Client: Hyundai
Client: Acura
Personal Work
Client: Chevrolet
Personal Work: Porsche 992
Renault Megane
Client: Hyundai
Client: Subaru
Client: Mazda USA
Client: Lincoln
Client: Honda
Personal Work: Toyota Land Cruiser
Client: Hyundai
Client: Kia
Client: Nissan
Client: Lincoln
Client: Ram
Client: Subaru
Client: Lincoln
Client: BMW
Client: Subaru
Client: Toyota
Client: Subaru
Client: Subaru
Campaign: Prius Prime
Client: Infiniti
Client: Chevrolet Cruze
Client: FIAT
Client: Infiniti
Client: Ford
Client: Volkswagen
Client: Chevrolet
Client: Mercedes - Benz
Personal Work: Porsche Macan
Client: Fiat
Advertising Agency: Union Ad Works
Advertising Agency: The Richards Group
Client: Cadillac
Client: Lexus
Client: FIAT
Making of Fiat
Client: Porsche
Client: Honda
Client: Ford
Campaign: Ford Fusion Invisible
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Jeff Ludes Photos » magazines
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spotlight magazine Jan 2021 cars, transportation and landscape photography & motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes
Under new safety protocols, Jeff and his team shot successfully throughout the remainder of 2020. One of the first big shoots to put new safety measures in place was Jeff’s project for the Hyundai Elantra, shot over eight days in the LA area. With a mix of agency and clients both on-set and viewing remotely, the team shot a wide variety of images, with real-life couples as talent.
Below the California desert skies and into the night, Jeff shot with the Acura team, for a special edition of their NSX supercar. Once the shot list was all checked off, Jeff pushed a bit further, coming home with some dramatic bonus shots that weren’t expected at the outset, but turned out to be the highlights of the project.
But the most remote project lately was Jeff’s personal shoot of a classic 911 Turbo, speeding across a snow-covered Jackson Hole. With the vehicle being produced in CGI by Mainworks in Germany, it was a great way to welcome the winter, and now to kick off 2021!
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spotlight magazine Sep 2020 cars & transportation photography & motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Like the rest of the world, Jeff and his team have learned ways to adapt the way they work, to keep everyone safe on set. A few key changes have been put in place to keep everyone masked-up and well-spaced, but with tools like remote screen sharing for those not on set, shoots have been moving forward smoothly. You’ll be seeing those results soon, once embargo dates have passed.
Looking back to earlier in the year, one of Jeff’s last projects before lockdown began was for Chevrolet, with their Suburban and Tahoe SUVs. With 2 weeks of shooting in Southern California, the team came away with a huge library of images to choose from.
And once lockdown was lifted, Jeff hit the road on a personal project with a Mini Countryman and a pair of real-life roommates. It was a great way to get ready for shooting in this new environment.
"We are fortunate to be shooting again, and extra fortunate to be joined by such a caring and conscientious team. We hope to see you on set soon!"
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spotlight magazine Jun 2020 cars & transportation photography
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Times have quickly changed, but Jeff’s commitment remains the same: to prepare ahead and create the best shoot circumstances possible, then make some amazing images. Early in the year, Jeff and his team of two assistants, plus talent, spent a day in the California desert with Porsche’s latest 911. On this personal project, Jeff showed what can be accomplished with a skeleton crew, coming away with shots including car-to-car action and drone shots.
CGI projects also tend to lend themselves to a somewhat more compact team, with the car rendered digitally in post. Here are a couple recent examples from projects for Nissan and Renault. With CGI shots, because the car isn’t real, Jeff finds it essential to keep all other aspects as real as possible, such as shooting a reference vehicle in place, and lighting it as they would on any other shoot.
Jeff’s production team has been working to implement protocols for working conscientiously and safely in this ’new normal’. Both high-tech solutions such as live screen sharing, and simple things, like the use of masks, combine to make productions that are smart, effective, and produce great shots.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2020 cars, transportation and landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Here’s a look at the second half of 2019 for Jeff. First up is a week-long shoot for Hyundai’s updated Ioniq vehicle. Jeff and team shot on their home turf of Los Angeles, with great locations and weather. The shoot included a day of video production as well.
