Getting the Gig: how do you do it?

Just curious here how you guys (specifically car shooters) get your gigs. Are you just conveniently friends with the owners of the vehicles? Do you go to shows and click around for a bit, trying to meet people? Do you have owners approaching you?

I don't charge since the images are for me, but they are all friends so far. I'm doing 2 motorcycles soon that I got in contact with from motorcycle forums.

Mostly, yes to all.
Question on automobile shoots

Also hit up local car shows. Those people always want pictures of their cars!

Ok. Here's a question for you guys. Is it considered bad taste to put a business card under someone's wipers if they aren't around? I'm not sure how I would feel about it if it was my car. In San Diego I've noticed many many fine exotics (mostly lambos, porsches, and bentleys) but they are either in motion, i'm in motion, or parked with no owner in sight. I'm dying to get a nice exotic to shoot.

First, it would pi$$ me off if I came there after you & wanted to take a shot of it.
Second, you really shouldn't touch anyone's car without permission. You don't want to be accused of scratching their $8,000 paint job, do you?
Third, you could drop the card on the car seat if the window is open, but I've never got a job, or even a curiosity call from doing that. Talking with the owner & showing him some 4X6" images has worked the best.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #11717073
First, it would pi$$ me off if I came there after you & wanted to take a shot of it.
Second, you really shouldn't touch anyone's car without permission. You don't want to be accused of scratching their $8,000 paint job, do you?
Third, you could drop the card on the car seat if the window is open, but I've never got a job, or even a curiosity call from doing that. Talking with the owner & showing him some 4X6" images has worked the best.

Yeah, hence why I've never actually done it. Not that I have business cards right now anyways. I need to make some up. I'll get a bunch of 4x6's printed off and make a small book/album though. Thanks for the suggestion.

I have done that before JMartel but with tuner cars I see at a meet or just parked somewhere. Sometimes they call, sometimes they don't. But these are people between 18-26 with japanese cars not lambos haha.

I've shot some of the nicest cars in the UK, from a McLaren F1 to an Enzo and a lot in between. I started out approaching the owners through social media such as forums and facebook, but that didn't really work. I then got to know people who were in the right circles from going to meets and it led on from there. I got a shoot of a few exotics and it's been word of mouth ever since!