Chrome and sunshine: the 2025 Santa Monica Classic Car Show

The Santa Monica Classic Car Show took over the Pier for 2025 — classic cars, custom builds, and vintage vehicles lined up with the Pacific behind them — and I shot the day for the show: the cars, the details, the guests, and the vendor rows, all with the ocean as the backdrop.

Automotive coverage is about the light on the metal as much as the car itself. A good frame makes a collector's build look the way it looks in his head — the reflections clean, the chrome sharp, the setting doing the car justice. Between the hero shots I worked the crowd and the waterfront for the atmosphere that sells the event.

Everything was delivered for the show's marketing and the owners. Producing a car show, automotive reveal, or brand drive in Los Angeles? Tell me about your event, or see more automotive and event coverage.