One of the more exciting projects this year was for Jeff’s long-time client Subaru, which brought everyone together in Colorado and Utah to shoot their Outback. Drones, kids, rigs, stars, waterfalls, dogs, bikes- the shoot covered it all.
Jeff’s second social media project for Lincoln this year covered a holiday theme. Shooting entirely hand-held, Jeff and team covered a huge variety of setups over two fast shoot days. Capping off the year, the team flew to Acura’s PMC factory in Ohio, to shoot the creation of the special PMC Edition MDX. The red paint looked stunning from every angle, creating the perfect playground for lens and lights. "See you in 2020!"
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spotlight magazine Sep 2019 cars, transportation and landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Jeff Ludes’s latest personal project found him shooting the 590-horsepower Maserati Levante up and down Southern California, covering both stills and video. Though he spent five days with the vehicle, the most fruitful times were in the dusk hours when the blue paint picked up the deep blue sky.
California had a ton of snow last winter, so it was a great opportunity for this project for Mazda. After shooting for a few days on a Hollywood backlot, the team packed up and headed for the mountains, which turned out to be the highlight of the project.
Lincoln brought Jeff on board for another social media campaign, this time centered around the desert and architecture of Palm Springs. The desert sunrise was stunning, but the best part was exploring reflections at this glass-clad modern building.
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spotlight magazine May 2019 cars, transportation and landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Jeff Ludes’s latest project for Honda was the launch of the entirely new Passport SUV. The team got to demonstrate its off-road capabilities on some amazing scenery in Utah, Colorado, and the California desert.
Amazingly, each of these images is a well-orchestrated Photoshop composite, as the top-secrect vehicle couldn’t be transported. Good planning and good retouching brought it all together.
Jeff then shot a personal project involved a vintage Toyota Land Cruiser and a surfer on the Oregon coast. The small team was greeted with an amazing sunrise over the Pacific.
Infiniti recently brought Jeff on to help develop a new visual style, and this series is one of the first results. Together with his motion team, Jeff shot stills and video, which were then combined in a dynamic edit of four finished pieces. Featured in this Spotlight are two of those, as well as a selection of stills.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2019 cars, transportation and landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Many of Jeff Ludes's projects in 2018 were shot on location in Northern California.
A shoot for the newly revealed Hyundai Santa Fe saw the team spend over a week on a road trip through wine country, past redwood forests, and on to the rugged coast with a full schedule of shots.
Jeff took on a personal project to shoot a McLaren 720S supercar in and around the streets of San Francisco. As with his other personal projects, he took a very loose approach, starting the day with a few location ideas yet shooting all the opportunities encountered along the way.
Jeff's last shoot released in 2018 was the Kia 'Spirit Animals' social campaign, shot in the Lake Tahoe area. Working fast in the difficult conditions, Jeff shot four vehicles, each paired with an animal, brought in by a professional trainer. A unique and fun way to end the year!
Lastly, Jeff is proud to present his motion reel, filled with automotive shoots both personal and for clients such as Ram, Subaru, Hyundai, and Lincoln.
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spotlight magazine Sep 2018 cars, transportation and landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Jeff Ludes has been staying busy with a wide variety of projects. First on the list was one of his longest-running clients, Nissan. The images featured in this Spotlight were produced with a CGI rendered vehicle, which required plenty of planning to get such dramatic lighting in the scene without having the car available.
Next up was a short trip to Santa Barbara wine country for Lincoln and the beautiful MKC. Jeff’s biggest project to-date this year was a 19-day production for Chevrolet, shooting a variety of cars and SUVs across California. Here’s just a peek, with more images soon to be released.
After all that, Jeff took some time off, producing a series of personal work shot on the streets of Tokyo.
