SHOOTING WHEELS

Gaurav Thombre is the founder of Gaurav Thombre Productions and has been shooting got over 16 years. His company shoots automotive photos and makes films. Thombre has worked with well known car brands like Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Skoda, and VW, advertising agencies, luxury real estate companies and others. We explore Thombre's creative journey as an automotive photographer and also learn about how he started India's first studio for pet photography because of his love for animals. He also shares secrets of his fully integrated service, which includes editing, CGI management, and animation. Excerpts:

- SANCHIT MISHRA

What initially sparked your interest in photographing automobiles? Were you always drawn to this subject matter, or did your passion develop over time?

I have been fascinated by cars from a young age and learned to drive at a very early age. But photographing automobiles was never been in thought. Being a G.D artist creativity was my passion which was drawn to photography as a hobby later converted to a profession where I used to shoot fashion, advertising, and interiors and gradually discovered the charm of photographing automobiles. In January 2008, I had an opportunity to work with the esteemed automobile magazine, Overdrive. It was during this time that I submitted a series of test shots, marking the first instance where I experienced capturing the beauty of automobiles through the lens of my camera. Since that inaugural shoot, I have been fortunate to grace the pages of over 180 magazine issues throughout the span of 16 years. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to photograph over 800 cars and 500 bikes, which also encompassed exhilarating car expeditions in over 20 countries, spanning an impressive distance of over 200,000 kilometres internationally. It has been an incredible journey filled with countless captivating moments and unforgettable experiences. Some notable publications include Overdrive, Evo India, and at present, I hold the position of Photo Editor at

Autocar India Magazine. In 2015, I founded my own production house called Gaurav Thombre Productions (GT Productions), where we have successfully worked with renowned automobile brands like Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Lexus, Bridgestone, etc., capturing captivating imagery and visuals.