cinematic photos by ryan schude show drivers with their beloved cars
mark mothersbaugh and his 1958 mercedes-benz 190SL — west hollywood, california, march 2014
all images courtesy of ryan schude

 

 

 

drivers often form close relationships with their cars, naming them, painting them and giving them pseudo-personalities that fit their characteristics. los angeles-based photographer ryan schude has documented a culture of car lovers in california, staging portraits of people and their beloved automobiles for his ongoing series ‘them & theirs’. each vehicle is pictured alongside its owner and parallels the cruiser to the scene that surrounds it — patterns on the drivers’ outfits match seat covers and tones from the surrounding urban context along with geometries from the nearby architecture mirror exterior detailing. the cinematic-style of portraiture is highlighted by high contrast between light and dark, a vibrant color palette and bold compositions.

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
katie stratton and her 1961 ford falcon — glendale, california, july 2014

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
shelby duncan and her 1987 chrysler lebaron — west hollywood, california, september 2013

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
angel marshan and her 1971 volkswagen beetle — long beach, california, june 2014

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
nicole dreyfuss and her 1971 volkswagen 411 squareback — burbank, california, march 2014

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
zack stratis and his 1976 mercedes 300D — glendale, california, august 2013

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
sven barth and his 1985 GMC suburban — elysian valley, los angeles

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
sayer danforth and his 1984 subaru brat — mt. washington, los angeles

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
matt hummel with his 1956 porsche 356 coupe — point dume, malibu, california, april, 2014

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
isac walter, emily shur & the baroness with their 1964 volkswagen — notchback, echo park, los angeles

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
john agnew and his 1966 oldsmobile 98 and 1968 ford condor — altadena, california

ryan schude them & theirs people and their cars
naomi harris has been living out of a 2003 honda element since march. traveling around the country with her pup maggie, she sometimes finds solace at select walmart parking lots where overnight parking is welcomed (note the built in bed with storage underneath). I was fortunate enough to catch up with her at the baldwin hills/crenshaw location in los angeles. november, 2013.