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spotlight magazine May 2018 cars, transportation and landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
The last days of 2017 found Jeff Ludes and his team shooting a highly-confidential vehicle in southern California, the new Ram 1500. Careful planning was needed to stay out of the public eye, as they worked from downtown to mountain tops, shooting non-stop.
The social media launch of the new Lincoln Nautilus was a bit different, shooting over night on the roof of the glitzy Dream Hollywood hotel. The car was lifted 12 floors up by crane, and the whole venue reimagined by a team of set decorators, creating a surreal environment for the launch party of the vehicle.
But the wildest shoot of the bunch was with Subaru and the new Ascent. With a full cast of kids on set each day, Jeff was kept on his toes continuously to capture all the action.
Based in Los Angeles, Jeff has been shooting cars around the world for over a decade.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2018 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Finally released to the public is the new roadster version of BMW’s futuristic hybrid, the i8. Jeff Ludes spent part of his summer shooting it in Spain, taking the chance to really explore light and shadow, and to push the naturalistic look that he’s known for. Production Paradise member Sonda Productions ensured the whole thing went smoothly.
Shortly after returning home to LA, Jeff went into another large production, this time for Lincoln, to reveal the new Navigator. Working with talent was a key part of this shoot, and provided plenty of unexpected opportunities beyond the client’s shot list.
Jeff then headed to Portland to shoot a personal series with a beautifully blacked-out Harley-Davidson. After personally scouting and planning, Jeff’s team spent one day and into the evening shooting a huge range of locations all over town. Moving fast and light meant more variety, and more shots - too much to choose from can be a good problem to have!
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spotlight magazine Sep 2017 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Subaru’s most recent project with Jeff Ludes was a top-secret shoot with its new high-performance pair, the BRZ tS and WRX STI Type RA. Two days of excellent California weather was enough to fulfill the shot list, and leave room for a little photographic playtime as well: the opening “drifting” shot was not planned, but a big hit once the team saw the results.
Jeff has completed two projects for Toyota so far this year. First was the new Camry, shot around Phoenix, AZ. Over six days, Jeff and his crew covered every aspect of the vehicle, from lifestyle and social shots to carefully orchestrated running shots.
More recently, Jeff spent four days with the Prius C. With California experiencing a rare wildflower “superbloom” this spring, it was an easy choice to set a creative direction for this colourful little car.
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spotlight magazine May 2017 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Jeff Ludes wrapped up 2016 with a pair of projects for Subaru, which have finally been released to the public. First, they spent two fast days on the track and in the mountains, with the powerful new WRX and STI models, chasing the light to get the most coverage in such a short time. The shot with the epic mountain view hadn’t been planned for, but it was something Jeff knew he had to shoot anyway. It turned out to be a favourite of the whole team. The next project was the new Crosstrek, which took the team exploring up the California coast, finding hidden gems to create the perfect setting for the car.
Jeff’s latest personal project was shot with a Dodge Challenger over a couple of rainy nights in LA. Once he saw rain in the forecast, Jeff knew he had to catch the opportunity.
As on other projects, Jeff’s DP joined in the fun. Be sure to look out for the video edit out soon.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2017 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
In preparation for a personal series, Jeff Ludes sought out the most dramatic landscape he could find: the Banff area in Canada. Jeff secured a Jeep, a canoe, and a dog to join the expedition, and the sky even provided some dramatically rainy scenes at times.
Toyota has just released the newest Prius model, the Prime, and brought Jeff on board to help launch the vehicle. With 10 days to shoot, Jeff had time to both cover the agency’s shot list and experiment with unplanned shots, many of which became favourites of both the client and Jeff.
Another longtime client, Infiniti, commissioned Jeff to shoot the QX70 crossover. Check Jeff’s Instagram feed for some behind-the-scenes images and videos.
Jeff has been creating automotive imagery worldwide for over 14 years.
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spotlight magazine Sep 2016 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
It’s been a big Chevrolet year for Jeff, with the brand bringing him on projects across three countries. First up was the Cruze, in Jeff’s own Los Angeles. In addition to shooting stills, Jeff brought on his DP for a couple days, to show off the possibilities of a joint video production.
