Got Chrome?
Got Chrome?
Dietmar Henneka's latest picture series for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz car calendar
This is the title of photographer Dietmar Henneka's latest picture series of automobiles, resplendent in shining chrome, which accompanied him at various European locations as motifs for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz car calendar. Whether it be the SL or CL-Class, the C or CLK-Class - the result is a series of photographs of Mercedes cars that have never been seen this way before.
The making of
Wherever they appeared, the shining Cars from the Stars immediately attracted no end of attention. Whether it was in Bilbao, Aix-en-Provence or Heiligendamm - dazzled and dumbfounded passers-by would stop and stare. A winged horse would probably not have caused more of a stir. Mercedes models in full chrome livery are a sight not to be missed.
The idea of the shining chrome was Dietmar Henneka's own. A native of Stuttgart, he wanted to give the automobile a new photographic dimension for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz car calendar. For his earlier Reflections calendar, Henneka had photographed Mercedes models in front of huge mirrors. This time the models themselves were to glitter and shine as if they came from another star. In nearby Salach, Henneka found some young people brave enough to translate his ideas into reality. The first prototype was an immediate success, and soon a shining Space Car stood ready for the shoot. The photographic tour began as soon as Henneka had found twelve locations where he could place the chrome cars in suitable surroundings.
Photographical highlights
On Lake Silvaplana, an E-Class glistens before the camera in a bluish-white landscape of ice. One of the many onlookers waves his wallet and wants to buy the Star Car at once, right there and then; he has to make do with a Polaroid photo instead. Off to Italy, to the beach at Forte dei Marmi: When a sparkling CLK rolls out of the car transporter, there is a squeal of brakes as car-struck Italian drivers catch sight of the exotic arrival and can hardly believe their eyes. In Bilbao, a Chrome Car upstages Frank O. Gehry's shimmering silver Guggenheim Museum for several hours. It is only with difficulty that a crowd of culture-tourists can be kept at bay for a just few seconds so that the photo crew can obtain a clear shot at the E-Class model. Only then do Jeff Koon's creations entice the art-lovers into the museum.
Technology meets nostalgia: In Vienna, Henneka parks a futuristic-looking CLK coupe in front of a cinema dating from the 1950s. In Carrara, the sculptor Professor Nicoli opens up his enchanted studio for an E-Class station wagon, in whose bodywork are mirrored dusty statues, deities, muses, pontiffs and caesars - art and design in a magical dialog.
Luminous Tour d'Europe
Things become even more bizarre in southern France. An avenue of pine-trees near Nîmes is reflected in an SL 55 AMG on a sunny summer afternoon. Henneka is arranging the shot with his assistant. Aircraft are constantly taking off and landing nearby: Air France and army pilots are carrying out their flight checks. All of a sudden, a smart appears on the set, driven by a man in a flying-suit - he is one of the pilots who has just been thundering over the scene. From his cockpit he caught a glimpse of the SL roadster as the sun flashed on its shiny skin, and after landing he has made his way over at once to investigate this phenomenon and capture the unusual sight with his digital camera. A tour d'Europe with no end of interesting encounters.
Dietmar Henneka and his assistants were certainly kept busy at every photo location. Before each shot, even the tiniest specks of dust had to be removed from the Chrome Cars with special cloths. The visual challenge presented by the chrome-plated automobiles, the constantly changing reflections and the unpredictable brightness of the motifs was uncharted photographic territory - even for an automotive portrait photographer as experienced as Dietmar Henneka.
Source of supply: Cars from the stars
This is the title of photographer Dietmar Henneka's latest picture series of automobiles, resplendent in shining chrome, which accompanied him at various European locations as motifs for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz car calendar. Whether it be the SL or CL-Class, the C or CLK-Class - the result is a series of photographs of Mercedes cars that have never been seen this way before.
The making of
Wherever they appeared, the shining Cars from the Stars immediately attracted no end of attention. Whether it was in Bilbao, Aix-en-Provence or Heiligendamm - dazzled and dumbfounded passers-by would stop and stare. A winged horse would probably not have caused more of a stir. Mercedes models in full chrome livery are a sight not to be missed.
The idea of the shining chrome was Dietmar Henneka's own. A native of Stuttgart, he wanted to give the automobile a new photographic dimension for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz car calendar. For his earlier Reflections calendar, Henneka had photographed Mercedes models in front of huge mirrors. This time the models themselves were to glitter and shine as if they came from another star. In nearby Salach, Henneka found some young people brave enough to translate his ideas into reality. The first prototype was an immediate success, and soon a shining Space Car stood ready for the shoot. The photographic tour began as soon as Henneka had found twelve locations where he could place the chrome cars in suitable surroundings.
Photographical highlights
On Lake Silvaplana, an E-Class glistens before the camera in a bluish-white landscape of ice. One of the many onlookers waves his wallet and wants to buy the Star Car at once, right there and then; he has to make do with a Polaroid photo instead. Off to Italy, to the beach at Forte dei Marmi: When a sparkling CLK rolls out of the car transporter, there is a squeal of brakes as car-struck Italian drivers catch sight of the exotic arrival and can hardly believe their eyes. In Bilbao, a Chrome Car upstages Frank O. Gehry's shimmering silver Guggenheim Museum for several hours. It is only with difficulty that a crowd of culture-tourists can be kept at bay for a just few seconds so that the photo crew can obtain a clear shot at the E-Class model. Only then do Jeff Koon's creations entice the art-lovers into the museum.
Technology meets nostalgia: In Vienna, Henneka parks a futuristic-looking CLK coupe in front of a cinema dating from the 1950s. In Carrara, the sculptor Professor Nicoli opens up his enchanted studio for an E-Class station wagon, in whose bodywork are mirrored dusty statues, deities, muses, pontiffs and caesars - art and design in a magical dialog.
Luminous Tour d'Europe
Things become even more bizarre in southern France. An avenue of pine-trees near Nîmes is reflected in an SL 55 AMG on a sunny summer afternoon. Henneka is arranging the shot with his assistant. Aircraft are constantly taking off and landing nearby: Air France and army pilots are carrying out their flight checks. All of a sudden, a smart appears on the set, driven by a man in a flying-suit - he is one of the pilots who has just been thundering over the scene. From his cockpit he caught a glimpse of the SL roadster as the sun flashed on its shiny skin, and after landing he has made his way over at once to investigate this phenomenon and capture the unusual sight with his digital camera. A tour d'Europe with no end of interesting encounters.
Dietmar Henneka and his assistants were certainly kept busy at every photo location. Before each shot, even the tiniest specks of dust had to be removed from the Chrome Cars with special cloths. The visual challenge presented by the chrome-plated automobiles, the constantly changing reflections and the unpredictable brightness of the motifs was uncharted photographic territory - even for an automotive portrait photographer as experienced as Dietmar Henneka.
Source of supply: Cars from the stars
