By Patrick Ernzen

desert-motors.com

In many areas, seeing a Porsche 911 Turbo out on the streets is a rare sight.  Virtually anywhere, seeing a Porsche 959 out and about is extremely rare.  However, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, it just doesn’t get more rare than seeing a Paris Dakar winning Porsche 959 driven on public streets.

Continue reading after the jump!

Continue reading "Paris Dakar Winning Porsche 959 in the Wild" »

By Patrick Ernzen

desert-motors.com

While part natural ability, photography, like many things, is largely knowledge and persistence. In this case, natural ability is the photographer’s artistic vision and eye: their ability to look at objects and a scene and compose them in a way that is interesting and appealing. While lucky few are born with this ability, fortunately for the rest of us, most of it can be learned and much of it comes with experience. However, compositional understanding isn’t the only important knowledge for a photographer. Understanding how the camera’s settings, the environment’s lighting and any number of other things will affect a shot is equally important. The other most important part of the puzzle is persistence: simply getting out there, trying new things and taking photos. The number of photos I’ve taken over the past several years is well into six digits and I’m still learning new things and improving my abilities almost every time I get the camera out. If I didn’t feel like I was, I would stop taking photos.

Regardless of the situation, subject or what you’re shooting with, there are a number of often overlooked, simple things that can drastically improve your photos. The three of these that I address in this article and how they directly apply to automotive photography are: the rule of thirds, being aware of your background and varying your photo height. Check out the full article along with examples of these tips in practice and more in Desert-Motors Magazine.

By Patrick Ernzen

desert-motors.com

I’ve always loved the NSX, and while it is still highly regarded in certain circles, it’s often looked at as overpriced, underpowered, dated and so on. With a lifespan of 14 years where it went relatively unchanged while others caught up and surpassed it (at least, on paper), it’s an understandable view. While the NSX remains a phenomenal car in factory form (it quickly and deservedly earned the moniker of “the everyday supercar”), it only gets better when put in the right hands and, in my opinion, is one of the very best platforms to come from any manufacturer. That’s why a car like this 700+hp widebody ’94 NSX just makes me all warm and fuzzy. When I first met the owner and saw the car in unfinished form, I immediately wanted to shoot it. Fast forward two and half years later and this is the results of that shoot. Check out the full article, more photos and the rest of the issue at Desert-Motors Magazine.

Continue reading "NSX Perfection" »

By Patrick Ernzen

desert-motors.com

I try to make it out to the Scottsdale Pavilions car show at least every other week or so.  It’s a a weekly car show where people come and go throughout the afternoon/night and just about any kind of car, bike, motorcycle, etc. is welcome and common.  Every now and then, something (or some things) come along that just make me go “wow.”  The group of Porsches that came out this past weekend is a good example of one of these ocassions.  Built and brought out by Patrick Motorsports, the blue/purple car is a seven year project that was seeing the street for the very first time.  The green 914 is running a 355 V8 with a monstrous supercharger sitting on top and makes one hell of a noise.  More photos of these cars and some others in high-resolution at Desert-Motors.

Continue reading "Hardcore Porsches on the Streets at Scottsdale Pavilions" »

By Rob Einaudi

Editor-in-Chief

We’ve featured the photography of Patrick Ernzen in the blog several times over the last year or two. Well now Patrick has created a free, downloadable online magazine (PDF) which focuses primarily on automotive events and vehicles in the Phoenix valley. The first issue features all sorts of  amazing rides, including this beautiful ’68 Charger and the Vivid Racing GT-R. Go to mag.desert-motors.com and download your free copy now.