Next Jeff was brought to South Korea, for the new Malibu. These two images were actually unplanned out-takes, but became Jeff’s favorites.
The high point of Jeff’s Chevy shoot in Thailand was splashing the Colorado through a river in a butterfly-filled jungle. When it started to rain that day, the team realized their excellent luck!
Among other recent projects, a highlight was the Lincoln Continental, looking as amazing as a concept car.
Jeff has been creating automotive imagery worldwide for over 14 years.
See behind-the-scenes and more on his Instagram.
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spotlight magazine May 2016 cars, transportation & landscape photography
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
With the aggressive Abarth newly available in a stunning blue, FIAT again brought Jeff Ludes on board to shoot the lineup of FIAT 500 models. With more than one day at the beach, the Southern California weather played along perfectly. Jeff covered everything, from interiors, to details, to running shots and lifestyle.
Jeff also applied his style of shooting cars and lifestyle to the refreshed Ford Fusion, this time in the city of Denver. Much care was taken to simplify the task of using CGI to add updated parts to the vehicles, yet Jeff always found time to go hand-held and explore.
Lastly, Jeff spent a day in the mountains with the powerful new Infiniti Q60. Any shoot that’s busy and full of energy is a good one, and this was no exception. After completing the shot list ahead of schedule, the team explored new ideas provided by the amazing scenery, and came home with more than planned.
Based in Los Angeles, Jeff has been creating automotive imagery worldwide for over 12 years.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2016 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Jeff Ludes is finally able to release the images he shot this past summer, starting in South America with ads for the Ford Explorer. When looking for snow in June, his team headed south to Chile where Jeff shot snowy backgrounds from a helicopter. Once back in the States, Jeff shot the car itself, which was seamlessly composited in the final ads.
Next up was Europe, starting in Spain for another project with Renault. This time the task was to create an image for the largest ad space in Europe. After that, Jeff headed to the Italian coast for a bright and energetic shoot of the VW Golf Cabrio.
Back in the US, Jeff shot and supervised CGI production on the launch of Infiniti’s newest model, the Q30. After the usual process of scouting locations, planning angles and lighting, Jeff worked closely with the agency and CGI studio to light and render photo-realistic vehicles into the scenes. Finally, another convertible project, this time the re-launch of the iconic FIAT 124 Spider.
Based in Los Angeles, Jeff has been creating automotive imagery worldwide for over 10 years.
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spotlight magazine Sep 2015 cars, transportation & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Jeff Ludes has been keeping up with a busy travel schedule, starting with his shoots to launch the new Renault Kadjar. The team shot in both Chile and Spain, from volcanos to clifftops and the city. His second trip south this year was to Argentina, shooting 14 days for Chevrolet. The huge shot list had Jeff shooting multiple locations each day. The images will be seen in markets around the world.
Back in the US, Jeff was excited to take over the @mbusa Instagram account for two days, shooting a road trip story with a pair of the company's powerful and luxurious AMG and Maybach sedans.
Another trip to Chile, this time for Ford, saw Jeff shoot snowy ads (yet to be released) before he and the team landed back in California where they headed straight to the Eastern Sierras and onto a helicopter for aerial shooting for a series of dusty ads. These shots are appearing in magazines and billboards across the US.
Visit his website for an extended look at these projects. Based in Los Angeles, Jeff has been creating automotive imagery worldwide for over 10 years.
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spotlight magazine May 2015 cars, transportation & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
During his most recent project shooting in Europe, Jeff Ludes took time out to spend a day in Paris with the new Porsche Macan, as a personal project. The day’s rain was a blessing, creating just the right mood for the vehicle to prowl the streets. Jeff found working in black & white for the first time in years to be especially liberating.
Two other projects have just been released. Jeff recently spent time with Cadillac’s hybrid coupe, the ELR, and his latest FIAT campaign celebrated the joy of the drive-in theatre, created especially for a fold-out ad in the Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair.
