Fuelling his passion

Alistair Campbell shadows Sam East on a shoot with a Maserati sports car

Today, we’re taking the scenic route to Devon with product photographer Sam East. Based in Bristol, Sam began his photographic career in 2013 by shooting ‘passion projects’ – portraits, products and powerful landscapes. More recently, Sam’s product work has expanded from luxury watches to some of the world’s most exclusive sports cars.

This is why we’re motoring down to the Valley of the Rocks in the brand-new Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo. For any readers curious as to what’s under the bonnet, you’ll find an enormous 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that produces 572bhp at 6,750rpm alongside a rousing 730Nm of torque, which is available all the way from 2,250-5,250rpm.

We start our luxury ride early in the afternoon, setting off from Bristol to our final shooting destination, around 100 miles away via the scenic route to the south-west coast. Accompanying us are Sam’s assistants, Eren Chetin and Chloe Elizabeth, who will provide helping hands throughout the day and also pose as the driver. Sam has plotted a route that will allow us to stop in some quieter spots while he jumps out to bag a few extra images before the sun sets in three or four hours. Along the way, I ask what motivates Sam and where his distinct style comes from.

“Visual storytelling is always at the forefront of my work and stems from my love of motion pictures,” he replies. “I also draw a lot of inspiration from the tones and colours of cinematic films.”