When Prices Shift Higher

A Mercedes dealership glows from within at twilight.

Cars have gotten increasingly expensive in recent years, thanks to pandemic-driven inflation, supply chain disruptions, and parts shortages. Dealerships have had to raise their prices to make up for the reduced supply of new vehicles.

Why not pick up some Audi merch to go with that new ride?

But what does that have to do with building photography? A lot more than you might think.

Every building I shoot has a story to tell. With car dealerships, the story is one of luxury and escapism. Selling an expensive vehicle means selling a story to the customer, one where opulence and extravagance are accessible—if one buys the car.

As night falls, the inside of this Audi dealership shines even more brightly.

Setting is important to every story, so in these assignments, I try to evoke a sense of high material quality and aesthetic excellence, from the amenity-laden facilities to the cutting-edge technology used in the vehicles themselves. Taking aerial photographs at twilight helps set that tone: the deepening blue sky contrasts against the bright lights of the dealership, and the shiny vehicles sitting inside gleam like baubles in a jewelry box.

New Mercedes cars await their buyers.

It’s easy to imagine getting into one of these tantalizing vehicles, driving it off the lot, and speeding away into the sunset. Making a “fairytale ending” like this more accessible to the public helps sell more vehicles, which is ultimately the story my clients want to tell!

Racing cars conjure up dreams of speed in the showroom of Audi Bethesda.