car and it was so much fun. It reminded me to enjoy the moment rather than just focusing on capturing images.

Overall, this was by far the best car experience I've ever had. The opportunity to not only photograph the event but participate in it was amazing. If you're into automotive photography or just looking for a fun trip, I highly recommend checking out Hyundai's Winter Driving Experience in Austria for an opportunity to capture incredible images and experience driving in a fun, safe way. 

Thanks, Max. Head over to @maxloew to see more of his work as a travel photographer. Visit the MPB content hub for more travel diaries like these.