Art and the automobile have a longstanding relationship that’s sometimes straightforward, sometimes abstract. Defining what art is will always be nebulous, but what we can do is distinguish between art and design.
Those of us at Vettes of Atlanta Magazine believe cars have stories to tell. We appreciate the artists who are willing to listen. Caleb Dorr is such an artist.
Most people at the Gainesville, Georgia car show would casually disregard Caleb as he walked around the vintage cars. For many, he was just another with a camera, in a sea of camera-wielding people.
What piqued our interest was how he approached the classic cars, the intent, and the purpose he used to set up each shot. He was doing more than recording a digital image; he listened, letting the soul of the car speak to him beyond the beauty.
Everyone Has A Story
We often say that if you look hard enough, and have enough patience, there is a compelling story waiting to be told at every car show. We wrote, A Classic Southern Cruise-In about this event put on by the Old Friends Car Club.
As luck would have it, this event gave us a chance to meet a fascinating photographer, experience his visual art, and share his story with you.
Sometimes life comes to you in ways, you hadn’t expected. Sometimes you get lucky to run into someone like Caleb Dorr. Here is our conversation with Caleb, and the photography he captured that late afternoon at a remote car show.
A Change Of Course
ROD WORLEY – EDITOR – “Caleb, have you always been drawn to automotive photography?”
CALEB DORR – ARTIST – “Cars and photography have always had a huge presence within my life. I’ve been into cars since I was a very young child.
What started as a love for Hot Wheels quickly transformed with my first go-kart at the age of 10, and led to my first car in high school, a 1964 Chevy Impala sedan. I began photographing around the age of 12 and fell in love with it during high school.
I spent a lot of my free time at local car shows, photographing, and enjoying the different styles. Towards the end of high school, I had planned to go to college for mechanical engineering but ultimately changed my mind after a very influential trip through Vietnam.”
A Career Unfolds
ROD WORLEY – EDITOR – “Caleb, you have more than just a keen eye for this medium. Where did you receive your training, and is your interest beyond just the art of automotive photography?”
CALEB DORR – ARTIST – “I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to get into travel documentary work for National Geographic. The job market changed while I was in school, but I pushed through and received both my Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees from SCAD.
I found employment in Atlanta creating visual media within the legal field, an unexpected niche that allows me to enjoy my automotive hobby. I have recently taken advantage of the flexibility of my schedule and am currently enrolled at Lanier Technical College, studying Motorsports Vehicle Technology.
Over the last year and a half, I have completed an extensive rebuild of my 1964 Impala, and have been taking advantage of any chance to make it to car shows and enjoy it.”
Pro Equipment Makes A Difference
ROD WORLEY – EDITOR – “Can you tell us more about your hobby of photographing automobiles and what you look for in a shot? Also, what equipment do you use?”
CALEB DORR – ARTIST – “Automotive photography has remained a gratifying hobby for me, as it allows me to combine the two main interests within my life and document the world of the automotive enthusiast. I enjoy photographing the details of each vehicle — the things that make it unique and unlike others.
Any real gear head will agree that cars have personalities, and I believe that photography can highlight the features that contribute to that automotive identity. I primarily work with Canon DSLR cameras, and enjoy manual focus prime lenses, though I have worked with everything from 35mm to 8×10 film cameras and digital medium format platforms.
My current favorite combination is the Canon 5D Mark IV and a Zeiss 50mm lens. Given the nature of my job, I do not have an online portfolio. My only online photographic presence is that of my graduate thesis work, which I keep active for academic reference only. I have been photographing more and more automotive content recently, however, and may create an online gallery for that soon. You can see my work on Instagram at calebdorr.”
Deliberate Art
“Art” consists of a deliberate action meant to evoke an emotional or sensual response or convey a message from the creator.
The best art forces us to look at some of our favorite cars in new ways. The automobile is part of our visual landscape, yet unfortunately, we are desensitized to its presence. Caleb Dorr wants to change that, one vehicle at a time.
Caleb’s art strives to capture the soul, beyond the beauty.
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