Based in Los Angeles, Jeff has been creating automotive imagery worldwide for over 10 years.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2015 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
2014 wrapped up in a spectacular fashion for Jeff Ludes. FIAT, the brand that keeps him busiest sent him on an exciting project to shoot its 'Abarth' model. The team spent several days documenting a playful game of cat-and-mouse, culminating in a dramatic high-speed rain shot. 88 of Jeff’s images fill the pages of the new FIAT Brand Book.
His next project for FIAT was to launch the all-new '500x' model. From date-night to downhill skateboarding, Jeff and his team worked fast to ready the images in time for the unveiling at the LA Auto Show.
Mazda also gave its newest vehicle to Jeff, the iconic MX-5. With only a very loose shot-list, the team was left free to simply head to great locations and fully explore every aspect of the vehicle. Over five days the team covered action, static, city, track, lifestyle, day and night from every possible angle.
Visit Jeff's all new website, containing an extended edit of these campaigns and more.
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spotlight magazine Sep 2014 cars & landscape photography + motion
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
2014 has been non-stop shooting for Jeff Ludes, starting with the launch of the new Escalade, the flagship of the Cadillac brand. From there, Jeff was invited for a road trip up to Central California’s Lagua Seca Raceway to cover the new Subaru WRX and STi models. He brought a nimble crew of four, including his videographer, to document the journey and race track events for Subaru’s website, social media, and brochures.
On his next shoot for Lexus, the shot list called for a huge variety - rig shots, night shots, handheld lifestyle shots, and interior shots. Working quickly, the team covered it all, with options to spare. Jeff’s most recent personal project centered on a 1964 BSA motorcycle, and a day-trip through California’s high desert and poppy fields. With a few loose ideas in mind, the rest was left to exploration and discovery.
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spotlight magazine Jan 2014 cars, transportation & landscape photography
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
After completing projects for Nissan and Toyota, Jeff Ludes wrapped up 2013 with a 21-day shoot for Fiat. By day two, Jeff and his team were shooting until dawn, creating ads for the Fiat 500 GQ Edition which is currently running in GQ magazine. They then took to the road, shooting up and down California, and spending the last two shoot days with the new 1957 Edition in Palm Springs.
The 'behind the scenes' video gives a window into a shoot with Jeff - always calm, even with a shot list as long as his arm.
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spotlight magazine Oct 2013 cars, transportation & landscape photography
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
In between shoots for Porsche and Honda, Jeff Ludes recently completed a personal series with a Tesla Model S and a bicyclist on the streets of New York City. Shot at a fast pace over one very busy day, he applied his own colour treatment as a finishing touch. This exemplifies the approach Jeff takes to all his projects - creating images that are exciting and beautiful, but never overly affected by lighting or post-production.
Jeff's other recent clients include Toyota, Nissan, Infiniti, Chevrolet and Ford.
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showcase magazine Sep 2013 los angeles issue 426
Jeff Ludes Photos car & transportation photographers
Automotive photographer Jeff Ludes recently spent a day on the streets of New York shooting a cyclist and a Tesla Model S as they wove through the city. This personal project was a chance to shoot fast and loose, with time taken later in post-production to add a unique mood and colour treatment.
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spotlight magazine Apr 2013 cars, transportation and landscape photography
Los Angeles: Jeff Ludes Photos
Over the past 10 years, Jeff Ludes has been creating images for the world's automakers, utilizing both CGI and traditional photography. For his recent international advertising campaign for the Ford Fusion / Mondeo, Jeff worked with Chinese fine artist Liu Bolin. Famous for making himself disappear into street scenes, Liu applied his amazing painting technique to vehicles in the ads, rendering them invisible, without the use of computers. The making-of video, produced by Ford for their social media outlets, is a must-see.
Jeff has also just completed a personal project, telling the visual story of a couple on a weekend of California luxury-camping. Though the pace was fast to achieve the large body of images, the mood on set remained calm, as is typical on all of Jeff's productions.